The President’s Cabinet is made up of the College’s vice presidents and other select individuals.  Cabinet’s purpose is to advise the President on College-wide decisions, approve or revise policy in coordination with shared governance structures, and collaborate across divisions.

At present, the Cabinet is comprised of the following individuals and their roles:

Bill Christy ’79

President

The President serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the College with responsibility for ensuring the success of the institution’s mission, enrollment growth and management, academic integrity, fiscal stability, fundraising, personnel, and physical plant management. The President provides vision and strategic leadership to college operations and engages the governing board, faculty, staff, and students in realizing the future of the College’s extraordinary potential. The President acts as a mentor for vice presidents, faculty, and staff, collaborates on strategic issues impacting the college, and serves as the decision-maker for all aspects of campus operations, policies, practices, and activities.

Bill Christy ’79 is currently serving as president. He assumed the presidency May 15, 2022, following Dr. Lynn Morton’s retirement. Christy is a passionate alum and supporter of Warren Wilson who has served for many years on the Board of Trustees and was chair of the Board during the last presidential search in 2016-17.

Jay Roberts, Ph.D.

Provost & Dean of the Faculty

The Provost and Dean of the Faculty has oversight over Academic Affairs (all academic programs and degrees, faculty recruitment and evaluation, faculty development, curriculum standards and accreditation, student success offices, the library, careers and internships, land resources, and international education); Student Life (WIDE – Wilson Inclusion, Diversity and Equity, all Counseling and Wellness Centers, the Chaplain and Center for Spiritual Life), the Work Program, International Education, Career Services, and Land Resources. The combination of Provost and Dean signifies a special responsibility and relationship with the academic faculty and the academic mission. This role is responsible for strategic planning and implementation of initiatives to further integrate the principal components of a Warren Wilson education (academic, community engagement, and work) in both design and function.

Roberts joined Warren Wilson College in June 2020 as Vice President of Academic Affairs and, as of July 1, 2021, transitioned to Provost and Dean of the Faculty. Previously, Roberts spent 20 years at Earlham College as a Professor of Education and Environmental Studies, serving 7 years as the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs. Roberts was also a 2019-20 American Council on Education [ACE] Fellow with the Great Lakes College Association. Roberts is a noted authority on experiential learning, publishing multiple articles and books on the subject. He holds a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Miami University, a Master of Education from University of Virginia, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology and Environmental Studies from Lawrence University.

Alan Russell

Vice President for Administration & Finance / CFO

The Vice President for Administration and Finance/CFO is responsible for the overall budget and expenditures of the College. In addition, this position has direct oversight for the following units: Finance and Accounting, Facilities Management, Public Safety, Risk Management, Human Resources, Financial Aid, Information Technology, Student Store, Auxiliary Rentals, Swannanoa Gathering (summer music program), and Dining Services. This position manages facilities needs for all events on campus, as well as contract management and legal services as needed by the College. The Vice President for Administration and Finance/CFO is also responsible for strategic planning and implementation of all operational initiatives.

Russell, MBA, accepted the position of Interim Vice President for Administration and Finance/CFO, and began his work on August 8, 2022. Russell is a graduate of Babson College and received his MBA from Columbia University. His career has included working as an adjunct professor, work in the for-profit sector in finance and manufacturing, as well as primarily in the non-profit sector. Russell’s assignments as an interim executive in higher education have included stints at Cambridge College, University of Central Arkansas, Landmark College, University of Wisconsin Parkside, and Wesley College. Additionally, he served as interim CFO
at Warren Wilson in 2013, when he developed excellent working relationships on this campus with many, especially the Controller’s Office.

Bob Nesmith

Vice President for Enrollment, Marketing & Financial Aid

This position is responsible for the recruitment of undergraduate students to the College, searching for individuals who demonstrate strong academic ability and curiosity, personal integrity, and alignment with the College’s mission. The Vice President has oversight over the following units: Admissions, Marketing and Financial Aid.

Nesmith was appointed Interim VP for Enrollment, Marketing & Financial Aid on September 6, 2022. A graduate of Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, Nesmith worked at his alma mater in Admissions for almost 27 years, serving the last 12 years as Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid. Under his leadership at Centre, he and his team recruited 12 of the 13 largest classes in college history, dramatically increased the number of international students, and doubled the enrollment of students traditionally underrepresented in higher education, including Black, Latinx, multiracial, and first-generation students. Nesmith also served on the senior leadership team at Centre and worked closely with its Board of Trustees.

Tacci Smith

Dean of Students

The Dean of Students reports to the Provost and is responsible for all aspects of Student Affairs and also serves as the College’s Title IX Coordinator. This position has oversight over the following units: Student Activities, Residence Life, Spiritual Life, Health and Wellness, the Counseling Center, the Queer Resource Center, as well as the Wilson Inclusion, Diversity and Equity [WIDE] department. The Dean of Students serves on both the Provost Leadership Team and Cabinet to ensure careful coordination, collaboration, and representation of student life issues within the senior leadership of the College.

Smith joined Warren Wilson College in 2016 as Director of Student Activities and has since served in a variety of student-focused positions. Smith recently served as the Associate Dean of Student Life Engagement where her work focused on student communication and advocacy.

Prior to her work at the College, Smith was the Associate Dean of Students and Director of New Student Orientation at Kenyon College in Ohio. She received her B.A. in Communications/ Broadcasting and Psychology from Otterbein College and her M.A. in College Student Personnel from Bowling Green State University.

Mary Hay

Senior Director of Communications and Constituent Relations

The Senior Director of Communications and Constituent Relations is responsible for strategically managing communications and relationships in an integrated fashion to increase understanding and support among Warren Wilson College’s key constituents – including donors, alumni, and parents – to ensure that Warren Wilson is highly visible among target audiences. The Senior Director of Communications and Constituent Relations works with the President and the Advancement Team to create a strategy to attract and retain donors and increase unrestricted giving to the College. The position has oversight over five staff members – the Director of Communications and Constituent Relations, the Director of Leadership Annual Giving, the WWC Fund Manager, and the Alumni Relations Manager.

Hay joined the Warren Wilson College advancement team as the Director of the WWC Fund in April 2015 and moved into the Senior Director of Communications and Constituent Relations position in March 2022. During her time working for the College, she has led the WWC Fund strategy which reached the highest ever unrestricted giving totals in the College’s history for the past two years and created the annual “All-In for WWC” Giving Day.

Hay is an Asheville native and fifth-generation Warren Wilson community member. She came to Warren Wilson with more than 10 years of experience in the communications field working on productions for Sony, CBS, and ABC. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Communications from Ithaca College.

M. Z. Yehudah, Ph.D.

Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiatives

The Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Initiatives is responsible for guiding the efforts to conceptualize, define, assess, nurture, and cultivate diversity as an institutional and educational resource. The Director for DEI Initiatives leads in the development and implementation of proactive diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in support of the College’s strategic plan to create a learning and working environment where all in the campus community have an opportunity to succeed and thrive. This role is designed to lead the College’s effort toward building and sustaining a diverse and culturally vibrant campus.

Dr. Yehudah joined Warren Wilson in May of 2021 as Director of the Office of Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity (WIDE) within the Student Life division. In July of 2022 he was appointed to his current role and joined the Cabinet to bring his leadership and expertise in DEI to the College as whole.

Dr. Yehudah holds a B.A. in Communication and a M.A. in Africana Studies from the State University of New York at Albany as well as a Ph.D. of African-American Studies from Temple University. Dr. Yehudah’s career in higher education has included more than 17 years of experience and leadership in teaching, researching, mentoring, and practicing in the fields of multicultural affairs, diversity, and social justice.

Heather Schalk

Director of Human Resources

The Director of Human reports to the VP for Administration & Finance and is responsible for the overall development and delivery of human resources services for Warren Wilson College which include but are not limited to benefit administration, recruiting and onboarding, performance management, employee relations, employee wellness, and compliance and regulatory oversight. The Director will set the stage for an excellent employment experience for staff, faculty, and applicants. Combining knowledge with compassion, the Director serves as a strategic partner and an advisor to campus leadership in all efforts to attract, retain and develop the top talent needed to serve the students of today and tomorrow. The Director will balance compliance (regulatory, policy and procedural), creativity, and professional customer service, promoting the kind of employee engagement that leads to overall institutional success.

Schalk joined the College in December of 2019, just prior to the pandemic.  She has a background in Human Resource roles spanning over twenty-five years with sixteen years spent in the University of Maryland System. At the University of Maryland Global Campus, Schalk was the Associate Vice President of Human Resources and Organization Development Consulting implementing an HR Business Partner model at that university. Schalk closed out her tenure with the University of Maryland System as the Faculty Liaison at Salisbury University. She then transitioned to Wesley College in Dover, DE; a small private college for the three years prior to coming to Warren Wilson College as the Director of Human Resources. Schalk holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Bowie State University and a Master’s degree in Human Resources from the University of Maryland Global Campus.

Robin Martin-Davis 

Director of Athletics

The Director of Athletics reports directly to the President and is responsible for developing and executing a strategy for recruiting student-athletes to Warren Wilson College, evaluating the potential for additional athletic programs, and making recommendations to the President for future expansion, raising the profile of College athletics, evaluating and implementing athletic policies, evaluating coaches and staff, and managing the budget. The Director of Athletics develops and implements a vision for athletics, including creating annual and long-term strategic plans for the Department of Athletics that further Warren Wilson College’s strategic plan, educational mission, and recruiting goals. This position is also responsible for establishing a culture of excellence within the department with clear accountability and high standards for students, coaches, and staff.

Martin-Davis joined Warren Wilson College in June of 2014 as Head Women’s Basketball Coach. As a basketball coach, she has compiled over 100 wins, 3 USCAA National championship berths and one EMAC conference championship. Martin-Davis added to her basketball duties the SWA position within a few years and then transitioned to serve as Associate Athletic Director for two years before being named Interim Athletic Director in June 2022. Robin now serves our community as Athletic Director.

Robin holds a master’s degree in Kinesiology from Georgia Southern and a bachelor degree from Clarion University. Martin-Davis’s role on the administrative side has been compliance education, NCAA education, coordinating all transportation, handling medical claims, game day management, creating and updating our inside athletics webpage as well as working on streamlining and updating our athletic staff and student-athlete handbooks.