Roger Aiken

Board of Trustees Chair

Email: raiken@bot.unca.edu

Roger Aiken has over three decades of experience in the financial services industry. Aiken also holds the CFP® certification as a financial professional. He has written a biweekly op-ed column for The Asheville Citizen-Times, and for 10 years provided the morning business report for WLOS-TV in Asheville. He served as a member of and vice chair for the University of North Carolina Board of Governors, and currently serves on the Eblen Charities Board of Directors. Aiken previously served on the Asheville Chamber of Commerce, and on the Buncombe County Board of Education, including two terms as chairman. Aiken earned a Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Arts degree at Appalachian State University, with majors in both marketing and management.

Peter Heckman

Board of Trustees Vice Chair

Peter Heckman is the former President and CEO of Horace Mann Educators Corporation, a company focused on providing auto, home, property, and life insurance, as well as retirement annuities for K-12 teachers and educators. Prior to retiring in 2014, he served in this role for three years following his stint as the company’s CFO for 10 years (2000-2010). Peter began his insurance career in 1972 with Allstate Insurance Company where he held a variety of positions including Vice President of Finance and Planning, Allstate Life Insurance Company, for 12 years.

Peter holds a BSBA in Marketing & Marketing Management from Northwestern University. He earned his MBA from Northwestern’s Kellog School of Management, with his field of study focused on information technology and quantitative methods.

Peter now lives in Asheville with his wife Sandi who is a member of the Bulldog Athletic Association.

Kelly Davis

Board of Trustees Secretary

Kelly Davis currently serves as the vice president of mortgage lending at Park National Bank. Prior to joining Park National, she was a mortgage loan manager at Forest Commercial Bank, an area manager at Suntrust, and a wealth manager at Wells Fargo. Davis has served as president of the North Buncombe High School Parent Teacher Student Organization, the coordinator of the Y&B Breast Cancer Support Group, and the event chair of Ä¢¹½´«Ã½â€™s Our Turn to Play. She has also been active in the Lions Club of Black Mountain. She has served on the boards of Haywood Street Congregation Church, North Buncombe High School, Smart Start of Buncombe County, and founded the WNC Down Syndrome Alliance. A native of Waynesville, NC, Davis attended Western Carolina University and graduated from the CBA Executive Banking School at the University of Virginia and Furman University.

Stephen De May

Stephen De May retired from Duke Energy in January 2023 after a 33 year career with the company. He retired as North Carolina President where he was responsible for the financial performance of Duke’s regulated utilities in North Carolina, and managed state and local regulatory and government relations, and community affairs. He was also has responsibility for advancing the company’s rate and regulatory initiatives related to its electric operations. Prior to that role, Stephen served as senior vice president, treasurer and head of tax, and previously served in various financial and public policy roles, including leadership of the corporate finance, international finance, risk management, investor relations and energy and environmental policy functions.

Stephen is a member of the board of advisors of Strata Clean Energy, a clean-tech company, providing utility-scale solar & storage developments, and, after retiring from Duke Energy through summer 2025, he served as an Advisor in Residence for Ernst & Young, a global firm specializing in consulting, assurance, tax and transaction services. Stephen served as a director on the boards of the North Carolina Chamber, National Advisory Board for NCSU’s Institute for Emerging Issues, NC FIRST Commission with the NC Department of Transportation, Raleigh Chamber, and Downtown Raleigh Alliance. A native of Long Island, N.Y., Stephen graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and a Master of Business Administration degree from the McColl Graduate School of Business at Queens University of Charlotte. He is a certified public accountant in North Carolina on inactive status. In 2010, he completed the Advanced Management Program at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Stephen and his wife Linda have three adult children.

Louis Bissette

Lou practices law in the areas of economic development, land use and zoning, serving the needs of clients ranging from private individuals to large businesses and institutions. He tackles corporate law issues, representing foreign and domestic companies establishing or expanding operations in the Western North Carolina region, providing legal counsel with respect to corporate structure, mergers and acquisitions, and strategic plans, utilizing his network of commercial relationships and offering his political acumen. He served on the University of North Carolina System Board of Governors from 2011-2022, including as its Chair from 2015-2018, and has served on numerous boards in Asheville, Buncombe County, and the Western North Carolina region. He was an Asheville City Council member from 1983-1989 and the City of Asheville’s Mayor from 1985-1989. He received a BA in History from Wake Forest University, a JD from the University of North Carolina Law School, and an MBA from the University of Virginia Graduate School of Business Administration. In 2020, Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ awarded Lou with an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree.

Catherine Bell Mitchell

Catherine Bell Mitchell is an attorney and partner at Fox Rothschild, LLP in the real estate group. Prior to joining Fox’s predecessor, Smith Moore Leatherwood LLP, in 2013, she represented lenders in real estate litigation matters at McGuireWoods. An Asheville native, Mitchell serves on the North Carolina Bar Association Real Property Section Council, where she serves on the Commercial Committee and contributes to drafting and commenting on proposed state legislation and regulations. She is a member of the Charlotte chapter of Commercial Real Estate Women, and is active within her firm’s Women’s Initiative, where she moderates and participates in monthly meetings intended to encourage and promote female attorneys. She is also a member of the firm’s Real Estate CLE Committee. She earned her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Mercer University School of Law and Bachelor of Arts in history from Sewanee: The University of the South.

Drew Heath

A proud Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ alumnus, Drew Heath returns to his alma mater in this leadership role with a distinguished record of service in law, government, and public administration. Currently, Heath is a partner at the firm at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP, where he specializes in federal and state government relations, representing healthcare systems, insurance companies, and trade associations.

Heath’s career spans key leadership positions in North Carolina’s judicial and executive branches. As director of the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts, he played a pivotal role in modernizing court operations and advancing judicial efficiency. Prior to that position, he served as a Superior Court judge, state budget director, and chairman of the North Carolina Industrial Commission. His experience managing complex legal, financial, and policy matters will bring valuable insight to the University’s governance.

During his time at Ä¢¹½´«Ã½, Heath was a senator for the Student Government Association, a varsity soccer team captain, and a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. He remains deeply connected to the University, having served on the Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ Alumni Association Board of Directors.

Amy Hanks

David Meyer

David began his career with A.G. Edwards and Sons, a predecessor of Wells Fargo Advisors, where he developed the foundation of his Investment Management practice. His passion for providing the highest quality advice to clients fueled his quest for knowledge. In 2005. David earned the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER TM designation, and in 2008, he earned the Certified Investment Management Analyst designation. He was required to complete an approved educational program, passing a rigorous examination and meeting stringent experience and continuing education requirements. He has earned the Wells Fargo Advisors Premier Advisor from 2008-2024. David has been honored as a Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisor in 2019. 2021, 2022, and 2023.

David graduated from St. Cloud State University with degrees in Business and Communications. He went on to management positions with professional baseball teams, including the Asheville Tourists. Away from the office, David spends time with his wife, Traci, a retired teacher, and two children, John and Elizabeth. They provide leadership in many capacities at Emmanuel Lutheran Church as well as in the community, helping UNCA, ABCCM, YMCA, and various other local organizations. David enjoys spending time with John at NC State University cheering on the Wolfpack. He is also busy assisting Elizabeth with her volleyball & tennis and educational pursuits.

Gregg Thompson

Gregg Thompson has served as NFIB’s state director for North Carolina since 2005. Thompson’s responsibilities include lobbying on behalf of NFIB’s membership in North Carolina, and overseeing small business grassroots activity and serving as NFIB’s media spokesperson in the Tar Heel State.

Thompson has a unique blend of experience in government and small business.

After serving in the administration of Gov. Jim Martin, Thompson was elected at age 27 to the North Carolina House of Representatives. He completed five terms and served as chairman of the Appropriations Committee during his last two years. Upon his retirement from the House, Thompson served briefly as senior budget and policy advisor to the Speaker of the House and as the director of the division of research, policy, and planning in the North Carolina Department of Labor.

Thompson has also been an entrepreneur and small business owner in past years. He and his wife, Nancy, owned Thompson Group Inc. from 1999-2005.

A North Carolina native, Thompson was born in Charlotte and reared in North Carolina’s mountains. He received his bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of North Carolina at Asheville and earned a master’s degree in entrepreneurship from Western Carolina University.

Gregg and Nancy are proud parents of three children, Grey, Reid, and Molly.

Tom Hunter

Obianko Osaro – Student Body President 

Student Body President / Resident Assistant

Email: sgapresident@unca.edu

Obianko Osaro serves the Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ student body as student body president and as a Resident Assistant. Born and raised in Raleigh, NC, by Nigerian parents, Mr. Osaro is a fourth-year transfer student majoring in atmospheric science with a concentration in broadcast meteorology. He began his involvement on campus in the student government in Fall 2022. He became a two-time transfer senator, as well as a founding member of the African and Caribbean Student Association. During his tenure in student government, he served two terms on the Transportation Committee and assisted in Association of Student Governments projects that support the student body. Mr. Osaro also serves the state in the North Carolina Army National Guard as a unit supply specialist. He plans to pursue a career in the media industry as a television meteorologist after completing his degree.

The Student Body President leads an Executive Cabinet that pursues events and initiatives of student interest in collaboration with other members of our campus community. For any questions regarding Executive positions, please email the Student Body President at sgapresident@unca.edu