WSSU's PR
chief Nancy
Young retires
BY CHAf^EL DAVIS
THE CHRONICLE
Nancy Young stares
into her past as she sits in
her office in Blair Hall at
Winston-Salem State
University (WSSU). On
Friday, May 29,"she will no
longer be able to do that
there, for the space where
she has worked with two
chancellors, former
Chancellor Donald Reaves
and current Chancellor
Elwood Robinson, and not
only met co-workers who
turned into friends and stu
dents who turned into chil
dren, will not be hers any
more.
OllC II1UM
release that
space where
moments in a
day would turn
into a lifetime
of memories
and where she
said it's time to
let go.
"My commitment, in
my mind, was to stay as
long as Donald Reaves
stayed. When I had the
opportunity to meet
El wood Robinson, I want
ed to stay and help him get
settled. I adored Donald
and I adore Elwood. They
are just two good people
who have the best interest
of the university at heart,"
she said. "I think it's a good
time to leave, and I think
things are in pretty good
shape."
Young was named the
director of public relations
in April 2009 by Reaves
but insists that she was
never vying for the posi
tion.
"I didn't see it as a job
interview. I had been talk
ing to some of his folks
about how I thought the
whole marketing/commu
nications area should be
structured. At the time, I
had my own little consult
ing agency that worked
with nonprofits, so I
thought 'Maybe I'll get
some contract work out of
this.' He said, out of the
blue, 'What would it take
to get you to come to work
here' and 1 told him as long
as he gave me a little time
to do things that I need for
my mother and a little bit of
flexibility. He said 'fine'
and 1 said 'fine.' I didn't
even ask what the pay was.
It just felt right," she said.
The Belews Creek
native has held several
positions around the city in
both the corporate and non
pront sectors,
even working
for herself for
awhile.
She has
served as a
media con
sultant for
Second
Harvest Food
Bank of Northwest North
Carolina, the YWCA of
Winston-Salem and The
Advocacy for the Poor. She
also worked as the corpo
rate vice president for com
munications and communi
ty relations for Russell
Corporation in Atlanta and
Alexander City, Alabama.
The bulk of her experi
ence comes from her tenure
with Sara Lee
Corpora tion/Branded
Apparel (now
Hanesbrand). There she
held management positions
in the Corporate Affairs
and Community Relations
area, making her responsi
ble for the corporation's
media and community rela
tions programs, as well as
public relations strategies,
corporate contributions and
communications.
Young credits her time
at Sara Lee with tying her
Pholo by Fjln Miidle for the Winston-Stdem Chronicle
Nancy Young, director of public relations for Winston-Salem State University, will retire after six years at
WSSV.
"We have some great professors, staff students,
culture, athletics and a great band. It's a fun
place to be, and I'm going to truly miss it."
-Nancy Young
in to the African-American
community and all it had to
offer. She said that it was
there she met some key
players in the community
and WSSU. She said that
she didn't know a lot about
the school but instantly fell
in love with it.
"I spent a lot of time in
the African-American com
munity, so I know a lot of
people. I'm a known entity,
which was very helpful,
particularly when working
with alumni. That's
because of the acceptance
and affection 1 was able to
enjoy from the African
American community," she
said.
Young said she has
tried, for the past six years,
to help others around her
see .what potential the
schoOTbas and rid it of the
stigma that can be associat
ed with historically black
colleges and universities.
"We have some great
professors, staff students,
culture, athletics and a
great band. It's a fun place
to be, and I'm going to
truly miss it," she said.
Randy Mills, vice chan
cellor for finance and
administration, said that
Young's absence will be
felt around campus.
"Nancy Young is the
consummate professional.
She's represented us with
skill, grace, and integrity
when the stories were
good, and sometimes when
they weren't," Mills said.
"She has WSSU red in her
blood and always took
great pride in her work and
in this University. We will
all miss her greatly."
While Young said that
she will miss those she
worked with including her
staff, professors, deans and
reporters, it s the students
that she'll miss the most.
"Every year 1 have the
opportunity to get connect
ed with certain groups, like
the student newspaper and
the student government
officers. It's just a joy to
have them around, to talk to
them and hear their
thoughts, sometimes giving
advice when they ask and
being there for them. I
always shed a few tears at
commencement because
my babies are leaving.
They're like my children."
She plans to spend the
bulk of her retirement
enjoying time with her
mother, who is 99 1/2 years
old and lives with her.
Young said she plans to
take advantage of some
things she didn't have time
for while working at
WSSU.
"I don't plan on miss
ing any nome rootoau
games. I hope to get to
more basketball games
than I have in the past, and
some baseball games," she
said. "I'll be here for
Homecoming and
Installation."
She also plans on
championing a cause near
and dear to her heart: the
need for HBCUs.
"They serve a huge pur
pose, not only because of
the environment it creates,
but the opportunities it cre
ates for our students to
develop skills in addition to
knowledge. I think it helps
anyone who feels like
they're a minority feel like
they can be leadiers reach
ing their full potential," she
said.
It is not known yet who
will replace Young.
"We are preparing
the next generation of
scientific researchers
and health-care profes
sionals, and we have
made it a priority in
our capital campaign
to provide state-of-the
art facilities for scien
tific study."
-D. E. Lorraine Sterritt, President of
Salem Academy and College
Photo by Tammy Hardin
Dr. Freda C. Lewis-Hall was the keynote speaker at Salem College's graduation on Saturday, May 23.
Speaker
from page AT
medical research, in front-line patient care, and at global
biopharmaceutical companies including Vertex, Bristol
Myers Squibb and Eli Lilly.
"We are preparing the next generation of scientific
researchers and health-care professionals, and we have
made it a priority in our capital campaign to provide state
of-the-art facilities for scientific study," says D.E. Lorraine
Sterritt, president of Salem Academy and College. "We
are thrilled to welcome such a prominent scientific
researcher to campus at the very time when we are placing
a strong emphasis on education and research in the sci
ences and in mathematics."
Embodying that quest, which others were beginning,
Lewis-Hall praised Salem, since 1772 the oldest continu
ously operating women's college in the United States. She
told the 236 graduates - 125 of whom were traditional stu
dents - that they stood on the cusp of great scientific inno
vation and technology, and would hopefully be the last
group to ever confront HIV/AIDS and cancer. A noted
African-American doctor, she further applauded Salem's
intentional inclusion of women of color and adult men and
women into her student body, faculty, and staff.
. Salem College conferred 206 undergrad and 30 mas
ter's degrees during Saturday's commencement: 162
Bachelor's of Arts, 35 Bachelors of Science, nine
Bachelors of Science in Business Administration, 21
Masters of Arts in teaching, and nine Masters of Education
degrees.
Already, this year's graduating class boasts a legacy of
gifting over $7,000 to the college, the highest of any grad
uating class.
Of graduates who shared their plans, four will begin
advanced level programs this fall: Woyindoubara O.
Miediaye Koripamo, Bayelsa, Nigeria, magna cum laude,
will attend The London School of Economics in England:
Linda Kaye McDanieis, Winston-Salem, was accepted to
Wake Forest University Divinity School; M. Denise Smith
Leonard, Lewisville, cum laude, will continue studies at
the University of North Carolina at Greensboro; and Paula
Marie Booth, Emerald Isle, plans to attend Elon School of
Law.
Carly Williams is a 2013 Salem College
Communication/Creative Writing graduate.
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