The Davidson Community Foundation is an all-volunteer effort powered by a group of local leaders. Our Board of Directors includes representatives from the community, local nonprofits, and Davidson College. Members are selected based on work experience and community involvement, as well as racial, socioeconomic and geographic diversity. Please contact info@davidsoncommunityfoundation.org if you would like to get involved by serving, donating, providing input or asking questions.
Our Board of Directors
Chris Ahearn
Chris Ahearn
Chris Ahearn is an independent communications professional with 30 years of experience in corporate communications and reputation management. Most recently, she was CEO of Our Towns Habitat for Humanity, providing decent affordable housing in the Lake Norman area. She is on the governance committee of Habitat for Humanity of the Charlotte Region and is a member of Davidson College Presbyterian Church. She and her husband, Jack, live in Davidson.
“Davidson is an amazing community, but there are needs that are not always apparent, and everyday challenges many residents face just to make ends meet. Serving on the Davidson Community Foundation Board is one way I can serve the Town I love.”
Erin Banks
Erin Banks
As a community psychologist, Dr. Banks is dedicated to advancing social justice, equity, and inclusion by promoting education, access, and opportunities for all. In serving on the board of the Davidson Community Foundation, she will continue to address the community’s most pressing needs through collaborative efforts that foster a more inclusive and equitable society.
Nora Barger
Nora Barger
community solar, and sustainability initiatives. She has served as Senior Project Developer at Working Power and held senior roles at Clean Energy Solutions, Inc. and
DC Greenworks. Her expertise spans project development, policy analysis, community
engagement, and organizational strategy.
She is Board Chair of the Clean Energy Fund of the Carolinas, has held advisory roles for
the Town of Davidson’s climate and planning initiatives. She has served on the DCF
Grants committee since 2020.
Nora has a master’s degree in Urban & Environmental Planning from UVA and a BA in
American History from the University of the South. She lives in Davidson with her
husband and two children, and is a certified yoga teacher, bringing both discipline and
balance to her leadership.
Bill Boehmler
Bill Boehmler
After graduating from Yale University, Bill proudly served in the United States Navy as a Lieutenant in the Supply Corps. He also earned an MBA at Harvard University. Following a successful career in finance, across private equity, investment banking, corporate finance and consulting, Bill and his wife Sarah settled in Davidson. All three of Bill and Sarah’s daughters graduated from Davidson College, which holds a very special place in the Boehmler family’s hearts. While working in Manhattan, Bill served as a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity in Harlem and Queens, and led his church’s successful efforts to provide 40 housing units for the homeless.
Bill is encouraged that the recently founded Davidson Community Foundation has met the emergency needs of our neighbors, and has enhanced charitable giving in Davidson in support of local non-profits, and believes the Foundation holds promise for bringing together our local charities in pursuit of shared objectives.
Bob Boyd
Bob Boyd
In his professional life, Bob Boyd was an advisor to private equity funds and organizations on how to build successful companies, create inclusive corporate cultures and develop cohesive teams. He and his wife, Maurya, graduated from Davidson College and have remained deeply involved with the college and community. Maurya is a Davidson faculty member; their two sons are also Davidson alums. Bob fell in love with this area during his college days, and he believes serving on the board offers an opportunity to help preserve the community and provide meaningful support for the future.
Faye Bowman
Faye Bowman
With a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Carolina University and a master’s from Appalachian State University, Faye Bowman began her career teaching in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School System and then became a consultant for Scott Foresman publishers. She later worked in sales for Lederle Laboratories before returning to the classroom. She has served on the board of the Metrolina Association for the Blind and supported various musical groups and scouting activities. Since moving to The Pines at Davidson, she has volunteered with Bridge Builders at Davidson United Methodist Church, assisting high school students with issues related to college admission, budgeting and life challenges. Faye says she is eager to help Davidson Community Foundation support the needs of local residents.
Marvin Brandon
Marvin Brandon
Marvin is a Davidson native, chairman of the Board of Trustees at Gethsemane Baptist Church and secretary of the Board of Directors for the Ada Jenkins Center. Marvin also serves as a member of the Davidson College Commission on Race and Slavery. He assists with the Town of Davidson Civics 101 class. A 31-year Army veteran, he retired as a manager with AT&T. He is a graduate of Urbana University, in Ohio, a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and is a 32nd degree Prince Hall Mason.
Marvin looks forward to meeting with members of the Davidson community to identify our greatest needs, and to shaping transformative programs to benefit the more vulnerable and underserved members of our community.
Dave Cable
Dave Cable
Dave is a passionate conservationist who resides in, and loves, the Davidson community. Following a banking career, he served as Executive Director of TreesCharlotte, an effort to grow and diversify Charlotte’s urban forest. Prior to launching TreesCharlotte, Dave served as Executive Director of Catawba Lands Conservancy and the Carolina Thread Trail. Most recently Dave was Executive Director of Davidson Lands Conservancy where he now volunteers while also serving on Town committees and on the Boards of the Redlair Foundation and the NC Wildlife Federation. Dave previously served on and chaired the WDAV Advisory Board. “My privileged life, for which I am intensely grateful, compels me to at least attempt to pay forward my many blessings. DCF provides unique and powerful opportunities do that.”
Marc deBree
Marc deBree
Marc deBree is a managing director at TIAA and head of Real Estate and Alternatives for the company’s General Account, overseeing investments in Commercial, Real Estate, Farmland, Timberland, Infrastructure and Private Equity. He moved to Davidson in 2016 with his wife and three daughters.
Whitney Feld
Whitney Feld
Whitney is President of the $180 million Bissell Ballantyne Legacy Foundation, a private
family foundation dedicated to long-term community impact through strategic
philanthropy. Previously, Whitney served as Lead Regulatory Relations Specialist at
Wells Fargo, serving the Strategy, Digital, and Innovation team as they interacted with
federal regulators.
She spent six years at Foundation For The Carolinas (FFTC), where she advanced to
Vice President, Philanthropic Advancement. She worked directly with high-net-worth
families and foundations to develop tailored strategies for legacy planning,
multi-generational engagement, complex asset donations, grantmaking, and social
impact investing.
Whitney holds a Master’s degree in Teaching and a Juris Doctorate from the Charleston
School of Law. She serves on multiple nonprofit boards, including Davidson Farmers’
Market. Whitney lives in Davidson with her husband and young son.
Boris Henderson
Boris Henderson
After graduating from Davidson College, Boris Henderson earned an MBA from Wake Forest University and is now a doctorate student at the Hood Theological Seminary with a concentration in community advocacy and social justice. Born and raised in Charlotte, he is the Chief Strategy Officer for Aldersgate Life Plan Service. Previously, he was Vice President of Commercial Real Estate Development and Special Projects at Charlotte‐Mecklenburg Housing Partnership. His community involvement includes serving as Board Chair of the Brenda H. Tapia Family Foundation and as a board member at the Johnston YMCA. He is a past Board Chair of Habitat for Humanity Charlotte Region, and he now serves as a Board Director for Habitat for Humanity International. His ties to the West Davidson Community extend back to his college days when he volunteered at the Ada Jenkins Center as a Bonner Scholar.
Doug Hicks
Doug Hicks
Doug Hicks, a member of Davidson College’s class of 1990, returned to his alma mater in 2022 as the college’s 19th President. He joined Davidson from his role as Dean of Oxford College at Emory University. He is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA).
Ruby Houston
Ruby Houston
A Davidson native, Ruby and her family have a long history of supporting people in the Davidson community. Ruby has been an ardent advocate for children as one of the first directors of the Davidson-Cornelius Child Development Center, and then through her years of exemplary service with Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools as well as the Ada Jenkins Center. Ruby has also been a champion for improving race relations, and promoting upward economic mobility through her work with the North Mecklenburg Economic Mobility Collaborative. A lifelong member of Davidson Presbyterian Church, Ruby is a passionate volunteer and community leader.
Ruby is excited about serving on the board of Davidson Community Foundation to integrate social justice, inclusion and equity as the Foundation addresses the community’s greatest needs.
John Kuykendall
John Kuykendall
John Kuykendall is Davidson College President Emeritus and Professor Emeritus of Religion. John is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA) and was previously campus pastor and faculty member at Auburn University. He and his wife, Missy, have been residents of Davidson since 1984 and have served in a variety of volunteer activities, both here and in the greater Charlotte area.
John appreciates the privilege of being involved in the Davidson Community Foundation as it seeks to address the immediate and long-term challenges and opportunities of the town he has considered his special home since he entered the College as a freshman in 1955.
Susan Manning
Susan Manning
Susan is a retired Human Resources professional with deep roots in North Mecklenburg
County. She has served as HR Director for four Departments in NC State Government, HR
Director of Mecklenburg County for 13 years, and had her own HR Consulting practice
serving local governments and non-profits in the region. Susan has also served as Chair of
the State Personnel Commission.
Susan has been an election official for Precinct 206 for nearly 20 years. She is currently on
the executive committee of the Queens University alumni board. She is an active member of
Davidson College Presbyterian Church and is a member of the Presbytery of Charlotte’s
Commission on Ministries and Co-Moderator of General Presbyter Nominating Committee.
Susan graduated from Queens College with a double major in history and political science.
She is a Davidson resident, the widow of Robert Manning, and has three daughters, three
stepchildren and12 grandchildren.
Chris Marsicano
Chris Marsicano
Chris is Associate Professor of Educational Studies at Davidson College and Director
of the Institute for Public Good. He is a public policy scholar who loves to combine his
dual passions for education and politics in the classroom and in his research.
Chris has worked as a college admission counselor at Davidson, where he earned a
bachelor’s degree, and for a lobbyist while earning a master’s in public policy at Duke
University. He earned his Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University. In 2023, Chris was
recognized as one of Charlotte’s ‘40 under 40’ by the Charlotte Business Journal.
Chris currently serves on the board of the Davidson-Cornelius Child Development
Center and is a reviewer for academic journals. He lives in Davidson with his wife and
daughter.
Bruce McMillen
Bruce McMillen
Bruce McMillen has lived in Davidson with his wife, Sally, since 1989. After graduating from Princeton University and Harvard Business School, he worked as the CFO at four companies over a 35-year career. He served six terms (1995-2007) as a Davidson Town Commissioner and has served on the boards of numerous community nonprofits, including as board chair of Our Towns Habitat for Humanity. More recently, he was on the boards of Supportive Housing Communities and the Davidson Housing Coalition.
Bruce says he is honored to be associated with the Davidson Community Foundation and its important work.
Jim Merrifield
Jim Merrifield
Jim Merrifield is a Managing Partner with MPV Properties, a Charlotte based commercial real estate firm. Over his 40 plus year career he has directed the development of 4,000 acres of land and 4 million square feet of buildings in the Charlotte area.
Jim received a B.A. in mathematics and economics from Colgate University in 1975 and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School in 1980.
Jim and his wife, Ingrid, moved to Davidson in 1996 to raise their four children in the special small-town environment of Davidson. He has served in numerous leadership roles at St Albans church, youth sports and scouting. The Davidson Community Foundation is an ideal way to continue to support and strengthen our town.
Buck Shuford
Buck Shuford
Harley Shuford, better known as Buck, lived in Hickory until moving with his wife Helgi to The Pines at Davidson four years ago. He was on the board of many community organizations in Hickory and Catawba County and chaired such boards as the Catawba County Hospital, Hickory’s art museum and science center and Corinth Church. He was a member of the UNC Board of Governors, and chaired the NC Council for the Arts. He was also on the board of the furniture manufacturers association and chairman of their Furniture Foundation.
Buck was part of the group that established Hickory’s Community Foundation and served as its chairman for many years. He believes in the value of a community foundation and is glad to be a part of Davidson Community Foundation.
Jean Spangler
Jean Spangler
Jean Spangler is a marketing consultant who moved to Davidson in 2018. She was President of Spangler and Associates Marketing in Charlotte for more than 20 years. Jean is a former board member of Davidson Housing Coalition and is actively involved in social justice issues in the community.
Vanessa Victor
Vanessa Victor
Departmental Coordinator, supporting multiple academic departments. With 19 years at
Davidson, Vanessa has also worked in various roles at Northeastern University and
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Vanessa’s community service includes voter registration campaigns, advocacy for
underrepresented populations, and outreach ministry leadership. At Davidson, she is
actively involved in anti-racism efforts, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives, and
mentoring students and staff of color. Currently, Vanessa serves on the board of
Davidson Housing Coalition and works with Davidson College intervarsity campus
ministry.
She has earned degrees from Fisher College, Northeastern University, Queens
University, and Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary. Vanessa is a long-time Davidson
resident.
James Waddey
James Waddey
Don Waters
Don Waters
grants. He was a Program Officer with The Mellon Foundation for more than 20 years. Waters is an anthropologist, independent scholar, writer and specialist in the work of libraries, archives and scholarly publication. Waters holds a B.A. degree in American Studies from the University of Maryland and a Ph.D. in Anthropology from Yale University. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, serves on the Executive Advisory Council of the American Archive of Public Broadcasting, and is president of the Engineering Information Foundation. Waters also is a volunteer with Davidson Housing Coalition and DavidsonLearns.
