ECU Alumni Association Board of Directors announces new members
The East Carolina University Alumni Association welcomed six new members to its board of directors. The newly elected members — Michael Crooke, Alexander Davis, Anthony Enoch, Joseph Gore III, Molly O’Toole and Ryan Purtle — joined the board in July and are eligible to serve two, three-year terms that conclude in 2028.
Board members are responsible for providing strategic direction, resources and professional expertise to support the university’s alumni engagement initiatives. The new members will bring varied experiences and perspectives to inform, involve and serve ECU alumni.
“I’m thrilled to welcome such an accomplished and diverse group of Pirate alumni to our board,” said Amanda Putzer, interim executive director for alumni relations. “Michael, Alexander, Anthony, Joseph, Molly and Ryan bring incredible expertise to the organization, and I look forward to working with them to advance the ECU Alumni Association and our more than 195,000 graduates.”
Michael Crooke (Contributed photo)
Michael J. Crooke ’08
Crooke is a middle market lead commercial relationship manager and senior vice president for Wells Fargo Bank. He received his bachelor’s degree in finance from ECU in 2008.
“As a North Carolina native who’s spent the last nine years in New York City, I’m extremely energized to be back in Pirate country and eager to support the university,” Crooke said. “I believe there is untapped potential in the East Carolina alumni network. There is an opportunity to engage, support and improve representation of ECU, and I want to be a part of leading those efforts.”
In addition to supporting ECU, Crooke has also served as a member of the leadership council of God’s Love We Deliver, as a business council member of the Lincoln Center Corporate Fund and on the board of directors of the Lucy Daniels Center.
Alexander Davis (Contributed photo)
Alexander M. Davis ’03, ’09
Davis is the director of student success at Meredith College in Raleigh. He received his bachelor’s degree in communications and his master’s degree in adult education from ECU.
“My family and I have supported East Carolina University and ECU athletics for nearly 20 years,” Davis said. “I understand the vital role alumni play in the health and vitality of the institution and the region it serves, and I’m proud to be able to give back to a place that has done so much for me and the region I call home.”
In addition to serving on the board of directors, Davis is a representative for the ECU Pirate Club, an advising administrators lead for North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities and an advocate for the N.C. Rural Center.
Anthony Enoch (Contributed photo)
Anthony Wayne Enoch ’94, ’98
Enoch has a bachelor’s degree in social work and a master’s in public administration from ECU. He is a case manager at Wright Rehabilitation Services in Wilmington and a proud member of the ECU Pirate Club.
“Graduation from ECU has afforded me some great opportunities in my career field,” Enoch said. “As an active member on the alumni association board, I would love to share how being an ECU alum has created opportunities both personally and professionally for me.”
Enoch said he would like to focus on initiatives to increase minority alumni involvement and expand the ECU Black Alumni Chapter.
Joseph Gore (Contributed photo)
Joseph “Jody” Gore III ’99
Gore is an assistant director in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at the University of Michigan, where he manages national student recruitment and coordinates partnerships between admissions and the Michigan Alumni Association.
“As a first-generation student from southeastern North Carolina, I appreciate the mission of ECU and its service to eastern North Carolina,” Gore said. “As a member of the board, I bring a 20-year tenure in higher education and the ability to consult and support the association on its alumni recruitment efforts.”
Before graduating with his bachelor’s degree in history, Gore served as an ECU student ambassador — a role he credits for paving the path for his future tenure in higher education.
Molly O’Toole (Contributed photo)
Molly C. O’Toole ’81
O’Toole is a 1981 graduate of ECU’s College of Nursing. After a nearly 40-year career in the field, O’Toole retired in 2021 from her position as medical and reimbursement policy director at Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, where she had served in various roles since 2010.
“I am so proud to be an ECU nurse! I believe that ECU offers the best education and experiences for men and women who are looking for a career in healthcare,” said O’Toole. “I hope that through my participation on the alumni board, I can find a broader audience to which I can promote the value of an ECU degree.”
In addition to her role on the alumni association’s board of directors, O’Toole has also supported the College of Nursing as a non-academic student advisor.
Ryan Purtle (Contributed photo)
Ryan Purtle ’15
Purtle earned his bachelor’s degree in engineering from ECU in 2015. He is the director of product services for Grover Gaming, a Greenville-based software development and design company.
“I have a mission and wish in my life to serve ECU — the school that gave so much to me,” said Purtle. “I reside in Greenville and for a time I worked for the city, so I know firsthand why ECU is so important, not only to Greenville but to the region and the state.”
In 2019, Purtle was a recipient of the ECU 40 Under Forty Leadership Award, which celebrates outstanding ECU alumni under the age of 40 who use their experience to make an impact in their respective professions, local communities and around the world.