New members named to ECU Alumni Association board

The East Carolina University Alumni Association (ECUAA) welcomed five new members to its board of directors and elected officers for the new term, which began July 1.

Dr. Tara Parker, Jody Gore and Morgan Squatriglia stepped into leadership roles on the 32-member board. Parker will serve as chair, Gore as vice chair and Squatriglia as secretary.

Parker ’99 ’02 ’06 received her bachelor’s degree in exercise and sports science, a Master of Arts in education and a master’s degree in school administration from ECU. She leads Premier College Prep Consulting, a college admissions consulting business in Greenville. She previously worked as a school administrator with Edgecombe County and Pitt County schools.

Gore ’99 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. He was a first-generation student at ECU and brings more than 25 years of experience in higher education to the board.

Squatriglia ’14 is a Charlotte native and returned there after earning a Bachelor of Science in business administration from ECU. She serves as director of her family’s Summit Insurance Group Inc. Previously, she worked as a career management consultant specializing in organizational change management, process optimization and digital transformation. She was the founding president of the Charlotte ECU alumni chapter.

New Members

Gabrielle Banks, Jenée Padmore, Lillie Rhodes, Dwain Teague and Alexander Williams began their service July 1 and are eligible to serve two three-year terms that conclude in 2032.

Board members are responsible for providing strategic direction and professional expertise to support the university’s alumni engagement initiatives. The new members bring varied experiences and perspectives to inform, involve and serve the ECU family throughout their lifelong relationship with the university.

Amanda Murer ’99, associate vice chancellor for alumni relations, said the new board members will work to advance the university and connect with the more than 200,000 alumni worldwide.

“These dedicated Pirates are great representatives of our alumni community. Each one brings valuable personal and professional experience that will strengthen our ability to engage with Pirate Nation,” Murer said. “We appreciate their willingness to serve and their devotion to ECU.”

Gabrielle Banks

Gabrielle Banks

Banks ’22, from Durham, earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration — accounting and risk management and insurance — from the College of Business.

She works as an insurance company examiner at the North Carolina Department of Insurance. Banks conducts comprehensive financial examinations of insurance carriers to ensure compliance, evaluates insurers’ solvency and performs analysis of financial standings to assess risk exposure.

At ECU, Banks served as a peer mentor and president of several College of Business organizations and continues her involvement with the college as an alumna.

“I want to serve on the alumni association board because I love any opportunity to talk about ECU. Giving campus tours and assisting with Admitted Students Day are things I miss from my time on campus,” Banks said.

Through her work on the board, Banks is eager to establish a more prominent mentorship program within ECUAA and the university. Banks credits the mentorship she received from Dr. Brenda Wells as her foundation for being a leader.

Jenée Padmore

Jenée Padmore

Padmore ’06 serves as a small business development manager at Prince William County Economic Development and Tourism in Gainesville, Virginia. She earned a Bachelor of Science in family and community services and urban planning at ECU and a master’s degree in urban and regional planning in economic development from Virgina Tech.

Padmore was a member of the track and field team at ECU and values the work ethic gained and bonds built with her teammates that helped launch her both personally and professionally.

“I have watched with immense pride as our institution has grown into a national leader in innovation, healthcare and regional transformation,” Padmore said. “My time in Greenville gave me more than just a degree: It instilled in me a ‘Pirate’ work ethic, characterized by resilience and a commitment to service.”

In her role with Prince William County, Padmore supports businesses in finding suitable real estate to expand their operations and creates programming to promote growth opportunities in Prince William County.

Padmore is excited to bring her experience in economic development and strategic partnerships into her role on the board.

Lillie Rhodes

Lillie Rhodes

Rhodes ’19, from Raleigh, earned a Bachelor of Science in political science and was a member of the Honors College. She earned a Juris Doctor from Campbell University School of Law in 2022.

Rhodes works at the N.C. Administrative Office of the Courts as legislative counsel, where she provides advocacy before the North Carolina General Assembly on behalf of the chief justice and all judicial branch employees. She serves on various judicial groups and commissions, including the N.C. Human Trafficking Commission.

In her time at ECU, Rhodes served as student body vice president and vice president of recruitment for the Panhellenic council.

“These roles strengthened my ability to lead, advocate, manage time wisely and collaborate with diverse stakeholders, and they deepened my long-term commitment to service and engagement with ECU,” Rhodes said.

Rhodes serves as a Phi Mu fraternity national volunteer and supports the ECU chapter of Phi Mu as an advisor.

Dwain Teague

Dwain Teague

Teague ’93 ’98 serves as the executive director of the Johnston Community College Foundation in Smithfield. He has more than 25 years of experience in higher education, fundraising and academic librarianship.

While at ECU, Teague earned a Bachelor of Science in communication and a Master of Arts in English, concentrating in technical and professional communication. He earned a master’s in library science from North Carolina Central University.

As the chief development officer for Johnston Community College, Teague focuses on enhancing philanthropic engagement with the college. He has served in similar fundraising roles at North Carolina State University School of Design, North Carolina Central University School of Information and Library Sciences and the library system at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Teague said he is ready to apply his fundraising background and focus on “increasing alumni awareness as to what philanthropy is, how they can give back to support various areas of campus that appeal to them and why they should give back if they love ECU.”

Alexander Williams

Williams ’12 ’20, of Durham, earned a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice with a minor in forensic science and anthropology and a Master of Arts in health communications.

Alexander Williams

After graduation, Williams worked for Sigma Tau Gamma headquarters in recruitment and human resources before returning to ECU as a regional admissions counselor and later ECU Health in recruitment and talent acquisition.

He is a physician recruiter for Duke Health. In his role, Williams coordinates and facilitates recruitment for the primary care facilities within the Duke Health network, ensuring physicians and advanced practice providers are connected and represented in the health system.

Williams remains deeply connected to ECU’s mission and said “serving on the ECUAA board is how I give back, bringing a service-first mindset, governance experience and a track record of results to strengthen Pirate pride and outcomes.”

Williams was a varsity cheerleader at ECU. He was a founding member of ECU club wrestling and Sigma Tau Gamma. He also served as a Student Government Association senator and president of the Cotten, Fleming and Jarvis Hall Council within ECU’s Residence Hall Association.

He remains engaged with Sigma Tau Gamma as secretary of the ECU alumni chapter, supporting alumni involvement and the continued success of the chapter he helped establish as a student.

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