WILMINGTON — Eight new members joined the ranks as Wilmington College trustees when the board held its annual spring meetings earlier this month.
They include Brent Bill, Daniel J. Buckley, Aaron DeNu, Jeremiah Guappone, Marcy Hawley, Evans N. Nwankwo, Lawrence W. Sidwell and Evan Williams. The group includes three WC alumni, three with local connections and two Quakers.
President Jim Reynolds expressed his pleasure with the newest group of trustees.
“Each of these new Board members brings a wealth of experience and background, along with a commitment to the value of independent higher education represented by Wilmington College,” he said. “I look forward to working with them and seeking their wise counsel as the Board helps chart the course for this very special and distinct institution.”
• Brent Bill is a writer, photographer, retreat leader, writing coach and Quaker minister. Among the many books he authored or co-authored are Holy Silence: The Gift of Quaker Spirituality and Life Lessons from a Bad Quaker. He is a 1978 graduate of WC and has a master’s degree from Earlham School of Religion.
• Daniel J. Buckley grew up in Wilmington the son of WC alumnus and legal counsel, the late Frederick J. Buckley. He too served the College as legal counsel while a senior trial lawyer and partner of Vorys with the law firm’s Cincinnati office. A multi-year selection by Super Lawyers as among the top 100 lawyers in Ohio, Buckley retired in December.
• Aaron DeNu, Class of 2001, is a nonprofit entrepreneur with more than 15 years in leadership of event and operations management. A resident of Washington, D.C., he has initiated international partnerships with such diplomatic missions as the embassies of Germany, Ireland, Sweden, Belgium and the delegation of the European Union. Among the significant recognition he’s received, the Obama White House presented DeNu with the 2013 President’s Volunteer Service Award.
• Jeremiah Guappone is a client service professional with the Cleveland-based marketing firm, BrandMuscle. He is an alumnus of Ohio DominicanUniversity and the Josephinum College in Columbus. He has an appreciation for the role of church affiliated, independent colleges in the American higher education landscape.
• Marcy Hawley is co-owner and publisher of Orange Frazer Press in Wilmington, an award-winning independent book publisher in its 32nd year of serving a local, regional and international author and client base. She has been actively engaged in the Wilmington community for years with a special interest in education, historic places and downtown development.
• Evans N. Nwankwo‘s family persevered in the wake of Nigeria’s civil war in the late 1960s. He came to America in 1978 and attended Texas A&M University, where he earned a degree in building construction engineering. He climbed the ladder with Turner Construction for 12 years while becoming a U.S. citizen before, in 1993, starting Megen Construction Co. in the basement of his home. The award-winning firm has been involved with many of the greater Cincinnati area’s most notable projects, including construction of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, Great American Ball Park, Fountain Square’s revitalization and the Washington Park renovation.
• Lawrence W. Sidwell has been senior vice president for global credit and risk with John Deere Financial since 2014. He has held senior financial management positions since joining the corporation in 1999. Sidwell has a long career in this field dating back to positions with Agricredit, Rabebank Nederland and Farm Credit Services. A Quaker, he is a former WC trustee and chaired Olney Friends Schools’ capital campaign.
• Evan Williams is a 1984 WC graduate who co-founded Riverview Systems Group, a 31-year-old Northern California-based, live event production firm that regularly works with some of the world’s most prestigious companies in staging corporate events. Williams, who has family members in the Wilmington area, grew up in Hawaii and was a classmate of none other than Barack Obama.
