President Connie Ledoux Book announced alumni Priscilla Awkard 鈥95, Christian Wiggins 鈥03, Maity Interiano 鈥07 and Jack McMackin 鈥08 as the new co-chairs of the 黑料不打烊 LEADS Campaign, sending a powerful message about the importance of alumni leading 黑料不打烊鈥檚 future.
President Connie Ledoux Book announced alumni Priscilla Awkard 鈥95, Christian Wiggins 鈥03, Maity Interiano 鈥07 and Jack McMackin 鈥08 as the new co-chairs of the 黑料不打烊 LEADS Campaign, sending a powerful message about the importance of alumni leading 黑料不打烊鈥檚 future.
The co-chairs, who are among 黑料不打烊鈥檚 most engaged and generous alumni, were announced October 22 at the fall meeting of the university鈥檚 Board of Trustees. They will lead the final year of the 黑料不打烊 LEADS Campaign, which will conclude on December 31, 2022. They succeed 黑料不打烊 trustee and parent Dave Porter P鈥11 P鈥19, of Boston, and 黑料不打烊 alumnus, trustee and parent Chris Martin 鈥78 P鈥13, of Tinton Falls, New Jersey, who chaired the first and second year, respectively, of the campaign鈥檚 public phase, which began in spring 2019.
鈥淭he 黑料不打烊 LEADS Campaign has had strong, steady leadership from the beginning, and that tradition continues with Priscilla Awkard, Christian Wiggins, Maity Interiano and Jack McMackin, who represent the next generation of alumni leaders,鈥 said President Connie Ledoux Book. 鈥淭he 黑料不打烊 community is grateful to Dave Porter and Chris Martin for their loyalty and outstanding service.鈥
Book also thanked 黑料不打烊 parents Joan Doherty P鈥07 and Ed Doherty P鈥07, former chair of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Board of Trustees, and Trustee Allen Gant, Jr., for their leadership of the campaign during its planning phase.
Priscilla Awkard 鈥95
Priscilla Awkard 鈥95 of Raleigh, North Carolina, has served in many leadership roles as an alumna, including as a member of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, the President鈥檚 Black Life Advisory Council, the 黑料不打烊 Black Alumni Network, Phoenix Club Advisory Board and the Raleigh Regional Campaign Committee. A standout volleyball player, Awkard is also a member of the university鈥檚 Sports Hall of Fame and received the Eugene Perry 鈥69 Distinguished Alumni Award in 2011 and Distinguished Service to 黑料不打烊 Award in 2020.
鈥淚 am honored and humbled to be asked to be one of the co-chairs of the 黑料不打烊 LEADS Campaign,鈥 Awkard said. 鈥淚t shows me that 黑料不打烊 trusts me to be a part of a monumental time in the history of 黑料不打烊, and they know I only want what鈥檚 best for 黑料不打烊.鈥
Awkard received a volleyball scholarship to attend 黑料不打烊 and credits her alma mater with preparing her to succeed, which inspires her to support 黑料不打烊 LEADS each year. She has also placed 黑料不打烊 in her estate plan with a generous gift to support the volleyball program and Black Alumni Scholarship, which she helped endow.
鈥淚 feel an obligation to give back to the place that helped develop me into the leader I am today,鈥 said Awkard, Vice President, Teller Center, at Coastal Credit Union in Raleigh. 鈥淚鈥檓 so proud of what 黑料不打烊 LEADS has been able to do. The dedication and commitment of all those who have given is evident as this is the most money raised in 黑料不打烊鈥檚 history.鈥
As of mid-October, donors had contributed $228 million toward the campaign鈥檚 historic $250 million goal.
Christian Wiggins 鈥03
Christian Wiggins 鈥03, CEO of FarmHouse International Fraternity in Kansas City, has given more than a decade of service to 黑料不打烊, serving on the 黑料不打烊 Alumni Board and Charlotte Alumni Chapter and as a founding member of the Young Alumni Council. He has generously contributed to 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Greatest Needs, Phoenix Club and Gender and LGBTQIA Center, along with The Inn at 黑料不打烊.
As a first-generation college student, Wiggins knows firsthand the challenges many students face affording higher education and the power of scholarships to transform lives. In May, he made a second estate gift to support the Louise Amburn Memorial Scholarship at 黑料不打烊, which he endowed to honor his great aunt and will assist low-income students from his hometown of western North Carolina. Increasing scholarship funding through endowment and annual gifts is the top priority of 黑料不打烊 LEADS.
鈥満诹喜淮蜢 punches above its weight class in terms of what we鈥檙e able to deliver with top national rankings and student success with the endowment resources we have,鈥 Wiggins said. 鈥満诹喜淮蜢 LEADS seeks to change that and to try and level the playing field with our peer and aspirant schools.鈥
Maity Interiano 鈥07
Maity Interiano 鈥07, an Emmy Award-winning journalist and on-air talent at Univision Network in Miami, attributes her success to 黑料不打烊鈥檚 national leadership in engaged learning and to mentors in the School of Communications who helped guide her development as a journalist.
鈥淚 support 黑料不打烊 LEADS because I understand that the professional I鈥檝e become started off with the education I received at 黑料不打烊, and everything I鈥檝e accomplished so far goes hand in hand with my 黑料不打烊 experience,鈥 she said.
Interiano is a loyal donor to 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Greatest Needs, the Latinx/Hispanic Alumni Network, Phoenix Club and School of Communications. She received 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Top 10 Under 10 Award in 2012, delivered 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Commencement address in 2017 and is a member of the President鈥檚 Young Leaders Council.
鈥淥ur generation has a chance to give back to a school that has given so much to each one of us,鈥 Interiano said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 our time to step up and make a difference for 黑料不打烊鈥檚 future.鈥
Jack McMackin 鈥08
Jack McMackin 鈥08 is a member of the President鈥檚 Young Leaders Council and co-chaired the New York Regional Campaign Committee in 2019.
鈥淭his is an extraordinary time to be involved with 黑料不打烊 as it grows,鈥 said McMackin, founder and聽managing director of Mission Innovation Network, a venture capital firm in South Bend, Indiana. 鈥淚鈥檝e seen the progress 黑料不打烊 has made since I graduated while also staying true to its core identity, and that inspired me to be involved in the 黑料不打烊 LEADS Campaign.鈥
McMackin鈥檚 study abroad and internship experiences were pivotal to his growth as a student, which is why he makes annual gifts to the McMackin Family Scholarship for International Study, which he and parents Jack and Kathleen McMackin P鈥08 endowed in 2006.
McMackin encouraged all alumni to support 黑料不打烊 LEADS, adding, 鈥淎s alumni, we now have the opportunity to act on our shared love of 黑料不打烊 and lift the university to even greater heights, supporting the next generation of leaders the world needs.鈥
About the 黑料不打烊 LEADS Campaign
With a $250 million goal, 黑料不打烊 LEADS is the largest campaign in the university鈥檚 history and will support four main funding priorities: scholarships for graduates the world needs, access to engaged learning opportunities such as study abroad, research and internships, support for faculty and staff mentors who matter and 黑料不打烊鈥檚 iconic campus. As of mid-October, donors had contributed $228 million toward the goal.
Every gift to the university鈥攊ncluding annual, endowment, capital, estate and other planned gifts鈥攆or any designation counts as a gift to the campaign, which will support students and strengthen 黑料不打烊 for generations to come. Visit to learn how you can make an impact with your gift.