News Type: Alumni

BUCKHANNON, West Virginia – Today, West Virginia Wesleyan College President Dr. James Moore announced that Kristi Lawrence Wilkerson ’99, will serve as Interim Vice President for Advancement beginning in July.  Wilkerson will provide experienced leadership to the Advancement and Alumni Relations team as the college embarks on a national search for its next Vice President for Advancement.  The College hopes to conclude the search by October of 2023.   Wilkerson previously served as West Virginia Wesleyan’s Director of Alumni Relations from 2008-2015.

Wilkerson is excited to begin work with the Executive Leadership Team at the College.  “I am deeply honored for the opportunity to serve my alma mater as Interim Vice President for Advancement.  I have a deep love for  Wesleyan and am excited to reconnect with alumni, donors, and the campus community.  I am especially excited to become reacquainted with alumni friends from my days of serving as Director of Alumni Relations.  I look forward to working with President James Moore, the alumni and advancement staff, and other colleagues at WVWC.  I have long respected and appreciated Dr. Moore’s leadership and it is a true privilege to join his team.  I am grateful to Dr. Moore and the College’s Trustees for this tremendous opportunity to return to my home among the hills and give back to the institution that transformed my life more than two decades ago.”

Wilkerson has served as Executive Director of the Upshur Parish House and Crosslines since July 2019.  She has over 20 years of experience in nonprofit management, fundraising, public relations and strategic communication, and she is a past president of Independent College Advancement Associates.  She also previously served as Director of Christian Education and Programming at First United Methodist Church (2015-2019), and as Associate Director of West Virginia Independent Colleges and Universities (2003-2008).  Kristi received her bachelor’s degree from WV Wesleyan and her master’s degree from Miami University located in Oxford, Ohio.  She resides in Buckhannon with her husband Curtis ’99 and children Rebekah and Grant.

President Moore is ready to welcome Wilkerson to the team.

“I am both grateful and thankful that Kristi has agreed to join my team temporarily and serve her alma mater. As a young faculty member, I learned the importance of the work of advancement and the high value that Wesleyan alums place in our college from Kristi.  I also want to thank our friends and neighbors at the Upshur Parish House for agreeing to allow Kristi step out of her role there to serve Wesleyan in this interim role.”

West Virginia Wesleyan College President Dr. James Moore announced today that the College would soon be launching a national search for its next Vice President of Institutional Advancement.

Dr. Dedriell Taylor has tendered her resignation from the College, effective June 30, 2023.

“I look forward to continuing to work with Dr. Taylor through the end of June to keep Institutional Advancement moving in a strong direction. I have enjoyed having her as a colleague since she arrived at Wesleyan, and all of us wish her well in her next ventures.”

The College is developing a timetable for installing the next advancement vice president, and hopes to have the new VP in place by Oct. 1, 2023.

“Our alumni and friends care deeply about our College, so it is vital that we find the right successor in order for us to continue to grow our alumni and donor base while, at the same time, keeping our history as a College at the center of that work,” said Dr. Moore.

BUCKHANNON, West Virginia – The Rustic Mechanicals’ Tumbling Dice Tour comes to the Performing Arts Center tonight, Monday, April 17 at 7:30 p.m. with “Romeo & Juliet” and Tuesday, April 18 at 7:30 p.m. with “Henry IV Part 1.” Both performances are free and open to the public. Both shows feature Wesleyan theater alumna Pippa McGinley ‘22, who is starring as Juliet.

“My only love sprung from my only hate!” What if your first true love was someone you’d been told to hate? Ripped apart by the bitter divisions of their parents, two young people will risk everything to be together. The most famous story of love at first sight explodes with intense passion and an irresistible desire for change. Will this spark a revolution, or will division continue to tear through the generations?

With his crown under threat from enemies both foreign and domestic, Henry IV prepares for war. Having deposed the previous king, he is only too aware how tenuous his position is, and the price to be paid if he falters. As his father prepares to defend his crown, Prince Hal is languishing in the taverns and brothels of London, reveling in the company of his friend, the notorious Sir John Falstaff. With the onset of the war, Hal and Falstaff are thrust into the brutal reality of the battlefield, where Hal must confront his responsibilities to family and throne.

Founded by Celi Oliveto in the summer of 2014, The Rustic Mechanicals is the only troupe of actors in the state dedicated to touring the works of William Shakespeare and other classical playwrights.

The Mechanicals now tour five shows annually, including their summer West Virginia Shakespeare in the Park(s) outdoor tour and script-in-hand productions that we call, “a Play, a Pie, and a Pint,” focusing on making Shakespeare’s plays accessible to modern audiences by utilizing dynamic and extreme casting techniques paired with Shakespeare’s staging conditions.

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN COLLEGE
West Virginia Wesleyan College (WVWC) is a private, four-year residential liberal arts and sciences college in Buckhannon, West Virginia. A tradition of excellence for more than 130 years, West Virginia Wesleyan is home to 14 Fulbright Scholars. The Princeton Review ranked Wesleyan one of its 2023 Best Colleges in the Southeastern Region of the United States. U.S. News & World Report’s 2022-2023 Best College Rankings designated Wesleyan seventh in Best Value – Regional Universities (South). WVWC offers students more than 40 majors and 40 minors; graduate programs in athletic training, business administration, creative writing, and nursing; 22 NCAA Division II athletic programs; multiple performing arts groups; and more than 70 organizations. Founded in 1890, the College is closely affiliated with the United Methodist Church and abides by the Wesley doctrine that emphasizes service to others. For more information, visit wvwc.edu.

BUCKHANNON, West Virginia – The Reverend Angela Gay Kinkead ’79 will give the Baccalaureate address at 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 5 in Wesley Chapel.

Kinkead is an ordained Elder in The United Methodist Church and a member of the West Virginia Annual Conference. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Christian Education from West Virginia Wesleyan College (1979), a master’s degree in Christian Education from Scarritt Graduate School (1986) in Nashville, Tennessee, and a Master of Divinity degree (1997) from Vanderbilt Divinity School in Nashville.

Since July 2020, Kinkead has served as Pastor of Elizabeth Memorial United Methodist Church in Charleston, West Virginia. Prior to serving in Charleston, she served Pea Ridge United Methodist Church in Huntington, West Virginia for five years. Kinkead has served local churches as a Christian educator in Madison and Huntington, West Virginia and Greenbrier, Tennesee, and as part-time Minister of Congregational Care of a congregation in downtown Nashville.

For more than 15 years, she led the youth-directed agency of the United Methodist Church, the National Youth Ministry Organization, lodged within the General Board of Discipleship in Nashville. In October 2001, she returned to her alma mater, West Virginia Wesleyan College, to serve as Dean of the Chapel for the next 14 years.

During her time at WVWC, Kinkead was awarded West Virginia Wesleyan’s Community Engagement “Unsung Hero” Award, she led 11 Alternative Breaks for students, including Elektrostal, Russia; Nashville, Tennessee; New York City, Washington, D.C.; and eight work teams to post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans, Louisiana involving approximately 200 students, staff and faculty.

Retiring from full-time ministry at the end of June, she will relocate to Wichita, Kansas to be her brother’s next-door neighbor, and adapt to “every day being Saturday, except Sundays!”

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN COLLEGE
West Virginia Wesleyan College (WVWC) is a private, four-year residential liberal arts and sciences college in Buckhannon, West Virginia. A tradition of excellence for more than 130 years, West Virginia Wesleyan is home to 14 Fulbright Scholars. The Princeton Review ranked Wesleyan one of its 2023 Best Colleges in the Southeastern Region of the United States. U.S. News & World Report’s 2022-2023 Best College Rankings designated Wesleyan seventh in Best Value – Regional Universities (South). WVWC offers students more than 40 majors and 40 minors; graduate programs in athletic training, business administration, creative writing, and nursing; 22 NCAA Division II athletic programs; multiple performing arts groups; and more than 70 organizations. Founded in 1890, the College is closely affiliated with the United Methodist Church and abides by the Wesley doctrine that emphasizes service to others. For more information, visit wvwc.edu.

BUCKHANNON, West Virginia  – Spring-like weather and the nearing of the end of the semester brings the return of a Wesleyan tradition, Spring Weekend, to campus April 15-16.

Spring Sing will wrap up Greek Week activities for the College’s fraternities and sororities on Saturday, April 15 at 7 p.m. in Wesley Chapel. Greek Life members have been participating in a variety of events in April to earn points for their sorority or fraternity. Saturday’s performances will be preceded by the crowning of the Spring Sing King and Queen.

Tickets are still on sale for the WVWC Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet to be held April 15 in the French See Dining Hall at 5 p.m. Tickets are $35 each and can be purchased by calling the Office of Alumni Affairs at 304-473-8489. The Hall of Fame Class to be inducted includes Tyler Blatchley ’08 (track and field), DeWayne Johns ’85 (basketball), Sarah St. Clair Mills ’05 (soccer), Dennis Drenning ’66 (football and basketball), David Bear Watson ’68 (football and track) and the 2002 football team under then head coach Bill Struble.

BUCKHANNON, West Virginia – West Virginia Wesleyan College’s School of Nursing is announcing an affordable tuition rate for its Master of Science and Doctor of Nursing Practice  programs designed to better meet the needs of students wishing to further their nursing education.

The new rate of $690 per credit hour will be effective Fall 2023 for the Master of Science in Nursing and Doctorate of Nursing Practice degrees.

“West Virginia Wesleyan College has a long history of providing high-quality nursing education at the baccalaureate, masters and doctoral level,” Director of Graduate Programs Dr. Amy R. Coffman, APRN-BC, DNP, said. “Along with quality education, the financial burden of graduate education has been a concern of faculty and administration at the institution.”

“West Virginia Wesleyan College and the School of Nursing will continue to offer high-quality graduate nursing education and now have a commitment to doing so with a regionally competitive cost that will lessen the financial burden to our students.”

In January, WVWC and Mon Health System announced a partnership to offer nursing students a scholarship opportunity and employment guarantee upon graduation. The scholarship provides financial support and graduates are guaranteed employment within Mon Health System.

The School of Nursing has a greater than 90% NCLEX Licensure rate for first-attempt passages and is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. 

For more information, visit www.wvwc.edu/nursing. 

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN COLLEGE
West Virginia Wesleyan College (WVWC) is a private, four-year residential liberal arts college in Buckhannon, West Virginia. A tradition of excellence for more than 130 years, West Virginia Wesleyan is home to 14 Fulbright Scholars. The Princeton Review ranked Wesleyan one of its 2023 Best Colleges in the Southeastern Region of the United States. U.S. News & World Report’s 2022-2023 Best College Rankings designated Wesleyan seventh in Best Value – Regional Universities (South). WVWC offers students more than 40 majors and 40 minors; graduate programs in athletic training, business administration, creative writing, and nursing; 22 NCAA Division II athletic programs; multiple performing arts groups; and more than 70 organizations. Founded in 1890, the College is closely affiliated with the United Methodist Church and abides by the Wesley doctrine that emphasizes service to others. For more information, visit wvwc.edu. 

BUCKHANNON, West Virginia –  Four  West Virginia Wesleyan College alumni and Theta Xi fraternity brothers have joined together to launch what will be the world’s first state-themed non-fungible token project aptly named 1863nft.

Rob Raffety ‘97, Mike Malfregeot ‘02, Jeff Noah ’02, MBA ‘03 and Jason Wilhelm, ’98, MBA ‘00, met as WVWC students and fraternity brothers and have come back together around a shared interest in web3 technology.

It started after Wilhelm saw a tweet Raffety shared about cryptocurrency and sent him a message. Soon, the four began chatting about their shared interests and brainstorming projects. The idea for 1863nft gained traction approximately a year ago as interest in nft technology grew.

Raffety said the four co-founders wanted to make their project something that mattered and was meaningful for them and West Virginia is that unifying theme.

The project 1863nft is a collection of 304 affordable assets celebrating West Virginia history, culture and people.

“Conceptionally, we thought wouldn’t it be cool to celebrate West Virginia in a positive light, to be trendsetters, to really use this emerging technology and plant a flag for West Virginia that isn’t often thought of as being on the cutting edge?” Raffety said.

The idea also grew to include five West Virginia artists who would not only be able to sell their works, but also gain broader exposure for their own creative ventures.

Noah said, “I’m excited about bringing the 1863 concept to reality in a way that honors the state through the ideas and teamwork of others with the intent to inspire,” he said. “There’s really nothing else like this out there and that’s pretty neat.”

One of the most exciting aspects, according to Raffety, is the utility piece.

“Aside from owning a digital asset which may appeal to some collectors, there is this very wide-opened space in NFTs called utility that you can now give to the owner of a token because you can verify that they own it,” he said. “The owner of a token might get the utility of receiving in the mail a physical print of an artwork.”

Similarly, the purchaser might receive access to a gated community for a class or online discussion with others around the piece they purchased.

Malfregeot added, “This technology is touching the world and has already created major impacts globally. Our West Virginia artists are deep-rooted in local communities and this bridging of art and new technology will help 1863 foster this learning all throughout Appalachia.”

“My four years at Wesleyan truly created connections for life. There’s no one else I would want to create an impactful non-profit project with than these guys.”

Wilhelm said, “You cannot grow up in West Virginia and not feel a strong loyalty to our state. My time at Wesleyan, both as an undergraduate and graduate student, confirmed I will always have a ‘Home Among the Hills.’ I would like to believe the school encourages us to be curious, embrace change and inspire others. By introducing West Virginians to this emerging and evolving web3 space, I am confident we are doing just that.”

To learn more about the project and the upcoming launch, visit www.1863nft.com or follow on social media.

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN COLLEGE
West Virginia Wesleyan College (WVWC) is a private, four-year residential liberal arts college in Buckhannon, West Virginia. A tradition of excellence for more than 130 years, West Virginia Wesleyan is home to 14 Fulbright Scholars. The Princeton Review ranked Wesleyan one of its 2023 Best Colleges in the Southeastern Region of the United States. U.S. News & World Report’s 2022-2023 Best College Rankings designated Wesleyan seventh in Best Value – Regional Universities (South). WVWC offers students more than 40 majors and 40 minors; graduate programs in athletic training, business administration, creative writing, and nursing; 22 NCAA Division II athletic programs; multiple performing arts groups; and more than 70 organizations. Founded in 1890, the College is closely affiliated with the United Methodist Church and abides by the Wesley doctrine that emphasizes service to others. For more information, visit wvwc.edu.

BUCKHANNON, West Virginia – The Rustic Mechanicals from Clarksburg, West Virginia will present two Shakespearean performances on the campus of West Virginia Wesleyan College, Friday, Oct. 21 and Saturday, Oct. 22 at 7:30 p.m. in the Virginia Thomas Law Center for the Performing Arts. Friday night’s performance will be the comedy “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and Saturday the troupe will perform the classic tragedy “Romeo & Juliet.” The performances are free and open to the public as part of Wesleyan’s Arts Alive! Series. Tickets will be available at the door 30 minutes prior to curtain.

The 90-minute shows feature recent Wesleyan musical theater alumna Pippa McGinley ‘22 in the roles of Hermia and Juliet, as well as recent technical theater alumna Haley Wilson ‘22, who is the tour’s production manager. Wesleyan’s Associate Professor of Theater Arts Thomas Schoffler also serves as the company’s movement coach.

Founded by Celi Oliveto in the summer of 2014, The Rustic Mechanicals is the only troupe of actors in the state dedicated to touring the works of William Shakespeare and other classical playwrights.

 The Mechanicals now tour five shows annually, including their summer West Virginia Shakespeare in the Park(s) outdoor tour, focusing on making Shakespeare’s plays accessible to modern audiences by utilizing dynamic and extreme casting techniques paired with Shakespeare’s staging conditions.

 Previous productions include A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Taming of the Shrew, Much Ado About Nothing, Macbeth, The Tempest, Twelfth Night, The Merchant of Venice, Romeo & Juliet, The Merry Wives of Windsor, King Lear, Richard III, The Comedy of Errors, Hamlet, Measure for Measure, As You Like It, Julius Caesar, Love’s Labour’s Lost, and the original works Timeless Romance and Toil & Trouble.

The Rustic Mechanicals are part of Clarksburg’s Vintage Theatre Company. Founded in September 2012 by Jason A. Young, The Vintage Theatre Company is dedicated to providing high-quality theatrical education and professionally produced entertainment in West Virginia while primarily featuring the many talented artists that call the Mountain State their home.

As one of the state’s newest professional, non-union theatre companies, VTC was founded to enrich the communities it serves economically, socially and culturally.

BUCKHANNON, West Virginia – The West Virginia Wesleyan College Department of Theatre and Dance presents the classic Sam Shepard play, “True West.”

“True West” will run October 6, 7, and 8  at 8pm in the Atkinson Black Box Theater located in the Administration Building. Performances are free, but seating is limited. 

A 1983 finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, this American classic explores what might spring from the demented terrain of the California landscape when sons of a desert-dwelling alcoholic and a suburban wanderer clash over a film script. Set in the Western United States in the early 1980s, “True West” tells the story of two estranged brothers, Austin and Lee. With Mom taking a trip to Alaska, it’s up to Austin to take care of her house. However, not everything goes to plan when his older brother, Lee, makes a surprise appearance. The intimate intensity is met with frequent comedic moments that are sure to demonstrate Sam Shepard’s brilliance in his telling of this broken family dynamic.

“True West” is directed by Derek Hess, Jackson Johnson, and Timmy Walker, who will all also act in the production as part of their senior project, with advising by Thomas Schoffler. Additionally, fight choreography is by Millie Omps, with scenic and lighting design by Keith Saine, and costume design by Technical Theatre Major Elizabeth Tweel ’23. The show is also stage managed by Tweel, with Theatre Arts and Media Communication Double-Major Anthony Damcott ‘23 as assistant stage manager, who is also serving as assistant director and fight captain. 

The cast of “True West” includes Derek Hess ’23, Theatre Arts Major, as Austin and Lee; Theatre Arts Major, Jackson Johnson ‘23, as Austin; Timmy Walker ‘23, Musical Theatre and Media Communication Double-Major, as Lee; Ellery Brown, Theatre Arts Major, as Mom; and Thomas Schoffler, Associate Professor of Theatre Arts, as Saul Kimmer.

“True West” contains themes including violence, alcohol use, drug use, as well as adult language.

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN COLLEGE
West Virginia Wesleyan College (WVWC) is a private, four-year residential liberal arts college in Buckhannon, West Virginia. A tradition of excellence for more than 130 years, West Virginia Wesleyan is home to 14 Fulbright Scholars. The Princeton Review ranked Wesleyan one of its 2023 Best Colleges in the Southeastern Region of the United States. U.S. News & World Report’s 2022-2023 Best College Rankings designated Wesleyan seventh in Best Value – Regional Universities (South). WVWC offers students more than 40 majors and 40 minors; graduate programs in athletic training, business administration, creative writing, and nursing; 22 NCAA Division II athletic programs; multiple performing arts groups; and more than 70 organizations. Founded in 1890, the College is closely affiliated with the United Methodist Church and abides by the Wesley doctrine that emphasizes service to others. For more information, visit wvwc.edu. 

BUCKHANNON, West Virginia –  Registration continues for Homecoming 2022 at West Virginia Wesleyan College. Alumni are invited back to their Home Among the Hills Sept. 30-Oct. 2  for a number of special events and activities. Some events are also open to the community.

The traditional Founders Day Convocation takes place at 3 p.m. Friday, Sept. 30  with the Hon. John F. McCuskey ’69, Hon. ‘22 giving the address. Retired Vice President of Advancement Bob Skinner ’75, as well as Jack ‘59 and Mary Ann ’60 Fraser will be honored for their service to the College.

On Friday evening, head to the Variety Show and Live Music at the Opera House featuring entertainment by comedian Bobby Benavides and music by Key to Adam. Heavy appetizers are included with admission.

A brand new event happening over Homecoming Weekend is the Coaches Corner which includes a brunch with Head Coach Dwayne Martin ‘96 on Friday, Sept. 30, access to a gameday tent near the endzone at Cebe Ross Field on Oct. 1 and more.  Various tier levels are available and more information can be found by heading to www.wvwc.edu/homecoming and clicking on Coaches Corner.

After watching the Bobcats take on the Wheeling University Cardinals, head over to the Chapel Oval to enjoy food from a variety of food trucks. Prices vary by vendor.

Saturday evening, The Fearless Fools – West Virginia’s Comedy Troupe have prepared an evening of laughs in the Social Hall at 7 p.m. Admission is Free.

Sunday morning, join the Wesleyan community for a Chapel Service with Rev. William (Bill) Wilson ’72.

To find out more about Homecoming activities, head over to www.wvwc.edu/homecoming for the complete schedule.