Board of Commissioners

 Andrew M. Perkins, Jr. is Assistant Vice Chancellor for Facilities and Engineering at NC A&T State University in Greensboro, N. C. Prior to that appointment, he served as the University Engineer. Before coming to NCA & T, Perkins retired with the rank of Colonel from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers after 29 years of distinguished service. He served as commander and district engineer for both the Norfolk and San Francisco Districts, U.S. Army Corp of Engineers; he was the facilities construction program manager, Office of the Assistant Chief of Engineers; an Area Engineer in Saudi Arabia; and was a battalion commander and Assistant Corps Engineer with the 18th Airborne Corps at Fort Bragg, NC. During his career with the Corps of Engineers, he had the opportunity to work with the Departments of Transportation in California and Virginia to enhance transportation and environmental needs in those states. The Governor appointed him as a member of the N. C. Board of Transportation in 2003, where he still serves. Perkins received his B. S. degree in architecture from Hampton University, his M. S. degree in architecture from the University of Wisconsin, and is a graduate of The National War College in Washington, D.C. He and his wife, Dr. Mary T. Perkins, make their home in Winston Salem, NC and have two adult children. 

 Betsy Annese is a retired public relations and marketing executive with more than 40 years of domestic and international experience in major industries and a variety of non-profit organizations that include social service agencies and churches. Annese has held several executive positions during her career. Her 16-year career with R.J. Reynolds included all aspects of corporate communications advisory for the parent company and five of its subsidiaries. She served on the executive committee of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco International, Inc. in Geneva, Switzerland as Sr. Vice President, External Relations, managing public relations, public affairs and government relations. She was Vice President, Corporate Communications for Lowe’s Companies, Inc., the world’s second-largest home improvement retailer, where she started the first corporate communications department for the company. She was Manager of Public Relations for Bigelow-Sanford, Inc., a major carpet company now part of Shaw Industries, shortly after spending three years with two South Carolina newspapers as a news reporter. A graduate of the University of South Carolina with a B.A. degree in Journalism, Betsy is a frequent lecturer on business management and public relations topics. 

 Alfred G. Adams is a retired partner in the Winston-Salem office of Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, LLP. He is a former high school teacher and coach and a former adjunct professor at Wake Forest University (WFU) School of Law. He holds a bachelor of arts and a Juris Doctor degree from WFU. Adams' legal career has focused on all aspects of real estate transactions and he has practiced law from 1973 until retirement. In 2004, Alfred was named the Leading Real Estate Attorney in N.C. by "North Carolina Business" magazine and he is now a member of the N.C. Business Hall of Fame. He has been active in the revitalization of downtown Winston-Salem (W-S) and currently serves on the Advisory Board of Wake Forest Innovation Quarter; as Immediate Past Chair of W-S Business, Inc., the economic development entity for W-S and Forsyth County; as a member of the Executive Committee of the Downtown W-S Partnership; and as Chair of the Downtown W-S Foundation. In 2011, he was named a “Citizen Lawyer” by the N.C. Bar Association in recognition of his years of community service. 

 Felicia M. Brinson is employed by the Forsyth County Dept. Of Social Service, where she enjoys working with people and volunteers in Winston-Salem and is a future business owner in her community. Her mission is to make an impact in the lives of others. Felicia was born and raised in Buffalo, New York, but lived in Atlanta, Georgia for several years as a home maker, raising five amazing children. While in Atlanta, she began a career in taxes and home daycare. Felicia is a member of a now virtual church and model for “Curve She,” an organization recognized by the City of Winston Salem. As a divorcee, she started a platform, “Sh-air Talk” for people to share their thoughts, feelings, emotions, and business. Felicia is a newly appointed member of the HAWS Board of Commissioners, an opportunity which she finds educational. She enjoys meeting new people in this role and feels both gratitude and purposeful satisfaction in being part of the “movers and shakers” in the community.  

   A Guatemalan native, Vivian Pérez Chandler has called Winston-Salem home for 19 years. With 8 years of nonprofit experience, her career has allowed her to work with students K-12 in the area of higher education. Most recently she holds the title of Executive Director of the Asset Buildings Coalition of Forsyth County. In this role she works with community organizations to raise awareness about asset poverty and finding a solution by working on strategies that we can all work on to build asset wealth. Vivian's passion in equitable education, job opportunities, and access to healthcare is seen by her service on the Advisory Councils for the Governor's Advisory Council of Hispanic/Latino Affairs and the Kate. B Reynolds Charitable. She also serves as board member for Love Out Loud, The Shalom Project, Get In The Game, and The Partnership for Prosperity. Vivian obtained a Bachelor's in Public and Nonprofit Administration from UNC Pembroke. For her leadership, she has received the Winston-Salem Under 40 Award, the YMCA Youth Development Award, and the Diamante Education Award for her statewide work in with the Hispanic community. Pérez Chandler lives in Forsyth County with her husband Nicholas Chandler and their dog, Ella. When she is not volunteering she enjoys traveling, reading, and spending time with family and friends.  

 Arthur Odell Dark, Jr. holds a B.S., Engineering Mathematics with a minor in Mechanical Engineering from North Carolina A&T State University and completed his graduate studies at the  University of Maryland and George Washington University. Arthur has over 35 years of experience in Program Management, Systems Engineering and software development in the real-time simulation, vertical launching systems and training environment for both the U.S. Government and commercial customers.  He is experienced in leading large budgets, up to $48 million, technical simulator development and modification programs. He is skilled in simulation and training programs engineer, with proven abilities in developing large real-time software packages. Mr. Dark is also skilled and experienced in identifying and implementing cost reduction initiatives, while improving product and service quality. He has spearheaded a real-time simulation division, increasing revenue by $10 million within 5 years.  Arthur is married to the former Linda Scales Dark.  He is the father of 2 adult children and has 3 grandchildren.  

  Art Gibel retired in 2020 after 15 years as CEO of Goodwill Industries of Northwest North Carolina. He received the Kenneth King Award in 2016 as the national Goodwill Executive of the Year. Art joined Goodwill in 2006 after a career in business with companies that included Procter & Gamble, Ralston Purina, and Sara Lee. He finished his career at Sara Lee as CEO of Hanes Printables. Originally from Ohio he is a graduate of Bowling Green State University. He has been an active member of the community, previously serving on several non-profit boards and is an alumnus of Leadership Winston-Salem. In addition to HAWS, Art currently serves on the Boards of Directors of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center; Piedmont Federal Savings Bank; Northwest NC Community Foundation; and Partnership for Prosperity. He is active in his congregation at Mt. Tabor United Methodist Church and is a member of Reynolda Rotary. Art and his wife, Kathy, have two adult children and five grandchildren.  

 William C. Rose has a diverse background with 35 plus years of experience. He attended Virginia Military Institute and UNC – Chapel Hill for his undergraduate schooling and received his MBA from UNC -Chapel Hill. He joined Cannon & Company CPAs in Winston-Salem in 1986 and was named the firm's managing partner in 1988. William contributed to his profession by serving as an officer and committee member at the local and state level with the NC Association of CPA's. William retired from Cannon in 2008 after thirty-three years in public practice. In retirement, he has been an adjunct accounting professor for Winston-Salem State University and teaches for the NC Association of CPA's and other training firms. William also serves as a Board member/ treasurer/volunteer with several area organizations.William and his wife, Julee have lived in Winston-Salem since 1986.  They have four adult children and eight grandchildren.  

 Doria Kathleen Stitts (Kathy) serves as Associate Provost and Dean of University College and Lifelong Learning at Winton-Salem State University (WSSU), where she leads a dedicated team of faculty, staff and students who provide academic advising, and academic support services to students along their academic journeys. Kathy began her tenure at WSSU as Associate Dean and Associate Professor of Marketing of the School of Business and Economics, where she helped manage internal operations, advanced the strategic goals of the school, and ensured compliance in school and university accreditation efforts. During her seventeen-year journey, Doria has served the university in a variety of leadership roles including Special Assistant to the Provost, Associate Provost of Lifelong Learning, Acting Dean of the School of Business and Economics, and Interim Dean of the College of Arts, Sciences, Business and Education. Prior to her tenure at WSSU, Kathy served as Chairperson and Associate Professor of the Department of Management and Marketing at Virginia State University (VSU).  Kathy is a 2018-19 American Council of Education Fellow (ACE) and completed the ACE Women’s Leadership Forum in 2016. She is a graduate of the 2015 class of the HERS Leadership Institute, the 2012 Class of the WSSU Chancellor’s Leadership Institute, and the 2007 class of Leadership Winston-Salem. She currently serves on the boards of Forsyth Futures and the Bethesda Center for the Homeless and has held memberships and leadership position on numerous boards in the community including Senior Services, Hospice and Palliative Care Center, Habitat for Humanity, and Leadership Winston-Salem. Kathy has received several awards and recognitions including the Cedric Rodney Service Award, the Wachovia Excellence in Teaching Award from WSSU, the City of Winston-Salem Great Women Leaders Award, the Virginia State University Outstanding Faculty Award, and she was a two-time Nissan Fellow for the Nissan-HBCU Summer Institute. Kathy believes that she is called to help others succeed. She gives presentations on advising, professionalism, etiquette, leadership, strategic planning, and assessment. She has given motivational speeches to various audiences, including a TEDxWinston-Salem Women talk in 2016. Her passion for success is evidenced in her innovative programming with internal and external partners throughout the community. Kathy, a native of Cleveland, Ohio, attended Florida A & M University, where she received her B.S. degree in accounting and her MBA. She earned her Ph.D. in Marketing from Florida State University.