David L. Morrow II ’07 L’10, Elon University’s special advisor to the president and assistant chief of staff, and Gwendolyn Lewis L’13, alumni director at Elon Law, are being honored for their professional achievements, leadership and community involvement.
The Triad Business Journal is honoring two accomplished Elon Law alumni on its 2017 “Top 40 Under 40” list in recognition of contributions to their employer, their profession and their communities.
David L. Morrow II ’07 L’10, Elon University’s special advisor to the president and assistant chief of staff, and Gwendolyn W. Lewis L’13, alumni director at Elon Law, will be among 40 Triad young leaders celebrated at a Feb. 16 awards ceremony and reception in Greensboro hosted by the Triad Business Journal.
Special Advisor to the President and Assistant Chief of Staff, Elon University
Morrow has distinguished himself as a two-time alumnus of Elon University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in 2007 and his law degree in 2010. He has served since 2015 as a thoughtful and influential voice on campus, providing guidance in the Office of the President while mentoring students, including many from underrepresented backgrounds, who find inspiration in his story of leaving corporate law to fulfill a desire to serve his alma mater and contribute to higher education.
Morrow has been honored by the National Bar Association with a “Top 40 under 40 Attorneys” award and the Junius W. Williams Young Lawyer of the Year award. He also was selected by the American Bar Association’s Business Law Section to serve as one of five fellows nationwide from 2013 to 2015, and was a member of the inaugural class of the ABA’s Collaborative Bar Leadership Academy in 2013.
Morrow currently serves as the ABA Young Lawyer Division Liaison to the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar, and a council member for the ABA’s Standing Committee on Public Education
At Elon, Morrow has volunteered on numerous committees and councils. He has been a member of the Elon University President’s Young Leaders Council and the Young Alumni Council, where he served as the chair of the programming committee. For three years, he also co-chaired the Elon Black Alumni Network Scholarship Gala, which was created to support black students with financial needs.
While working in corporate law in Washington, Morrow served on the board of Thurgood Marshall Academy, a public charter high school serving predominately African Americans. Concurrent to that role, he served with the Social Justice Ministry from Shiloh Baptist Church. He also served on the Mid-Atlantic Finance team for the re-election of President Barack Obama and was a member of the fundraising arms for Gen44 (Young Adult raisers), and Lawyers for Obama.
“I’m honored and humbled to be recognized by the Triad Business Journal,” Morrow said. “I returned to North Carolina excited about my future at Elon University and professional recognition like this only confirms that I made the right decision.”
Alumni Director, Elon University School of Law
Lewis joined the Elon Law administration in 2014 to serve her alma mater as its founding alumni director. In her role, Lewis has enhanced the alumni association’s governing body, created and launched alumni chapters in Washington, D.C., and Raleigh, and implemented new cross-departmental initiatives. She has contributed with other departments supporting their goals to recruit students to attend Elon Law and to assist alumni with career support after graduation.
As a student at Elon Law, Lewis served as the first African-American Student Bar Association president. Upon graduation and admission to the bar, she practiced law with Gray Newell, LLP and focused primarily on employment law matters. In just one year of practice, she was named to Business North Carolina’s legal elite in employment law.
Lewis has served as a board member of the Greensboro Bar Association’s Young Lawyer Section and has contributed to the planning and coordination of various activities for young attorneys. Lewis also is a court-appointed Guardian ad Litem, serving as an independent advocate, representing and promoting the best interests of abused, neglected and dependent children in the court system.
Lewis serves as vice president of the Guilford County Association of Black Lawyers. She worked in 2016 as an essential member of the scholarship committee that formed and hosted its first annual Scholarship and Recognition Gala. She recently graduated from the North Carolina Bar Association’s Leadership Academy.
“I am very proud of the contributions that I have been able to offer the Triad and receiving this recognition for my impact at Elon Law and beyond is humbling,” Lewis said. “With all the outstanding leaders recognized by the Triad Business Journal, now and in years past, I am truly overjoyed be included in the list and will always be grateful for this meaningful nomination and selection.”