David Henkel '03, Byron Hicks ’87, Anne “Oz” Staley ’74 and Ryan Vet ’13 are joining the Elon Alumni Board this fall.
The Elon Alumni Board (EAB) has selected four new members to serve three-year terms — David Henkel ’03, Byron Hicks ’87, Anne “Oz” Staley ’74 and Ryan Vet ’13.
The EAB acts as a key link between the University administration and the alumni body. On an individual basis and collectively as a Board, the EAB provides advice, counsel and perspective to staff and leadership on a wide range of strategic issues facing the University.
David Henkel ’03
David and his wife Jessica ’03 met their first year on the Service Learning Community floor at Elon. They currently reside in Davidson, North Carolina with their four children. David serves clients as a Private Wealth Advisor with Raymond James and Pinnacle Asset Management. He is active in his church, Grace Covenant, and he and Jessica serve as co-leaders of the church’s foster and adoptive group. They have been fortunate enough to be able to adopt their youngest daughter and serve as a foster family to children. David is active with F3 men’s group. He enjoys spending time outdoors with his family and trips to the North Carolina mountains.
Byron Hicks ’87
Byron serves as both the executive state director of the NC Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC) and the assistant vice chancellor of Business and Technology Extension Programs in the Office of External Affairs, Partnerships, and Economic Development at NC State University. He also serves as the chair of the UNC System’s Economic Transformation Council and is on the Board of the NCWorks Commission as well as Vice-Chair of the national association America’s Small Business Development Centers. Additionally, he holds several certifications and awards including Economic Development Finance Professional (EDFP), General Contractor’s license, 2015 NC SBTDC State Star and 2019 SBA Collaborative & Partnership Award. Byron has been married to his wife, Lori, for 20 years and they live in Wake Forest, NC. They have four daughters and two grandchildren.
Anne “Oz” Staley ’74
Oz credits a number of things with making her time at Elon meaningful, from taking part in one of the first Winter Term study abroad trips to London to being a part of the Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority. Since retiring from a career in sales that spanned more than 30 years, she has spent more time both playing and watching tennis. She established the Anne Dechert Staley ’74 Women’s Tennis Scholarship to support students who share her passion for the sport. Oz now lives in Charlottesville, Virginia, with her husband, John. She is an avid traveler, fly fisherwoman, gardener and Pickleball player and is involved in community volunteer work. She served as co-chair of her 45th Reunion and is currently the co-chair for her 50th reunion that she is celebrating this year.
Ryan Vet ’13
Ryan got his business marketing degree at Elon and met the love of his life, Jessica ’14. They currently live in Durham where Ryan is actively involved in his church as an elder and teaches Sunday school. He is also a trained sommelier, completing coursework from both the Court of the Master Sommeliers as well as the Wine and Spirit Education Trust. Ryan started early as an entrepreneur, launching a multi-national marketing firm that specialized in working with non-profit organizations at age 14. The year after graduating from Elon, he and a partner opened The Oak House in Elon. Since then, he has risen to executive leadership roles at multiple companies as well as hold advisory board roles in several companies and non-profits. Ryan shares his experiences with others as an international speaker and an author. His writings can be seen in Forbes, Dental Economics, books and in many other publications. He has also been featured in USA Today, FinancialTimes, ABC, CBS, NBC, and more.