GSC Foundation Taps Lewis for Board Chair
BY: Katheryne A. Fields, Director of Marketing
Alumnus Derrick Lewis was recently named chair of the Gordon State College Foundation for the 2020-2021 academic year.
The GSC Foundation is a non-profit organization that supports the mission and strategic plan of Gordon State College. The 28-member Foundation board is primarily dedicated to raising scholarship funds to assist Gordon’s diverse student body with the cost of tuition and support for higher education.
“Chairman Lewis is a great resource to Gordon State College and the Foundation,” said President Kirk A. Nooks. “The Foundation’s work and support is critical for the success of our institution. Derrick is connected to the community and will help the college as we forge partnerships and resources for our students. That’s the collaborative effort that enhances the vision of the strategic plans of both Gordon and the Foundation.”
Elected as chair for a one-year term, Lewis's term started officially July 1. He will be responsible for presiding over meetings, fundraising and working closely with the Foundation’s Executive Director, Montrese Adger Fuller, who also serves as the vice president for Institutional Advancement, External Relations and Marketing for the college.
Outgoing Chair Lucinda Dallas will formally “pass the gavel” to Lewis in the trustee’s scheduled meeting in August. Lewis served as vice chair last year, a position that will be filled by Bob Harris for the current term. Chase Idol served as treasurer last year and will resume those responsibilities for year two of his three-year term. Harris served as the at-large chair on the executive committee last year, a position that will be held by George Hightower this year. Nooks will continue to serve as the Foundation secretary.
“Derrick is excellent at communicating messages and fundraising,” Dallas said. “I expect great things. The Foundation is a separate and closely-related entity to the college. Derrick will run it well. He’s excelled in a number of his previous roles with the Foundation. He’s known and well-liked within the community.”
This past year, the Foundation achieved 100% in Trustee giving and also received the largest individual gift in the college’s history to date. Lewis plans to uphold the standard of excellence.
“Lucinda and I will continue to work together,” Lewis said. “We have a strong board to support the college, and it inspires me that Madame Chair Dallas was able to achieve 100% participation. The commitment by our students at Gordon State is also encouraging.
I want to embrace the future while respecting the past. I’m excited about the future of Gordon. I have the energy and positivity to bring the two together. My goal is to continue to lead Gordon on the path it is on, and at the same time, I want to be mindful of where we’ve been. I want to share our story and our history as Gordon Military College.”
Lewis and his two brothers, Sedgrid and Christon, established a scholarship in memory of their mother, Jeanette, in 2019 when she passed away. The academic scholarship is restricted to graduates of Pike County High School pursuing his/her first undergraduate degree and showing demonstrated involvement in the community, school and work.
Lewis graduated Pike County High School in 1998 and attended Gordon for two years before transferring to the University of Georgia, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Finance. While he was a sophomore at Gordon, he worked as a teller for United Bank, which sparked his interest in business. Nearly 20 years of experience in finance and wealth management later, Lewis is the managing director and senior vice president of investments for Capitas Advisory Group of Raymond James in Griffin.
He joined the GSC Foundation in 2012 and has served on other boards in the community including Kiwanis and the Pine Valley Girl Scout Council. He and his wife, Lauren, have four children. His wife recently earned her Doctor of Medicine from Mercer University School of Medicine and is in her first year of residency at The Medical Center, Navicent Health.
To learn more about the GSC Foundation contact Foundation@gordonstate.edu. To make a donation, visit: www.gordonstate.edu/give.