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From left to right: Joseph Jeffries Chesson has been reappointed to App State’s Board of Trustees, and Jamie Schaefer, Wayne Sumner and William Warren have been appointed as new members of the board. Their appointments were approved by the University of North Carolina System Board of Governors at its May 15 meeting. The trustees will begin their four-year terms July 1. Photos submitted

4 new and reappointed App State Board of Trustees members to begin new terms July 1

By University Communications
Posted May 16, 2025 at 10:18 a.m.

BOONE, N.C. — At its May 15 meeting, the University of North Carolina System Board of Governors reappointed one member to Appalachian State University’s Board of Trustees and appointed three new individuals to serve on the board. The trustees will begin their four-year terms July 1.

The new appointees are Jamie Schaefer, of Blowing Rock, Wayne Sumner ’75, of Boone, and William Warren ’87, of Columbia, South Carolina. The board reappointed Joseph Jeffries Chesson ’77, of Wilson.

App State’s incoming student body president, Nicole Tran, a senior political science major from Charlotte, assumed a one-year term on the board in May.

Two additional appointments to the university’s Board of Trustees, from the North Carolina General Assembly, will be made later this year.

About the trustees

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Joseph Jeffries Chesson. Photo submitted

Joseph Jeffries Chesson

Chesson graduated from App State in 1977 with a Bachelor of Science in business administration, with a concentration in real estate. In the same year, he earned his North Carolina real estate and insurance licenses and began working in his family’s real estate business, The Chesson Agency. Chesson’s community involvement includes serving as a member of the charter committee of the Rotary Club of Greater Wilson and the Greenfield School board of directors, as well as volunteering for 35 years at Sugar Mountain Ski Patrol. Chesson began serving on App State's Board of Trustees in 2021 and is chair of the board’s Athletics Committee.

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Jamie Schaefer. Photo submitted

Jamie Schaefer

Schaefer retired as one of the owners and operators of Westglow Resort and Spa in Blowing Rock. Prior to Westglow, Schaefer was a successful real estate broker, property manager and interior designer in Florida. Schaefer was presented with App State’s Honorary Alumni Award in 2013. Her service to App State includes collaborating with the design committee of the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts, serving on the advisory board of An Appalachian Summer and her continued involvement in programming for the Schaefer Spotlight Series.

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Wayne Sumner. Photo submitted

Wayne Sumner

Sumner is the founder and chairman of the board of Jackson Sumner & Associates. Sumner entered the insurance industry in 1975, after graduating from App State with a Bachelor of Science in business administration. Sumner served as president of the North Carolina Surplus Lines Association three times. In 2015, Sumner was awarded a lifetime achievement award from the North Carolina Surplus Lines Association. And in 2013, Sumner was honored by App State with the opening of the Wayne L. Sumner Broadcast Studio as the new home of the student radio station, 90.5 WASU-FM. Sumner was a member of the App State Yosef Advisory Board and was also on the advisory council for the App State Department of Communication.

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William Warren. Photo submitted

William Warren

Warren graduated from App State in 1987 with a degree in communications. He is currently senior mental health account specialist in psychiatry and neuroscience at Bristol Myers Squibb, where he covers major mental health centers and hospitals in North and South Carolina. Warren serves on the board of the Downtown Church, the Columbia Humane Society, and the Columbia Fitness, Fellowship and Faith organization. Warren and his wife, Dr. Nori Warren, created the first endowed scholarship for App State’s recently formed veterinary technology program. The Warrens’ giving to App State also includes generous gifts to App State Sustainability and Energy Management’s Mountaineer Food Hub, the Department of Geography and Planning, a memorial endowment, the Laps for Apps fundraiser for App State athletics programs and The Appalachian Fund. They are also members of the Yosef Club.

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Board of Trustees
Board of Trustees

The Appalachian State University Board of Trustees is a 13-member body that promotes the development of the institution within the functions prescribed by the UNC Board of Governors. The board serves as advisor to the Board of Governors on matters pertaining to the university and also serves as advisor to the chancellor concerning the management and development of Appalachian. The powers and duties of the Board of Trustees are primarily defined and delegated by the Board of Governors. Individuals are appointed to four-year terms by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the UNC Board of Governors. Included as a voting member of the board is the president of Appalachian’s Student Government Association. The president of Appalachian’s Alumni Council and chairs of the Faculty Senate and Staff Senate serve as ex officio constituency representatives to the board.

Learn more

About Appalachian’s Board of Trustees

The Appalachian State University Board of Trustees is a 13-member body that promotes the development of the institution within the functions prescribed by the UNC Board of Governors. The board serves as advisor to the Board of Governors on matters pertaining to the university and also serves as advisor to the chancellor concerning the management and development of Appalachian. The powers and duties of the Board of Trustees are primarily defined and delegated by the Board of Governors. Individuals are appointed to four-year terms by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the UNC Board of Governors. Included as a voting member of the board is the president of Appalachian’s Student Government Association. The president of Appalachian’s Alumni Council and chairs of the Faculty Senate and Staff Senate serve as ex officio constituency representatives to the board. Learn more at http://chancellor.appstate.edu/bot.

About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, cost-effective education. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.

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Appalachian Today is an online publication of Appalachian State University. This website consolidates university news, feature stories, events, photo galleries, videos and podcasts.

If you cannot find what you're looking for here, please refer to the following sources:

  • Podcasts may be found at Appalachian State University Podcasts
  • Stories and press releases published prior to Jan. 1, 2015 may be found in University Communications Records at the Special Collections Research Center.
  • A university-wide Google Calendar may be found at Events at Appalachian

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Archives

Appalachian Today is an online publication of Appalachian State University. This website consolidates university news, feature stories, events, photo galleries, videos and podcasts.

If you cannot find what you're looking for here, please refer to the following sources:

  • Podcasts may be found at Appalachian State University Podcasts
  • Stories and press releases published prior to Jan. 1, 2015 may be found in University Communications Records at the Special Collections Research Center.
  • A university-wide Google Calendar may be found at Events at Appalachian
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