THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, April 29, 1995 TAG: 9504290357
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY PERRY PARKS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ELIZABETH CITY LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines
Elizabeth City State University administrators worked again Friday to put their best foot forward for a new board of corporate advisers. And they didn't risk stepping on many toes.
Less than a fourth of the ECSU's Chancellor's Board of Advisors attended its third meeting. But the growing number of popular names on the membership list suggests that the group is making strides.
On hand for the meeting were a few of ECSU's new celebrity friends, including actors Clifton Davis and Whitman Mayo.
Expected but not present at the two and one-half hour meeting was Los Angles Raider Anthony Smith.
The board now boasts a membership of more than 20 business and entertainment leaders and their spouses, based throughout the country.
It was formed early last year by former Vice Chancellor for Development and Planning Charles Tichenor, who called on a range of business contacts to extend ECSU's horizons in the corporate world.
Sharing emcee duties with Chancellor Jimmy R. Jenkins, Davis extolled the virtues of his adopted home.
``I'm very proud to come to a town where the mayor is someone you can walk up to and talk to on the street,'' said Davis, now interim vice chancellor for development and planning.
Davis asked Elizabeth City Mayor H. Rick Gardner and his wife, Lydia, both members of the board, to stand.
``I'm relatively new to this university, but I'm not new to the needs of education in America, particularly the needs of minorities,'' Davis continued.
When he received his offer to join the ECSU staff, ``I felt, well, here's an opportunity to go to where the rubber meets the road.''
In explaining the purpose of the board, Tichenor admonished the members not to take their commitment lightly. He ticked off a list of absent CEOs.
``Seventy-five days ago, I started calling board members'' about Friday's meeting, Tichenor said. ``That's a fair amount of advance notice.''
``This is disappointing,'' he said of the attendance, ``but remember the purpose of this board is much broader than just the meeting.''
Tichenor said that many board members had come to campus for special lectures, which had provided a strong learning experience.
``It's very inspirational for students to listen to a corporate CEO face-to-face,'' Tichenor said.
The afternoon meeting included presentations from academic departments and from students who had benefited from a U.S. Department of Energy internship through the university.
One student, James Cherry, told board members how valuable workplace experience is to students.
``Companies really need to consider giving internships,'' Cherry said. ``Students need to focus on getting their foot in the door. It's really all about networking.''
Jenkins' presentation was similar to one he made Wednesday to the Elizabeth City Area Chamber of Commerce.
Highlighting the school's goal of being known as ``The Technology University'' within four years, he asked for help from the members present.
``All of you bring to the table the possibility of helping us . . . to be the catalyst for change in northeastern North Carolina,'' Jenkins said.
Board members were presented with a fat booklet titled ``Inventory of Immediate Needs,'' which contained wish lists worth millions of dollars. Jenkins said he hoped the network established through the board would help lead to funding for some of ECSU's goals. by CNB