At present, the Cabinet is comprised of the following individuals and their roles:
Damián J. Fernández, Ph.D.
President
The President serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the College with responsibility for ensuring the success of the institution’s mission, enrollment growth and management, academic integrity, fiscal stability, fundraising, personnel, and physical plant management. The President provides vision and strategic leadership to college operations and engages the governing board, faculty, staff, and students in realizing the future of the College’s extraordinary potential. The President acts as a mentor for vice presidents, faculty, and staff, collaborates on strategic issues impacting the college, and serves as the decision-maker for all aspects of campus operations, policies, practices, and activities.
Dr. Damián J. Fernández is currently serving as President. He assumed the presidency June 1, 2023. A Cuban immigrant who grew up in Puerto Rico and a first-generation college student, Fernández comes to Warren Wilson with more than 30 years of experience in teaching and leadership positions at both private and public institutions. Most recently, he served as President of Eckerd College.
Fernández received his bachelor’s from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University, master’s in Latin American Studies from the University of Florida, and Ph.D. in International Relations from the University of Miami. He is a National Science Foundation grant recipient, and he sat on the Board of the American Council on Education (ACE) and on the Association of Governing Boards Council of Presidents.
Jay Roberts, Ph.D.
Provost & Dean of the Faculty
The Provost and Dean of the Faculty has oversight over Academic Affairs (all academic programs and degrees, faculty recruitment and evaluation, faculty development, curriculum standards and accreditation, student success offices, the library, careers and internships, land resources, and international education); Student Life (all Counseling and Wellness Centers, the Chaplain and Center for Spiritual Life), the Work Program, International Education, and Career Services. The combination of Provost and Dean signifies a special responsibility and relationship with the academic faculty and the academic mission. This role is also responsible for strategic planning and implementation of initiatives to further integrate the principal components of a Warren Wilson education (academic, community engagement, and work) in both design and function.
Roberts joined Warren Wilson College in June 2020 as Vice President of Academic Affairs and, as of July 1, 2021, transitioned to Provost and Dean of the Faculty. Previously, Roberts spent 20 years at Earlham College as a Professor of Education and Environmental Studies, serving 7 years as the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs. Roberts is a 2019-20 Fellow with the American Council on Education [ACE] and serves on the Editorial Board for the Journal of Experiential Education. Roberts is a noted authority on experiential learning, publishing multiple articles and books on the subject. He holds a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Miami University, a Master of Education from University of Virginia, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology and Environmental Studies from Lawrence University.
Valerie Gliem
Vice President for Institutional Advancement, Marketing, and Strategic Communications
The Vice President has oversight of the philanthropic and communications functions of the College. She and her team design and implement annual and multi-year fundraising campaigns, and articulate and promote the unique brand and value proposition of the College to prospective and current students, their families, faculty, staff, alumni and friends. The team uses fundraising, creative and brand management, messaging, communications integration, and market analysis to advance the mission of Warren Wilson College.
Gliem joined Warren Wilson College on June 1, 2023. With more than 23 years of experience in advancement, marketing, communications and executive Board support, she brings broad knowledge and understanding of the shifting higher education landscape, and a successful track record of creating and implementing tactics to support enrollment and fundraising growth.
Previously she served as Vice President for Communications and Administration and Secretary of the College at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida. A first-generation college graduate, Gliem earned a bachelor of arts in journalism, a bachelor of science in wildlife and fisheries science, and an MBA from Penn State University.
Gilbert Hinga, Psy.D.
Vice President for Student Engagement & Dean of Students
The Vice President for Student Engagement & Dean of Students reports to the President and is charged with maximizing student engagement, particularly outside the classroom. He has oversight of the Divisions of Student Life and Athletics, including Counseling Center, Health Center, Wellness initiatives, Residence Life, Spiritual Life, Student Conduct, Orientation, First Year Experience programs, and Student organizations, including Student Government. He oversees the Associate Dean of Students who serves as the Title IX Coordinator.
He has served in various roles in both private and public institutions. His most recent leadership roles were in the Registry for College & University Presidents where he served at Trinity University in San Antonio, TX, and at Brandeis University in Boston, MA. Prior to this, he served as Chief Student Affairs Officer at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, in Kearney, NE.
Gilbert joined WWC in June 2024, which marks over 35 years in Higher Education. He is driven and passionate about student engagement and in promoting access, success and student- centered inclusive learning milieus. Gilbert was born in Kenya and is a first-generation alum of Warren Wilson, class of 1989, with a baccalaureate degree in psychology. He received his Psy. D. degree from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio.
Joseph Riquelme
Interim Vice President for Enrollment Management
As the Interim Vice President for Enrollment Management at Warren Wilson College, Joseph Riquelme is tasked with recruiting undergraduate students who exhibit strong academic potential, personal integrity, and a deep alignment with the College’s mission. His role encompasses leadership over both Admissions and Financial Aid, ensuring that the College attracts and supports a diverse and capable student body.
In August 2024 Joseph Riquelme joined Warren Wilson College. Joseph’s career is marked by his innovative approach to transforming enrollment processes and implementing cutting-edge technologies. At FIU, he spearheaded the implementation of Salesforce CRM, enhancing the university’s recruitment capabilities. Joseph was instrumental in building the FIU Online Contact Center, which played a pivotal role in achieving an enrollment growth of over 300%. His leadership in this area has set the bar for student engagement and service excellence.
As the first Vice Provost & Chief Online Officer at American University, his leadership and vision led to the expansion of services, infrastructure improvements, and the development of new programs. Indeed one of Joseph’s strengths is program development, having helped universities launch over 100 new degree programs. His expertise in designing and optimizing recruitment processes has provided prospective and existing students with a high-touch, high-tech quality experience, ensuring that institutions remain competitive in an evolving educational landscape.
M. Z. Yehudah, Ph.D.
Dean of Inclusive Excellence
The Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Initiatives is responsible for guiding the efforts to conceptualize, define, assess, nurture, and cultivate diversity as an institutional and educational resource. The Director for DEI Initiatives leads in the development and implementation of proactive diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in support of the College’s strategic plan to create a learning and working environment where all in the campus community have an opportunity to succeed and thrive. This role is designed to lead the College’s effort toward building and sustaining a diverse and culturally vibrant campus.
On August 1, 2023, Yehudah transitioned to his current role as Dean of Inclusive Excellence. He joined Warren Wilson in May 2021 initially as Director of the WIDE Office, and on July 2022 as Director of DEI Initiatives, later joining the Cabinet to bring his leadership and expertise in DEIB to the College as whole. Yehudah’s career in higher education has included more than 18 years of experience and leadership in teaching, researching, mentoring, and practicing in the fields of multicultural affairs, diversity, and social justice. He holds a B.A. in Communication and a M.A. in Africana Studies from the State University of New York at Albany, as well as a Ph.D. of African-American Studies from Temple University.
Amy Frey Ager
Executive Director of Operations and Strategic Ventures
Reporting to the President, the Executive Director oversees the process of analysis and implementation of entrepreneurial activities at the College. The Office of Strategic Ventures partners with local and regional, public and private, for-profit and nonprofit organizations to identify needs and provide services that generate additional revenue for the College. This position has oversight over the Director of Conferences, Print Shop and Mail Services, and the Swannanoa Gathering as well as Facilities and Public Safety. After serving on the Board of Trustees from 2020-23, Ager joined the College on August 16, 2023, in the role of Executive Director.
Ager graduated from Warren Wilson in 2000 with a degree in Environmental Studies with a concentration in Sustainable Agriculture and a Minor in Business. At that time Ager, along with her business partner and husband, Jamie Ager, co-founded the renewal of Hickory Nut Gap Farm into a sustainable livestock, retail sales and agritourism business with a focus on diverse and direct market avenues. The increased interest among their customers in supporting regenerative agricultural practices, and grassfed and pasture raised livestock products, led to an expansion of their offerings and the creation of Hickory Nut Gap Meats in 2007. Hickory Nut Gap Meats sources and harvests grassfed cattle and pasture-raised pigs to distribute into groceries, food service, educational institutions, and direct-door delivery throughout the Southeast and in New York City.
Stephanie Johnson
Director of Human Resources
The Director of Human Resources serves as a strategic partner and advisor for personnel matters at the College, and has oversight of benefit administration, recruitment, performance management, employee relations, compliance and regulatory policies and practices. She and her team manage payroll, benefits enrollment, talent acquisition, and employee engagement efforts.
Johnson joined Warren Wilson College in February of 2016 as an HR Specialist, and was quick to assume progressive levels of responsibility at the College during leadership transitions. She was promoted to HR Business Partner in 2020, then to Assistant Director of Human Resources in 2023, before being appointed as the Director in April 2024.
Johnson brings twenty years of experience in the non-profit and higher education sectors. Prior to her time at Warren Wilson, Johnson was an HR Generalist at Eliada Homes. Before that, she taught in the Human Resource Development department at A-B Technical Community College for more than five years. Johnson holds a B.A. from The Evergreen State College, with an emphasis in Human Services.
Mary Davis
Controller
Mary Davis serves as the Controller at Warren Wilson College, bringing over 35 years of higher education financial experience. She holds an A.A.S degree in accounting from Coastal Carolina Community College and a B.A degree in business administration from Warren Wilson College. In her role, Mary oversees the day-to-day financial aspects of the College including financial reporting, financial statement preparation, analysis, accounts payable, student accounts, budgeting, endowment accounting, fixed assets, the annual audit, and collaborating across campus to both monitor and steward financial transactions.
Mary’s commitment to excellence in financial oversight is further demonstrated by her 2003 completion of the College Business Management Institute (CBMI) program, held at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. She has engaged in her community by serving Manna Food Bank in several capacities during the past seven years. That service includes the Board of Directors, the Finance and Audit Committees, and as Treasurer.
Throughout her career, Mary has been instrumental in managing and optimizing the financial operations at Warren Wilson College, ensuring that the institution remains fiscally sound and capable of supporting its educational mission. Her extensive experience and deep connection to the college community make her a critical contributor to the institution’s success. In addition, Mary is a proud native of this beautiful area and mom to farm crew alum, Lola the donkey.
