The Foundation is guided by a volunteer board of directors appointed by the Gaston College board of trustees. Directors are invited to serve based upon their demonstrated commitment to the mission and values of Gaston College.
Board of Directors
Tim Efird
Gaston College Foundation Vice-President
Chad Melvin
Treasurer
Dr. John Hauser
Gaston College President / Gaston College Foundation Secretary
M'Shel Beam Bowen
Mr. Nazrul Chowdhury
Marty Hallman
John Lowery
Rev. Dr. Joan Martin
Rob Pearson
Carl Stewart
College / Foundation legal counsel
Rosalind Welder
Staff
Luke Upchurch
Luke Serves as the Executive Director of the Gaston College Foundation. He is also responsible for providing leadership, coordination, writing, and technical assistance for grant development and management throughout the College.
He has over ten years of volunteer and professional experience serving educational organizations in the United States as well as international non-governmental organizations. Before coming to Gaston College and the Foundation, Luke worked with Gaston County Schools as a Grant Coordinator and was responsible for the administration of the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) Grant as well as the L.E.A.P. Program. He has a unique background in non-profits holding positions at the Pattanarak Foundation in Bangkok, Thailand where helped to support rural development and micro-financing programs for communities along the Thai-Burma and Thai- Laos border. He earned an M.A. in Counseling from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and a B.A. in History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Luke serves on the board of the Cherryville High School Education Foundation and has volunteered as a grant reviewer for the United Way of Gaston County. He also volunteers with the Catawba Farm and Food Coalition. As an accomplished organist, he has served as a substitute for many churches in the area.
Luke lives in Rock Hill, SC and enjoys traveling, brewing beer, and stand-up paddle boarding.
- Ph: 704.922.8405
- Email: upchurch.luke@gaston.edu
Jerome Connor '15
Jerome is the current coordinator for alumni, events, and programming. He began serving at Gaston College as the Administrative Assistant for the Foundation in March 2019.
He is an alumnus of Gaston College, having graduated in 2015 with an Associate of Arts degree in General Education. In 2017, Jerome graduated magna cum laude from Belmont Abbey College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Educational Studies.
Before coming back to the College to work with the Foundation, Jerome spent 8 years helping support patients going through various mental health crises in his work with Atrium Health in Davidson, NC and New Hope Treatment Center in Rock Hill, SC.
Jerome, his wife, and his daughter are residents of Gastonia, NC. When not working he likes to run, travel, and workout. He also enjoys spending time with his wife, daughter, and two cats.
- Ph: 704.922.6513
- Email: connor.jerome@gaston.edu