On August 1, 2022, Ferrum College will welcome Sarah H. Bowman, JD, to the campus community as associate vice president for Institutional Advancement. In her new role, Bowman will provide leadership, direction, and coordination for internal and external communications, marketing, alumni relations, and special programs and events for the institution.

An Alleghany County native and graduate of Covington High School, Bowman received her Bachelor of Arts in history and English from the University of Virginia in 2003 and her Juris Doctor from Campbell University in 2007. Her career has been rich with experience in the legal profession, sales and marketing, recruitment, and advancement in a variety of settings including corporate, educational, and nonprofit organizations. As a professor, she also enjoys working with students in the classroom introducing them to basic legal concepts, guiding ethical discussions, and encouraging them to be engaged with the political process. 

Bowman was most recently employed by Campbell University’s School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lillington, North Carolina, where she served as executive director of External Affairs and Alumni Engagement since 2020. Previously held positions at the school include director of Alumni Engagement and Health Policy beginning in 2017 and director of Marketing and Communications beginning in 2014.

Growing up in the Roanoke Valley, Bowman knows the value and legacy of Ferrum College to the region. She looks forward to working with the dedicated and experienced Institutional Advancement team to amplify the Ferrum College brand, tell its stories, and increase affinity among all constituencies. “My office will partner with institutional leadership to develop advancement strategies and lead a team that works collaboratively with students, alumni, and friends to meet these institutional goals,” she said.

Bowman and her husband, Dr. Andy Bowman, director of Continuing Education and clinical associate professor of Pharmacy Practice for the College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences at Campbell University, are both native Virginians. While Dr. Bowman will continue to serve in his current roles at Campbell University in the immediate future, they are both excited to make their long term home in Franklin County. “I grew up in Alleghany County and my husband’s family has been part of the agricultural and educational communities of Franklin County for generations. We are very happy to come home to the mountains to be a part of the invaluable service Ferrum College and its alumni provide to Southwest Virginia and beyond,” said Bowman.

On April 1, alumnus Wilson Paine ’07 will take on his new role as vice president of Institutional Advancement at Ferrum College. Paine is no stranger to the campus; since 2009, he has served on Ferrum College’s Board of Trustees and its Alumni Board of Directors in various roles, including president and vice president.

“I’m honored to be joining President Johns and his leadership team during this exciting time at Ferrum College,” Paine remarked. “As a proud alumnus, I look forward to ‘returning home’ and working with a dedicated and talented team of alumni, faculty, staff, and friends to advance Ferrum’s mission and instill a renewed spirit of collaboration and support throughout the Ferrum community.”

“I am pleased Wilson Paine will be joining our administrative team this spring,” President David Johns said in a statement. “All of us are working to position the College for a new and exciting future; Wilson’s strategic thinking, personal integrity, gracious personality, and above all, his love for Ferrum College will make him an excellent partner as we build the relationships and resources necessary to support our students.”

Paine arrives at the institution after substantial public affairs work, most recently as a social investment officer of workforce development and director of strategic partnerships at Stand Together, a community revitalization non-profit based in Arlington, Va.  He was a 2016 participant in the Sorensen Institute Political Leaders program and served as a research assistant for the General Board of Church and Society for the United Nations. Paine founded the “Service for Heroes Charity Open,” a United States Tennis Association-sponsored tennis tournament, that raised funds for veterans and their families and won the 2013 USTA Military Tennis Award.

Paine graduated summa cum laude from Ferrum College with a degree in history and holds a masters in theological studies from Harvard University. While at Ferrum College, he studied abroad at Imperial College in London, England; at Beijing Normal University in Beijing, China; and at Southern African Wildlife College in Kruger National Park, South Africa. As a student, Paine was also named First Team Academic All-American by ESPN, The Magazine and a National Scholar Athlete by Intercollegiate Tennis Association. He has received the Arthur S. Owen’s Leadership Award; the Don Scalf Award for USA South Conference Student Athlete; and the President’s Cup Award for Best Scholar-Athlete.

“Ferrum College played a transformative role in shaping my own personal, professional, spiritual, and intellectual growth, and paved the road that guided me well beyond my four years as a student,” said Paine, who looks forward to furthering the mission of the institution that gave him so much.

Read more about Paine in The Roanoke Times article here.