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University News

UNC-Chapel Hill trustees honor three with prestigious Davie Awards

Established by the trustees in 1984, the William Richardson Davie Award recognizes extraordinary service to the University or society.

Looking up at the bell tower
(Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)

On Nov. 19, Interim Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Board of Trustees presented the board’s highest honor to three individuals who exemplify dedication, commitment and service to the University.

The three recipients of the 2019 William Richardson Davie Award are Kel Landis III of Raleigh, James Arthur “Art” Pope of Raleigh and Teresa Holland Williams of Huntersville.

Established by the trustees in 1984, the William Richardson Davie Award was named for the Revolutionary War hero who introduced and won passage of a 1789 bill in the General Assembly to charter the University of North Carolina. Named for the man considered the father of UNC-Chapel Hill, the William Richardson Davie Award recognizes extraordinary service to the University or society.

  • Kel Landis III ’79, ’82 (MBA) earned a bachelor’s degree and an MBA from Carolina. He served as a University trustee from 2012 to 2013, as chair of the UNC Board of Visitors and as a member of the UNC Foundation’s Board of Directors. He was an adjunct professor of finance at the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, chaired the school’s board of advisors and served as a trustee for the Frank Hawkins Kenan Institute for Private Enterprise. A former CEO of RBC Centura Bank, Landis served as senior advisor for business and economic affairs for North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley. Landis’ philanthropic support of the University spans across campus, including Kenan-Flagler Business School, student financial aid and research initiatives in the UNC School of Medicine. His contributions to public higher education in the state extend beyond Carolina: he is a trustee of Elizabeth City State University. He is a board member for the North Carolina Community Foundation, which provides support for community foundations across the state. Landis currently serves as a member of the Board of Advisors for the Medical Foundation of North Carolina. Landis is a co-founder and active in Plexus Capital, the largest privately-held small business investment company fund complex in the U.S. Plexus makes investments across the country, having invested over $1 billion in small to medium-sized businesses for growth capital.
  • James Arthur “Art” Pope ’78 earned a bachelor’s degree with honors from UNC-Chapel Hill and also holds a law degree from Duke University. He served as special counsel to North Carolina Gov. Jim Martin and as the state budget director. Pope was elected to four terms as a North Carolina state representative. He is chairman of the John William Pope Foundation, which he co-founded with his late father, John. To date, the foundation has given more than $170 million to support public policy, education, arts and humanitarian nonprofit efforts. In 2018, the foundation committed $10 million to UNC-Chapel Hill for the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center; the Philosophy, Politics and Economics Program in the College of Arts & Sciences; men’s and women’s track-and-field scholarships; and a research study at UNC Horizons designed to help more women and children break the cycle of addiction and poverty. He currently chairs the board of directors for both the Institute for Humane Studies at George Mason University and the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation. He is chairman and owner of Variety Wholesales, Inc., and its Roses Stores. The company employs more than 7,000 people and serves millions of customers in over 360 communities.
  • Teresa Holland Williams ’77 earned her bachelor’s degrees in psychology and sociology from Carolina and chaired the GAA’s Board of Directors and the Board of Trustees for Western Carolina University. Williams also served on the Board of Education for Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools. Previously, she served on the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee for the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History. She was awarded the UNC General Alumni Association Distinguished Service Award in 2018. Her other honors include the Western Carolina University Distinguished Service Award, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Volunteer of the Year Award and the Chapel Hill Service League Lifetime Membership Award. She is a founding member of the GAA’s Light on the Hill Society, which funds scholarships to support academically gifted African American students attending Carolina. Williams currently serves as a Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center Board of Visitors member. She promotes public higher education across the state as a member of the Board of Directors for Higher Education Works, a bipartisan organization that advocates for investment in North Carolina’s public universities and community colleges by building support among citizens and engaging leaders.