Converse University Announces 2026-2027 Trustees
Converse University is pleased to welcome 4 new members to its esteemed Board of Trustees:
- Walter Goldsmith
- Nakia Martin Alexander ’97
- Cary Perkins ’96, Ex Oficio
- Anne Richardson Seabrook ’82
Walter Goldsmith
Walter Goldsmith, based in Charlotte, North Carolina, is the CEO of First Tryon Advisors, a financial advisory firm that supports local governments, colleges and universities, K–12 schools, and not-for-profits. His firm has supported more than 60 colleges and universities throughout the Southeast, helping them finance projects including academic buildings, housing and dining facilities, and athletic venues.
Goldsmith grew up in Greenville, SC and he is a 1997 graduate of Clemson University, Goldsmith’s family legacy with Converse runs deep — his wife, Cindy Greene Goldsmith, is a 1996 Converse graduate. His mother, Harriet Messer Goldsmith is a 1969 Converse graduate, and his grandmother, Martha Elizabeth Anderson Goldsmith was a 1936 Converse graduate.
Nakia Martin Alexander ’97
Nakia Martin Alexander ’97 is a distinguished federal law enforcement, fraud, and compliance executive who currently serves as the Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office.
Through her appointment to the Board of Trustees, Alexander brings to Converse a wealth of executive leadership experience, strategic insight, and a longstanding commitment to advancing the University’s legacy, mission, and future growth.
Throughout her career, she has earned recognition for her expertise in strategic leadership, organizational management, public corruption and procurement fraud investigations, policy development, and workforce mentoring.
Alexander earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a minor in English from Converse in 1997, a Master of Criminal Justice from the University of South Carolina, and a Master of Public Policy Management from Georgetown University. She is currently pursuing an executive leadership coaching certification through Georgetown University’s Transformational Leadership Coaching Program.
A committed civil servant, advocate for leadership development, and service, Alexander previously served on the Converse Alumni Association Board, was the Spring 2018 featured speaker for Converse’s “Women in Leadership Speaker Series,” and is the recipient of the 2018 Converse College Distinguished Alumnae Career Achievement
Award.
Alexander has been married to her beloved husband Freddie for 22 years, and they are the proud parents of Lucy-O’Neal, their 7-year-old French bulldog.
Cary Perkins ’96
Cary graduated from Converse in 1996 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and went on to receive a Master of Architecture from Clemson University.
A licensed architect and partner with McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture (MPS), Cary has specific expertise in strategic campus planning and the design of long-life buildings on K-12 and college and university campuses. Her work has been recognized with design awards from the American Institute of Architects and the Association for Learning Environments, including Hartness Performing Arts Center at Christ Church Episcopal School and Rosalind S. Richardson Center for the Arts at Wofford College.
Holding special significance, the renovation of Cudd Hall at Converse was recognized as the Best Small Project in the Southeast by Engineering News- Record (ENR).
Cary currently serves as Executive Director of Design for MPS. As a member of the firm’s senior management team, she provides leadership in design process and strategy, supporting the delivery of high-quality, innovative projects born of a collaborative culture shared by over 500 team members across 11 studio locations.
Anne Richardson Seabrook ’82
Anne Richardson Seabrook ’82 is a dedicated alumna and longtime volunteer leader whose commitment to Converse University spans more than four decades.
A member of the Class of 1982, she triple majored in Accounting, French, and Economics. After graduation, she embarked on a diverse professional career that included teaching English in a public high school in Paris, working in accounting at Michelin’s corporate office in Greenville, and serving as a Certified Public Accountant with Ernst & Whinney in Columbia.
Seabrook has remained actively engaged with Converse through volunteer leadership, serving on both the Alumnae Board and the Board of Visitors. Her family’s connection to Converse spans multiple generations. Her cousin, Anna Wimberly Pierce ’92, is a graduate of Converse; while her mother, Elizabeth Nelson Richardson, her sister, Deans Richardson Fawcett, and her aunt, Carolyn Nelson Wimberly, also attended Converse.
After the birth of her third child, Seabrook devoted herself to volunteer service while supporting her husband, Dr. March Seabrook, throughout his medical career and leadership roles and raising their family.
She has been deeply involved at Eastminster Presbyterian Church, where she has held the offices of Deacon and Elder and currently serves as Clerk of Session. Anne has also been active in global missions, participating in three mission trips to Haiti and another to Brazil. Anne and March share a love of travel and have explored all the continents together.
She enjoys spending time with her seven grandchildren and remains deeply committed to the values of service, leadership, and lifelong engagement that have shaped her relationship with Converse University.
Departing Trustees
Converse University and its Board of Trustees extend a heartfelt thank you to the following members departing from the Board:
- Stinson Woodward Ferguson ’07
- Angelia (Angie) Kerhulas Stanland ’86
- Karla Jones ’85
These members, who will join the vaulted ranks of our Trustees Emeritus, have served Converse with distinction and our campus community will remain forever grateful for the vision and passion that you have selflessly shared for Converse.