ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA – Three Winthrop University alumni are running for one of the two alumni-elected seats on Winthrop’s Board of Trustees. The candidate who receives the most votes will serve a six-year term from 2022-28.
Winthrop alumni will have a unique opportunity to hear from the candidates. All three will participate in a Facebook Live session via the Winthrop Alumni Association page on Thursday, Nov. 11, at 7 p.m., where they plan to answer live and submitted questions and share some insights into why they are running.
The three alumni candidates are:
Alison Hamilton ’92, ’95:
Alison Jean Hamilton ’92, ’95, earned her B.S. in business administration with an
option in economics and her M.B.A. at Winthrop. As a Winthrop student, she attended
a summer course at the Université de Caen in France. She is a financial advisor, working
with her father, Haden, and a business finance teaching associate at Coastal Carolina
University. Originally from Charlotte, North Carolina, Hamilton lived in Rock Hill
for 20 years before moving to North Myrtle Beach in 2005, where she is one of the
Alumni Chapter Leaders for the Winthrop Alumni Association Myrtle Beach Alumni Chapter.
Hamilton is a member of the Winthrop Women’s Coalition and the D.B. Johnson Society. She often travels to Winthrop for Homecoming, reunions, sporting events, etc. She proudly wears her garnet and gold on Fridays in support of Winthrop.
David McDonald ’01:
David McDonald ’01 earned his B.A. in history and secondary education at Winthrop.
A native of Lancaster, McDonald has lived in Greenville since 2013 where he serves
as assistant superintendent for school leadership for Greenville County Schools. Prior
to serving in that role, he served as a classroom teacher, assistant principal and
principal in the Lancaster County School District.
McDonald began his Winthrop journey as a first generation college student in the fall of 1997. He served as an Orientation Leader, Peer Mentor, Resident Assistant, on the Student Government Association and held other student leadership roles. He was recognized for his service as a student to Winthrop in 2001 with the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award. Since becoming an alumnus, McDonald has served Winthrop as a volunteer in numerous capacities including the Young Alumni Council, Annual Fund Loyalty Council, Winthrop Alumni Admissions Volunteer, Winthrop University Foundation Board and Executive Committee, Winthrop Real Estate Foundation Board and as a longtime member of the Winthrop Alumni Executive Board where he served as secretary, first vice president and president for two terms.
Winthrop has often invited McDonald back to campus to serve as a guest speaker at programs and classes. In 2011, he had the opportunity to serve as the keynote speaker at Convocation. He has presented to numerous groups in the Richard W. Riley College of Education and other campus groups. Winthrop awarded McDonald the Outstanding Young Alumni Award in 2008 and again recognized him for his service in 2019 with the Winthrop Alumni Distinguished Service Award.
Endee Tate ’21:
Endee Tate earned her B.S. in psychology at Arkansas State University in 1988 and
her M.B.A. at Winthrop in 2021. She has worked in the financial industry for 30+ years.
Tate is a senior vice president of analytics, modeling & insights at Bank of America.
She is a prominent volunteer within the Boyd Hill community in Rock Hill and an active board member on the Coleman, Gordon, & M.C. Moore Scholarship Board, which is dedicated to providing financial support to students pursuing a secondary education. She has also served on the Boyd Hill Baptist Church Child Care Center Board in two roles: president and secretary. She is a statewide contributor with her activism and volunteer engagement with extensive collaboration with Sistercare and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), both in Columbia.
Tate empowers and educates through her key role on Sistercare’s speakers’ bureau and community outreach, aimed to increase awareness of and education on domestic violence. Her NAACP volunteer role continues to evolve with changing times, with her current focus directed to redistricting and work equality. Tate embraces opportunities to inspire and influence change as a leader. Aligned with her professional career, she holds active roles on the Diversity & Inclusion Business Council, Black Professional Group, and the Charlotte chapter of Leadership, Education, Advocacy & Development (LEAD) for Women. Along with mentoring college students and interns entering the workforce, Tate has facilitated multiple speaking engagements at market research conferences. She holds certifications in Qualitative Research, Ideation Facilitation and Training Coordinator.
Visit the Alumni Candidate website to read the candidates’ bios and view their video statements.
All Winthrop alumni are able to vote for their candidate of choice by using their seven-digit alumni ID number, which will be shared via the fall Winthrop Magazine, e-mail and mailed postcard. Voting begins on Monday, Jan. 24, 2022, and ends on Friday, Feb. 25, 2022. All alumni may vote online or request a paper ballot by contacting the Office of Alumni Relations at 803/323-2145.
