On April 1, 2022, United Way of the Piedmont welcomed seven new members to its Board of Directors. These corporate and community leaders from Spartanburg, Cherokee, and Union Counties join 27 other diverse members of United Way's volunteer board.

United Way of the Piedmont welcomes the following new members to the 2022-2023 Board of Directors:



Parkes B. Coggins, MHA 

Vice President Cardiac Services and Operations

Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System

Parkes is currently the vice president of cardiac services and operations at Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System and has served in that role since June of 2020. Prior to this role, he was the vice president of hospital integration, responsible for integration activities related to the acquisition of Mary Black Health System by Spartanburg Regional, on January 1st, 2019. Prior to the acquisition, Parkes was the chief executive officer of Mary Black Health System Spartanburg and held the same position at Carolinas Hospital System Marion (now Marion Medical Center) between 2015 and 2018. Parkes held other positions including chief operating officer and assistant chief executive officer at other CHS and HMA affiliated hospitals since 2007. 

Parkes received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Newberry College and a Master of Health Administration from the Medical University of South Carolina. Parkes resides in Spartanburg with his wife, Meredith, and three children, Hannah (6), Browning (4), and Grady (8 months). 

Kurt Dallas

President Product Solutions

AFL

Kurt Dallas, President of AFL Product Solutions, leads global product-based businesses and is responsible for driving strategies for growth and delivering an enhanced customer experience. Kurt began his career with AFL in 1991 as senior applications engineer and advanced into technical management, project management and product development. In 2007, he assumed responsibility for AFL’s cable business and by 2015 started managing AFL’s connectivity business. By 2017, Kurt was named executive vice president of AFL’s cable, connectivity, and equipment businesses, managing a large portfolio of products. During his career with AFL, he has led multiple U.S. and international manufacturing operations and sales in the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, and Mexico plus the equipment businesses in North America. Kurt also serves on AFL’s Board of Directors. Kurt is a graduate of Memphis State where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and holds a Master of Science in Engineering Management from the University of Tennessee. He is active with SWITCH and Set Free, plus organizations focused on cancer research and prevention, and he volunteers with Hands on Greenville, Habitat for Humanity and the International Justice Mission. Kurt has been married for 33 years and has two children plus one grandchild. He attends Fellowship Greenville and in his spare time, he enjoys golfing, boating, traveling, and spending time with his family.

Dana Gottman

Chief Human Resource Officer

AFL

Dana graduated from Missouri State University in Springfield, MO with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications, with an emphasis on Public Relations. Her first job, post-college, was at JP Morgan Chase Bank in their Springfield, MO call center. Eventually life led her to Spartanburg, where she began working for American Credit Acceptance (ACA) as a Talent Acquisition Manager in 2011. Over the course of almost 12 years, she had the opportunity to work in other parts of HR and is now the Chief Human Resource Officer for ACA.  Dana met her husband, Maxwell, while attending Missouri State University. His work brought them to Spartanburg in late 2010 where they worked together for several years at ACA before starting a family in 2013. They have two children, Elliott (8) and Zoey (5). 

Angela Halstead 

Vice President and Broker in Charge

Coldwell Banker Caine

As Vice President and Broker in Charge of Coldwell Banker Caine in Spartanburg and Broker in Charge of the Caine Referral Company, Angela considers it a privilege to hep agents reach their full potential in real estate and in life. In her previous 22-year career at Milliken & Co., she held a variety of positions including roles in sales and marketing, which eventually led to her position as the Global Sales Process Leader for her division. Her experience in training and guidance for sales teams around the world directly translates into her role as a broker today.  As a support system for the agents, she challenges them to find innovative ways to grow their business. Beginning her real estate career as a commercial sales agent, she has now found her calling as a residential broker in charge at Caine. Angela is married to her husband, Clifford, and enjoys being a mother to their two beautiful children. She also volunteers in the community. Currently, she serves as the President of the Board of Trustees for Ballet Spartanburg, and the immediate past President of the MLS Board of Directors for the Spartanburg Association of Realtors. She also serves on the CHEAC committee for Spartanburg District 7 Schools and is an active member of the Episcopal Church of the Advent.

Bennie Harris

Chancellor

USC Upstate

Bennie L. Harris, Ph.D., serves as USC Upstate’s seventh chancellor, where he fulfills his purpose to inspire and develop young people to change the world. He believes higher education offers opportunities for people to experience possibilities and achieve their greatest aspirations. Before his appointment at USC Upstate, Dr. Harris served as senior vice president for Institutional Advancement at the Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) in Atlanta, Georgia, beginning in 2014. At MSM, Dr. Harris co-chaired the institution’s five-year strategic plan and served as a critical member in developing the school’s Leadership Academy, a program designed to promote leadership among faculty and staff. He dramatically impacted the school’s fundraising outcomes, launching a $225 million comprehensive campaign and growing fundraising income to $235 million over seven years. In addition, MSM has received $177,309,691 in funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) since 2015. Dr. Harris previously served in leadership positions at Lipscomb University, DePaul University, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and Washington State University. Since moving to the Upstate of South Carolina, Dr. Harris has been appointed to serve on the boards of several civic organizations, including the Spartanburg Academic Movement, Ten at the Top, OneSpartanburg, The Charles Lea Center Administrative Board, United Way of the Piedmont, the Franklin School, NCAA Big South Conference. He is also a member of the Greenville Chamber of Commerce Accelerate Steering Committee. A native of Rosedale, Mississippi, Dr. Harris earned a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial engineering from Mississippi State University, a Master of Business Administration from Washington State University, and a Ph.D. in educational leadership from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He is married to his college sweetheart, Frankie A. Harris, and together they have three adult children, Bria, Bennie II, and Branden. 

Frannie Stockwell 

Executive Director

Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce

Frannie is the Executive Director of the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce. She is involved in the community and participates as a board member for United Way of Piedmont, Ten at the Top, Crimestoppers, Rise Against Drugs and Alcohol, Institute of Innovation Advisory Board, the Clemson Extension, and is a member of Rotary International. Frannie is married to Greg Stockwell and has three children, Emily, Erica, and Dylan.

Timika Wilson 

Co-Lead

Union County Community Remembrance Project

LTC (Ret) Timika M. Wilson was born in Frankfurt, Germany. A 1992 graduate of Union High School, she was commissioned into the United States Army in August 1997 from the Clemson University Army ROTC program. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Ceramic Engineering. She is a graduate of the Engineer Officer Basic Course, Engineer Captain’s Career Course, United States Army Recruiters School, Fort Jackson, South Carolina, and Combined Armed Services and Staff College. She has a Master's in Engineering Management from Missouri University of Science & Technology.

Timika has served in a multitude of leadership positions at every echelon from tactical to strategic in various Army Major Commands from FORSCOM to TRADOC. This service includes four combat tour deployments in support of Iraq and Afghanistan as an Engineer Planner and Construction Management Action Officer providing oversight and administrative support for military construction projects to help rebuild Afghanistan infrastructure, facilitate housing for troops across Afghanistan, and master plan entire basecamps in a contingency environment. As Deputy Commander at the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Jacksonville District, she provided emergency support operations expertise at the Florida State Emergency Operations Center coordinating USACE resources, funding, and personnel response for three Hurricanes including Blue Roof missions for temporary roof replacement and mobile unit support for on ground USACE assets. With this diverse experience, Timika has developed the managerial, leadership, and training skills required of an adaptive and dynamic individual ready and able to support the mission in any situation. She retired in 2018 and committed to continuing her service. She is the Union County Democratic Party Chair focused on “Voter Registration, Education & Participation” growing the party from 81 to 391 active members, the Equal Justice Initiative endorsed Union County Community Remembrance Project Co-Lead that facilitated the UCCRP JUNETEENTH Remembrance & Celebration in 2021 on the day of the holiday’s Federal recognition, Union County Vision Council, Board Member and Special Projects Committee Chair for the L.W. Long Community Resource Center raising over $40K for the historic Union Community Hospital renovation and rehabilitation, Spartanburg Community College Union Campus Advisory Committee, Union County Chamber of Commerce – Individual member, and WeGoJA Foundation Board of Director. She is an active member of Eta Sigma Sigma Greenville Alumnae Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. (Divine 9) serving as the National Programs & Local Community Service Committee Chair that facilitated Operation Big Bookbag at the Upstate Circle of Friends providing over one hundred bookbags, new books, builder kits and pencil sets to young students. She is the Undergraduate Chapter Advisor for Mu Psi Chapter at Clemson University and the 81st Southeastern Region Conference Undergraduate Advisor of the Year 2021 while serving as UCA for both Mu Psi and Nu Chi Chapters at Clemson University and Lander University, respectively. She is a Union, It's Time We Talk Podcast Panelist responsible for programming and booking guests with an audience of over 1,100. She also volunteers as a leader or member for several other local organizations to assist and inform residents of Union County, SC for a better Union. Timika M. Wilson resides in Santuc, SC with her parents, Sergeant First Class Retired, Leon and Peggy Wilson who were born in Santuc and Carlisle, respectively. Timika learned her servant leader principles from her parents and is committed to continuing that tradition. 

For more information about United Way's Board of Directors, please visit: uwpiedmont.org/boardofdirectors.