Furman Board of Trustees adds five new members

Two board members joined the ranks of trustees emeriti

The Furman University Board of Trustees welcomed several new, returning and emeritus trustees during its Fall 2024 meeting.

The board, which meets three times each year, is responsible for providing governance and oversight of Furman University and for identifying, deliberating and acting upon matters of strategic importance to the university’s well-being and successful achievement of its mission and goals.

Fall 2024 Board of Trustees group photo taken on Friday, October 25, 2024.

Five new trustees have joined the board:

Christina Henderson is a 2008 Furman graduate with a degree in political science. She has a master’s degree in public affairs from Princeton. She is a co-founder of the Black Women’s Congressional Alliance and is an at-large member of the Council of the District of Columbia. She previously was a legislative assistant for Senator Chuck Schumer, and she worked for the New York City Department of Education. She and her family live in Petworth in Washington, D.C.

David May is a 1989 graduate of Furman and was a member of the men’s soccer team. He currently is president of Koch Investment Management and vice president of Koch Industries Inc. He previously was treasurer for Koch Industries. Before joining Koch in 2005, May worked for Bank of America. His wife Susan is also a 1989 Furman graduate. They live in Wichita, Kansas, and have three children, Emery ’19, Riley and Wyatt.

Denton McLane is chairman of McLane Group and manages McLane Global in the Greater Birmingham, Alabama, area. Previously, he worked in professional sports for the Nashville Predators and the Houston Astros. He also worked for his family’s international businesses in Europe. McLane has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Baylor University and a master’s in economics from the University of Alabama. His son Jefferson McLane ’26 is a Furman student.

Lisa Rust is a 1987 graduate of Furman. A resident of Lumberton, North Carolina, she is a minister and director of the Rust Family Foundation. Rust and her husband Kenneth owned McDonald’s franchises in North Carolina for 30 years before retiring earlier this year. Rust has a master’s degree in faith and leadership formation from Campbell University Divinity School. Rust’s father, Robert Lee, is a 1958 Furman graduate. Her sons James ’11 and Jordan ’13 and daughter-in-law Casey ’13 are also Furman alumni.

Steve Spinks of Greenville, South Carolina, is the chief executive officer of The Spinx Company, overseeing Spinx, Ace Energy and Spinx Transportation. He previously held many positions within the company, including president, chief financial officer, controller, territory manager and store manager. Spinks has a bachelor’s degree from Rhodes College and a master’s degree from Duke University.

The five new trustees will each serve a three-year term. Each trustee is eligible to be re-elected by the full board for a total of four terms. After serving four terms, a trustee may be elected to return for a lifetime emeritus appointment.

Two board members have joined the ranks of trustees emeriti. Robert Hill, a 1983 graduate of Furman, is retired chief executive officer of Acosta Inc., and John Yates is chair of the technology practice and co-chair of Morris, Manning and Martin LLP, an Atlanta-based law firm.

For more information, please contact Clinton Colmenares at 919-548-6493.