New Administrative Positions for Seven Women in Higher Education

Melody Hunter-Pillion has been named director of marketing and communications for climate and sustainability at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. She most recently served as a broadcast correspondent for PBS North Carolina. Earlier in her career, she served as associate director of the Office of Undergraduate Scholars and Fellows at Duke University.

Dr. Hunter-Pillion is a graduate of North Carolina State University where she received her bachelor’s degree in communication and Ph.D. in American studies. She holds a master’s degree in liberal studies from Duke University.

Serena M. Longley has been appointed vice president and general counsel at Barnard College, a women’s school in New York City. She has over a decade of experience practicing law in New York, currently serving as deputy general counsel for the Office of the New York State Attorney General.

Longley completed her undergraduate education at Barnard College where she majored in East Asian languages and cultures. She holds a juris doctorate from the University of California San Francisco.

Charmaine A. Whyte has been named the inaugural director of the Office of Online Advising and Student Success at Delaware State University. She previously served the university as an assistant director of student services.

Whyte holds a master of business administration degree.

Jo Ann Herold has been appointed interim vice president for public relations and marketing communications at Georgia State University, where she teaches strategic marketing in the J. Mack Robinson College of Business. She previously served as chief marketing office for The Honey Baked Ham Company, global chief marketing officer for Interface Inc., and vice president for brand and communication at Arby’s Restaurant group.

Herold is a graduate of Mississippi State University where she majored in communication. She holds a master of business administration degree in international business from Mercer University in Georgia.

Desiree Wineland has been named senior advisor for strategic initiatives at the University of Nebraska Omaha. She served in the United States Army for over two decades, serving as a commander, aviation-test pilot, and congressional fellow. After her military service, she founded American Butchers LLC and currently serves as the organization’s chief executive officer.

Wineland holds a master’s degree in international business from St. Mary’s University in Texas.

Tina Zuniga has been named the inaugural program planning officer for assessment in the division of student affairs at the University of New Mexico. She has held student affairs positions with the university for the past eight years, currently serving as program planning officer for online programs.

Dr. Zuniga is a graduate of Fort Lewis College in Colorado where she double-majored in sociology and human sciences. She holds a master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of New Mexico and a Ph.D. in educational leadership and administration from New Mexico State University.

Shannon Swimmer has been appointed director of the Cherokee Center at Western Carolina University. She has worked in tribal law for the past decade, most recently serving as a judge in the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians tribal court.

Swimmer received her bachelor’s degree in English and juris doctorate from the University of Kansas and her master’s degree in human resource management from Western Carolina University.