Our Bios

Gale H. Arnold is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis (Sociology), and has an M.A. in English Literature from George Washington University. She transferred from the University of Arkansas to William & Mary and attended one semester during her senior year. Arnold is a former corporate secretary and Washington correspondent for the Palmer Media Group. Ms. Arnold also served as the program chairman of Senator Fulbright’s primary campaign. She is a trustee of The Mount, Edith Wharton’s Home and previously served on the W&M Libraries Board of Directors. Originally from Texarkana, AR, she moved to Washington, DC, in the mid-1970s and currently divides her time between Georgetown and Nantucket. Gale established the Gale H. Arnold Special Collections Endowment for British Literature at Swem Library in 2010. Her grandson Saxon Hart is currently a junior at William & Mary.

James Boswell has spent over 30 years working at the intersection of business, law, and government. His public-sector employment includes the Office of General Counsel of the US Department of Health and Human Services, and in the private sector he has been employed in various capacities including Chief Legal Officer.

James is currently an Adjunct Professor of Business Law and Executive Partner at W&M’s Raymond A. Mason School of Business. He graduated from William & Mary in 1986 with a degree in English and Anthropology, and holds a J.D. from the University of Georgia School of Law, a Master’s degree in Government from Harvard University, and a Professional Certificate in Strategic Management from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

As a student at W&M, James worked at Swem Library, and then continued as a regular staff member after graduation. He worked on significant projects including the digitization of the card catalog, the barcoding of the collection, and the reclassification of materials from the Dewey Decimal System to the Library of Congress System.

James and his husband Chris Caracci actively support the Wolf Law Library’s recreation of George Wythe’s library. James and Chris are funding the George Wythe Room itself, and recently created the Boswell-Caracci Acquisition Fund to purchase volumes for the room. The fund has already added several rare volumes to the collection. James and Chris also funded the James Boswell and Christopher Caracci Gallery in the newly expanded Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg.

James is a Planning Commissioner for the City of Williamsburg and sits on the Williamsburg Architectural Review Board. He also serves on the MESDA Advisory Board and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Williamsburg-Peninsula Chapter of the William & Mary Alumni Society. For several years he taught a popular History course for William & Mary’s Christopher Wren Association.

Doug earned his B.A. in Economics while at William & Mary.  He was also a resident advisor, a member of the Order of the White Jacket, and a member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity.    Doug is currently an independent commercial real estate investor. He retired from his corporate career in 2022 after 40+ years’ of diverse experience in the commercial real estate segment of the financial services industry.  He is the chairman of the facilities committee of The Summit County Clubhouse in Park City, UT, a non-profit community organization providing services and support to adults with mental health challenges, and was a board member and president of The Lewisville Retirement Residence in McLean, VA, a non-profit age-restricted/income-restricted independent senior living facility.  

Jamel K. Donnor is a Professor of Education, with affiliate appointments in Arts & Sciences and William & Mary Law School. His areas of expertise include education policy and law, race and the law, affirmative action and higher education, intercollegiate athletics, and school de/segregation. His work draws on political theory, legal history, and case law to examine questions on the relationship between law and racial inequality, and to interpret how the U.S. Supreme Court interacts with conservative ideology and right-wing movements in interpreting the Constitution. Jamel teaches at both the undergraduate and graduate level. His earlier works focused on the educational experiences of Black males in higher education and at the secondary level. After earning his undergraduate degree at Washington State University, he went on to receive a master’s degree at The Ohio State University and a doctorate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Kirsten ‘Kiki’ Dunton grew up in New York and graduated with a BA in Government from William & Mary in 1989 (with a year spent “studying” at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland).  While at W&M, she worked at Swem Library, mainly organizing and shelving books. After working in non-profit political organizing on environmental and consumer protection issues for several years, she earned her J.D. from Wake Forest University School of Law.  Kiki now works as a family law attorney with Gray Law in Tallahassee, Florida.  She is trained in Collaborative Family Law, as a family law Guardian ad Litem, and qualified Parenting Coordinator.  Prior to private practice, she worked with Children’s Legal Services with the Florida Department of Children and Families, and in 2017, was awarded the Florida Second Judicial Circuit Guardian ad Litem Attorney award for excellence in advocacy for children with special needs.  Her husband John Hugill ’89 is an emeritus of the W&M Libraries Board of Directors, and they live with Tallahassee with their daughter, Abigail, and on occasion, their son Jackson, who is usually off studying at Northwestern University in Chicago.  Kiki has served on the board of Ronald McDonald House Charities in Tallahassee and is currently on the Board of Trustees at Maclay School, Tallahassee.

In January 2023, Professor of Education Pamela Eddy became the inaugural associate provost for faculty affairs and development. In this newly developed role, Pamela is responsible for faculty advancement; diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts; professional development and training; annual faculty programs; faculty grievances; and the Faculty Handbook. She works closely with the Studio for Teaching & Learning and also serves as a liaison to the Faculty Assembly and on university-wide or provost-appointed committees. After earning her undergraduate degree from Allegheny College, Pamela went on to receive a master’s degree from Cornell University and a doctorate from Michigan State University.

Sheri earned her B.A. in Government after transferring to William & Mary from Stephens College in Columbia, Mo.  As a student at William & Mary, Sheri was involved in intramural sports and the Young Republicans (of which she served as President her senior year).  After graduation, Sheri served in the U. S. Navy for 22 years, retiring as a Captain.  Sheri also worked for the W&M Foundation in Investment Administration for 10 years prior to retiring from paid employment.  She recently served on the Class of 1974’s 50th Reunion Committee.  Sheri’s husband, Gil Elston HON ’13, completed his second term on the W&M Libraries Board on June 30, 2024.  Sheri and Gil’s daughter, Joanne, is a 2003 graduate of William & Mary.  Sheri volunteers weekly in Special Collections at W&M.  She also volunteers at Dream Catchers, a therapeutic riding center, helping with service veterans.

Samantha is an Associate at the law firm Kaufman & Canoles in Richmond. Her practice focuses on providing guidance on regulatory compliance and contract reviews with vendors for state and federal credit unions. She also assists local businesses with transactional matters and commercial and residential real estate transactions. Samantha’s Trust, Estate and Wealth Transfer practice includes drafting estate planning documents and estate administration. Born and raised in Calgary, Canada, Samantha graduated cum laude from William & Mary in 2015 with a BA in History and went on to receive her JD in 2018 from the William & Mary School of Law. She was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma, served as Auction Co-Chair for the Public Service Fund, participated in the William & Mary Law School Leadership Institute, and was named Outstanding Member of the William & Mary Journal of Women and the Law. She is currently a director of The Institute for Dance, Inc. and member of the Richmond Bar Association.

Susan Gaston, Founder and President of The Gaston Group, is a government relations and public affairs consultant. She has over twenty years of lobbying experience in the United States Congress, the General Assembly of Virginia, federal and state regulatory agencies, and local government bodies. Her firm represents a diverse client base spanning housing and real estate, renewable energy, casino gaming, commercial fishing and other business interests. Recently, she was appointed to the Board of Advisors for the Sorensen Institute for Public Policy at the University of Virginia. An active member of her community, Susan is on the Regional Board of Directors for Village Bank, serves as a Class Ambassador for the William & Mary Alumnae Association, is a Charter Member of the College’s Society of 1918, is a member of the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America (Virginia Chapter) and the Williamsburg Garden Club, is a devoted congregant of Bruton Parish Church, and is on the Board of Directors for Virginia Agriculture in the Classroom. Susan is an honors graduate of William & Mary with a degree in American Government and English and holds a Master of Arts degree in Human Resources Development from The George Washington University. She is married to Dr. David W. Gaston, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools for Charles City County and a tenured adjunct professor in the Darden School of Education at Old Dominion University. Susan and Dave met at university during their sophomore year, in the kitchen of the Kappa Alpha Theta house, recognizing that they were in a Government class together taught by Professor John McGlennon! They have two sons, John, a 2nd Lt. in the United States Marine Corps, and Henry, a Fourth Year at The University of Virginia.

Alison is a CPA in Virginia. She obtained her master’s degree in accounting at William & Mary in 2000 after obtaining her bachelor’s degree from the University of Arkansas. She then worked for KPMG LLP for 16 years in the audit practice where she was a Senior Manager in Richmond, VA, and Dallas, TX. During this time she audited the financial statements and internal controls of many Fortune 500 companies across a variety of industries with a particular focus on manufacturing and healthcare.

Beginning in 2016, Alison made a career pivot and is currently researching the Powell Family Papers held at Swem Library, a collection of women’s papers from an unconventional family dedicated to the education of young women in the 19th century. Alison is writing a non-fiction account of this family, which will include tales of her research experiences.

Alison’s other involvement at William & Mary has included the Mason Accounting Programs Board in the Raymond A. Mason School of Business where she served as Chair. She also serves on the Walton College Accounting Advisory Board at the University of Arkansas.

Micah is a current student at William & Mary, majoring in Public Policy and minoring in Africana Studies with a concentration in African-American History. Her primary interests are in dismantling systemic racism affecting African-American communities, providing an empowering and reassuring voice for women of color, and becoming a doctor of Philosophy in Law during her future academic career. Micah, employed by William & Mary Libraries, serves as a Research Assistant for Jennifer Putzi in the Africana Studies and English Department. Her digital humanities research is focused on the diary of a wealthy 19th-century African-American woman, Mary Virginia Montgomery, and helping develop an interactive website to feature the diary and its history to interested academics and avid learners in Diary History. She also serves as the current president of a multicultural organization on campus, ESSENCE Women of Color. ESSENCE, which stands for Educating Strength and Sisterhood by Executing a Nuturing Commuity of Empowerment, aims to create a safe space for women of color by hosting activities like the Black Professionals Dinner, where students are invited to make professional connections with notable Black alumni.

Elizabeth (Gail) McClenney has served as the Director of Fintel Library at Roanoke College since July 2015. Prior to her arrival at Roanoke College, Gail served as Deputy Director of the Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library in Atlanta. She has also held positions at the University of California – Santa Barbara, Virginia State University, Old Dominion University, Georgia State University, and William & Mary. Gail was elected to the LYRASIS Board of Trustees, a non-profit member organization for archives, libraries, museums and knowledge communities. She is completing her second term as chair of the Board. She is also a member of the American Library Association and the Association of College and Research Libraries and several of its sections.  Gail received an M.L.S. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a B.A. in Spanish from William & Mary.

Natasha McFarland is a former librarian at the Earl Gregg Swem Library. She served William & Mary in various roles over thirty-seven years from 1983 to 2020. McFarland is a ’83 graduate of Virginia Union University and received her MLIS in 2010 from the University of North Texas-Denton. During her career at W&M Libraries, McFarland worked in Inter Library Loan, Database Records Management, and Public Services where she was a member of the Reference Team.

In addition to her job as a librarian, McFarland served as Co-director of the W&M Scholars Undergraduate Research Experience (WMSURE); a member of the Implementation Team for the W&M-Task Force on Race and Race Relations; Membership Chair for the Professionals and Professional Faculty Assembly, and Chair of the Library Diversity Committee. 

In 2021, the Natasha McFarland Staff Education Fund was created in her honor to provide support for current W&M Libraries staff to pursue professional development opportunities.

Mariel McLeod has been a Senior Fiscal Analyst for the NYC Health + Hospitals since 2021 supporting the City’s Test & Trace Corps.  Previously, she worked as an Associate for The Pew Charitable Trusts where she developed resources to help state and local governments select, implement, and evaluate evidence-based policies and programs and for Abt Associates where she worked on a range of behavioral health research and evaluation projects. 

McLeod graduated from William & Mary in 2015 with a BA in Government.  She went on to receive a MPA in Urban Policy and Quantitative Analysis from Columbia University. During her time at Columbia, she was editor in chief of the Columbia Public Policy Review.

Payne Midyette earned his B.A. in Economics while at William & Mary.  He was also a member of the gymnastics team, the Order of the White Jacket, and Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity.  Following graduation, he went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Florida State University and a Master of Business Administration from Northwestern University.  Payne’s professional career was in the fields of accounting, real estate, and finance, and he has served on the board of organizations such as the Boy Scouts of America.  He is an avid reader of history.  Payne’s wife, Marilyn ‘75, recently retired as CEO of the William & Mary Alumni Association. 

Debbie Monark has been a resident of Williamsburg for 13 years. Prior to moving to Virginia, she was a resident of San Diego for 25 years. Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, Debbie completed her degree in Business Management and Administration from the University of Cincinnati in 1984. Her career spanned 15 years in human resources management and executive administration in the fields of management consulting, technical publishing, and insurance.

Debbie has devoted much of her time to several non-profit organizations over the past 30 years. She currently serves as President of the Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra League, which raises funds in support of music education and outreach to the young people across the Williamsburg-James City area. She has also served on the board of the Governor’s Land Garden Club as Hospitality/Events Chair and is currently her community representative for Neighbor to Neighbor. In addition, she has volunteered with the Community Kitchen, sponsored by the Greater Williamsburg Outreach Mission, providing meals to the food needy of Williamsburg/James City County. In the recent past, Debbie also spent time as a tutor with Literacy for Life and a host for the Canterbury Association at William and Mary. Before relocating to Virginia, Debbie served on the Board of the St. Peter’s Senior Services Corporation as well as the Vestry of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Del Mar, CA. She served on the Children and Young Families Commission and volunteered as a Sunday School teacher there for many years.

Debbie’s husband, Ron, is a 1961 alum of W&M, and recently retired from the faculty of the Mason School of Business. He previously served on the W&M Libraries Board from 1999-2003. During that time, he served as Board Chair and Emeriti Representative. Their daughter, Lauren, is a 2013 graduate of William and Mary.

Jim Mullins has over 40 years of library experience. He was at Purdue University as dean of libraries and Esther Ellis Norton Professor from 2004 to 2017, when he came from MIT Libraries where he was associate director for administration. Earlier, he held administrative/faculty positions at Villanova University and Indiana University. Mullins received BA and MALS degrees from the University of Iowa and a PhD from Indiana University.

He has been active in national and international professional associations. He is a published author and has been recognized as a leader in advancing research libraries and their roles in data management, scholarly communication (with emphasis on the role of the university press, library publishing and open access), and redefining space use within libraries, along with rethinking the role of a librarian and how it must change and evolve within the research university environment.

In 2018 Jim retired from Purdue University and now resides in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Kellie is an author and freelance writer. She obtained her Bachelor of Business Administration in Business Administration and Management at William & Mary in 1985. Writing as K.L. Murphy, she is the author of Last Girl Missing (July 2024) the first in the Detective Callie Forde Mystery Series. She is also the author of the award-nominated Her Sister’s Death, a January 2023 Once Upon a Book Club Pick. Of Her Sister’s Death, Publishers Weekly said, “Murphy keeps the tension high…” and “readers will eagerly turn the pages” and Library Journal called the book “[A] riveting tale…”

In addition, she is the author of the Detective Cancini Mystery Series featuring A Guilty Mind, Stay of Execution, and The Last Sin. Her short stories are featured in Deadly Southern Charm and Murder by the Glass, First Comes Love, Then Comes Murder as well as the forthcoming anthologies Friend of the Devil: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of the Grateful Dead (September 2024) and Crime in the Old Dominion (December 2024).

As a freelance writer, Kellie has created relevant content for clients as well as pitched and produced stories for regional and local publications with emphasis on family, lifestyle, and philanthropy. She is also the author of The Center: From Generation to Generation, the 70-year history of the JCC, a beloved Richmond, VA, institution. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, Sisters in Crime, James River Writers, and Historical Writers of America. Kellie’s daughter, Cameron, is a 2018 graduate of William & Mary.

Mary Phillips grew up in Chesterfield County, VA and graduated from William & Mary in 1985 with a BS in Mathematics and went on to receive her MS in Operations Research from George Mason University in 1993. She taught High School Mathematics in both the Loudoun and Fairfax County School Systems.  Throughout her undergraduate years at William & Mary, she enjoyed working at Swem Library. She is married to her husband, Kevin Phillips ’84 and has two grown children. Mary is a charter member of the Society of 1918 and has supported the reunion committee for the class of 1985.   Mary and her husband are strong supporters of the university and provide a need-based scholarship support for students who are active military duty or military veterans or dependents/survivors of active duty military or military veterans. 

Kelvin Ramsey is native of Virginia and graduated from Randolph-Henry High School in Charlotte County.  He joined the Delaware Geological Survey at the University of Delaware in 1987 and currently serves in the position of Scientist. Kelvin’s areas of expertise include Sedimentology and Stratigraphy as related to research and applied studies of the Atlantic Coastal Plain. He had conducted geologic mapping over much of Delaware and is currently involved in regional geologic syntheses of the Quaternary geology of the Delmarva Peninsula.  He has published numerous geologic maps, geologic reports, and journal articles related to the geology of Delaware and the Atlantic Coastal Plain and a report on the forensic hurricanology of the Hurricane of October 1878.

Kelvin is a member of the Delaware Emergency Management Agency Technical Assessment Center and provides scientific information during storm events. He also is involved in assessment of offshore sand resources in federal waters which may be used for beach nourishment and has a secondary appointment as Professor in the Department of Geological Sciences in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment. Kelvin graduated from William & Mary in 1979 with majors in Geology and Classical Studies and went on to receive his master’s from Vanderbilt University and a doctorate from the University of Delaware, both in Geology.  Over the past several years, he has hired W&M undergraduate Geology majors as summer interns working on paleoecology and mineral resources related to offshore sand resources and has collaborated with several of the faculty in the W&M Geology Department on research projects.

Kelvin is an active collector of stereographs and magic lantern slides, many of which he has donated to Swem Library’s Special Collections Research Center. The collection includes hundreds of nineteenth- and twentieth-century views of eastern landscapes, mostly Virginia (including many of William & Mary).

Karen Shepherd is the Executive Director of The Washington Ballet, bringing 25 years of experience in arts management and education across both non-profit and for-profit sectors. Since joining TWB in 2018, she has held several key leadership roles, including Interim Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer, where she led strategic initiatives and operational oversight. As Deputy Director of Development, she focused on government, foundation, and corporate fundraising, while also spearheading community impact programming.

Before joining TWB, Karen served as Head of Maryland Campuses for Levine Music, where she managed campus operations, administrative staff, budget oversight, and educational programming for over 900 students and 100+ faculty members across two campuses. She played a crucial role in the school’s strategic planning efforts and led the expansion of Levine Music in Montgomery County, overseeing everything from contract negotiations to program development.

In the for-profit sector, Karen was a Manager in the Instrumental and Conductors Division at IMG Artists in New York. She acted as the primary liaison with presenting venues across the US and Europe, managing logistics and bookings for esteemed artists like Itzhak Perlman, the Emerson String Quartet, Sir James Galway, and Leif Ove Andsnes.

Karen currently serves on the Founder’s Auxiliary Board of Children’s National Hospital and as Vice Chair of the William & Mary Libraries Board. She has also been a frequent grant reviewer for the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and previously served on the Young Fellows Board of the Morgan Library & Museum in New York City. Karen holds a bachelor’s degree in Music (violin) and German, and a Certificate of Business Management from William & Mary.

Martha Tack received her B.A. in elementary education from William & Mary.  She recently finished serving on the William & Mary Foundation Board, where she co-chaired the Academic Subcommittee. Martha’s husband, Carl ’78, daughter, Catharine ’06, and parents, Fred ’46 and Caroline ’50 Frechette, are alumni of William & Mary.

Martha and her husband Carl established the Tack Fund for the Visual Arts and the Tack Faculty Lecture Series Endowment at William & Mary.  She is a former director and independent arts organization fundraiser for the Almeida Theatre, Sadler’s Wells, and Bonachela Dance Co.  The Tacks reside in Williamsburg.

Ronnee Taylor served two terms on the Libraries board from 2004 until 2010.  During her tenure, she was chair of the Nominating Committee, then chair of the Board during the Board’s transition from a ‘Friends of the Library’ group to a recognized Dean’s advisory board. While a student at William & Mary, Ronnee was involved in orchestra and theater as well as honorary literary and music societies. A favorite memory is playing quartets by candlelight at the Capitol – in colonial dress!

Ronnee graduated from William & Mary with a B.A. in English and went on to obtain a Master of Science in Integrated Marketing Communications from the Medill School at Northwestern University.  During her professional career, Ronnee managed Marketing and Research/Analytic teams for diverse industries including consumer package goods, banking and private equity investing. Ronnee’s husband, Jim, is also a William & Mary alumnus from the class of 1969 and is the current chair of the Olde Guarde Council. Ronnee and Jim spend part of their time on Virginia’s Northern Neck. Ronnee serves as an Advisor to the Board of Historic Christ Church (1735) & Museum in Irvington, VA, where she is a docent and chairs the ‘Readers’ book group.  

Goody Tyler graduated from Old Dominion University with a B.S.N. and later a M.S.N. in Nurse Anesthesia.  He formerly served as a nurse in the U.S. Army and Army Reserves, serving a 90 day tour at a Forward Operating Base hospital in Afghanistan. He also worked as a nurse anesthetist in Greenville, NC, and the Bon Secours Hospital System in Norfolk. Goody previously served on the Campaign Cabinet and is a current member of the Campaign Steering Committee (2020) of the For the Bold campaign. Tyler volunteers at the local zoo in Norfolk as a trail host and serves as an at-large director on the Road Runners Club of America board. He has also volunteered in the past for the American Red Cross and the Norfolk Botanical Garden.  His wife Elizabeth “Bee” McLeod was both an alumna of William & Mary and an emerita of the W&M Libraries Board of Directors. Goody was named an honorary William & Mary alumnus in 2011.