In April 2023, former President Susan Wente appointed and charged the Campus Memorialization Steering Committee to provide direction and expertise to the memorial project effort. The committee was co-chaired by former Provost Michele Gillespie and former Vice President José Villalba, and its work would culminate in the development of a final design concept and selection of a site for the memorial. Working with the architectural and design firm, Baskervill, a community-engaged design process was developed to gather perspectives, insights, and feedback from students, staff, faculty, alum, and stakeholders. Having accomplished its charge, the committee was sunsetted on May 7th, 2026.
José Villalba
Vice President and Special Advisor to the President (Chair)
Derek Hicks
Associate Professor, School of Divinity
Keenon Mann
Association of Wake Forest Black Alumni (AWFUBA) President
Tanya Zanish Belcher
Director of Special Collections and Archives, ZSR Library
Lisa Blee
Associate Professor of History
Simeon Ilesamni
Professor of Religious Studies, Study of Religions
Terry Brock
Manager of Archaeology and Research, Wake Forest Historical Museum
Chris Kiwus
Vice President for Facilities, Real Estate, and Planning
Rudy Shepherd
Professor of Art
Sam Perrota
Chief of Staff, Provost
Chase Clark, c/o ‘26
Black Student Alliance President
Ashleigh Brock
Chief of Staff, President
Corey D. B. Walker
Wake Forest Professor of Humanities, Dean of the School of Divinity and Director of the African American Studies Program
TaShaun L. Elliott
Director of Finance and Business Operations
Janeel Black, c/o ’24 (served 2023 – 2024)
Undergraduate Student Representative
Savannah Littlejohn c/o ‘23 and ‘24 (served 2023 – 2024)
Graduate Student Representative
Nina Banks c/o ‘23 and ‘25 (served 2024 – 2025)
Graduate Student Representative
Michele Gillespie (served 2023 – 2025)
Presidential Endowed Chair of Southern History; Former Provost