VOLUNTEER LEADERSHIP
The OLLI Program is member-led. We encourage members to participate in the program's planning, operation and evaluation. We are run by a dedicated Board of Volunteer Advisors. Board of Advisors meetings are open to all members!
Have a question for the Board? Send them an email: cuolliboa@gmail.com.
David Potts
Chair
David Potts has found OLLI a very important part of his retirement and wants to work to make all aware of the great opportunity OLLI offers. He will strive to increase the offerings within the program and to help more in our community become aware of this great resource. David is a medical doctor specializing in Infectious Diseases and HIV with a special interest in quality and safety within the medical profession. Originally from Buffalo, New York, he made stops in the US Air Force, Panama, Cincinnati, San Antonio, and Northern California before finding his way to the Upstate in 1980. David worked in Greenville for 20 years and has spent the last 20 years working in Anderson. David currently provides HIV care one day a week under the auspices of AID Upstate. He is married to a remarkable woman. They have, between them, seven children and 5.7 grandchildren. David plans to stay in the Upstate as long as the Upstate will have him.
Dave Sabo
Vice Chair
When asked to describe who he is Dave Sabo responds, “I am OLLI for life.” His passion, excitement, wisdom, and experience are what drive his commitment to fostering community and promoting lifelong learning here at OLLI. He is eager to continue to develop a stronger sense of family and community within Clemson University and in the surrounding Tri-County area. He looks forward to taking on a more influential role where his experience and background can aid the growth of this organization. Dave has been a member of OLLI at Clemson since 2015, participating in a wide variety of classes, excursions, and outdoor adventures. His work at The Carter Center and Presidential Library has given him crucial insight that would benefit him in the vice-chair position. In addition, he served on the Board of Directors for three residential communities, dedicating over ten years of his time and talents to various positions. He is married to his wife of 56 years, Shirley, and they have resided in the Lake Hartwell area ever since retiring in 2015.
Sheryl Donovan
Past Chair
"OLLI at Clemson has been an integral part of my life since I retired. If, as Past Chair, I can give the organization a fraction of what I have received since joining, I will be more than pleased."
Carol Helander
Secretary
Not only does Carol hold a Board position, she works with our volunteer instructors and has worked in the OLLI administrative offices nearly every Thursday morning.
Gaines Hutcheson
At-Large
"A top priority for selecting a retirement community was close access to continuing education classes. OLLI filled the bill. I have been involved now for about 9 years and OLLI has been an integral part of my retirement life. I look forward to the stimulation of class discussions. I especially have enjoyed being exposed to topics which I missed out on in my engineering education.
I have been married to my college sweetheart Janet for 50 years. We have 2 children and 2 grandchildren. My manufacturing management career has included many moves as requested by my employer. We are happy to be settled in such an inviting place."
Bob McAlpine
At-Large
"I am a retired physician having practiced Urology for thirty eight years. I have lived in the upstate of South Carolina since 1994. I am originally from Union, SC though I grew up in Athens, Georgia. I am a graduate of the University of North Carolina and Bowman Gray School of Medicine at Wake Forest University. I received my Urology training at Bethesda Naval Hospital and practiced first at the Naval Hospital at Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico. I then practiced for four years in Northern Virginia before moving to Seneca, South Carolina where my wife Cathy and I have raised our three daughters. My wife, also a retired physician, and I retired in 2021 and immediately joined OLLI for the learning experience and numerous adventures. We enjoy the classes, outdoor activities, and travel. We especially enjoy the friends we have made through OLLI and hope to continue to see growth and expansion of the organization."
Sue Schneider
At-Large
“I love discovering new things and challenging myself as I explore so many new interests at OLLI. Since joining OLLI, I have explored technology topics, visited Upstate landmarks, engaged in lively discussions with my peers and challenged myself with learning to play Pickleball. Those opportunities have been shared with the wonderful new friends and fellow OLLI members.”
Sue and her husband, Ken, enjoy spending time participating with OLLI, visiting their grandchildren and spending sunny days on Lake Keowee. Prior to retiring to the area, Sue spent 25 years serving as the Chief Executive Officer of Spartanburg Water, a utility that provides water and wastewater services to more than 200,000 people in the Upstate of South Carolina. She volunteers with the local, state and national community and water industry organizations. Sue continues to be an advocate of clean water and supports strengthening local communities.
Kim Warne
At-Large
Kim Warne is a strong supporter of OLLI and its contribution to residents in the area. OLLI provides opportunities for members to strengthen their knowledge and experiences in a wide variety of academic, recreational and travel pursuits. Kim is passionate about keeping members engaged and expanding the awareness of OLLI in the community. Kim is the recent Past President of the Newcomer Club of the Foothills. She is an active volunteer with the Oconee County Library and its “Friends of the Library” Program. Kim recently supported Clemson University’s Career Services office as an “Executive in Residence” coach where she spent 8 semesters coaching students on resume preparation and interview skills. Kim’s experience includes over 20 years as a Corporate Human Resources professional, where her last role was as a Talent Acquisition Executive Leader at General Electric. Before her career transition into Human Resources, Kim was a Captain in the US Air Force, where she served as a Civil Engineer in assignments in the US and abroad.
Sharon Nagy
CU Provost Office Liaison
Sharon Nagy, OLLI’s Liaison to the University, is the Associate Provost for Curricular Innovation. Sharon earned a Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Pennsylvania and a BA in International Political Economy from the University of California at Berkeley. In both courses of study, her regional focus was the Middle East and North Africa, a region in which she has lived for approximately 12 years. With ethnographic research activities supported by Fulbright, Social Science Research Council, Ford and Rockefeller Foundations, Sharon’s ethnographic research on urbanization and migration in the Arabian Gulf States of Qatar and Bahrain is recognized as pioneering in the field. At Clemson her efforts are focused on innovative curriculum and high impact practices for teaching and learning.
Lesley Ross
CU Representative
Lesley Ross is a long-time champion of OLLI and its work in the community. As director of Clemson University Institute for Engaged Aging, she has prioritized OLLI as one of our strongest partners because of the positive impact the organization has on its members. Lesley is the SmartState/SmartLife Endowed Chair of Aging and Cognition, Professor of Psychology, codirector of the Study of Healthy Aging & Applied Research Programs (SHAARP.org) lab and Co-director of the South Carolina Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (sc-adrc.org).
Lesley has decades of research experience in cognitive aging and behavioral methods to maintain everyday functioning and brain health. In 2009, she was hired as an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She was then recruited as a faculty member in 2014 to the Pennsylvania State University’s Department of Human Development and Family Studies. In 2020 Lesley joined Clemson University as an Endowed Chair to direct the Institute for Engage Aging.
Ann Smith
CU Foundation Liaison
"I am a 1982 and 1985 graduate of Clemson. I am in my 34th year of working there. I am currently the Senior Director of Annual Giving for Clemson University."