Mark Garner ’77
Mark Garner is a nationally certified planner with extensive experience in comprehensive planning and the design of public infrastructure projects throughout eastern North Carolina envisioned to improve quality-of-life opportunities for citizens and community economic development potential. After a 46-year career with Rivers & Associates, Inc., a regional engineering firm, he retired in 2021 as Corporate Vice President with responsibilities in business development, corporate management and project management.

Inspired by a purpose “to serve,” Mark developed an early interest in service to ECU. Over the years, he has served on various academic and athletic committees, as well as in leadership roles as Board of Visitors Chair, Planning Advisory Board Chair, Planning Alumni Endowment Chair and Alumni Association Vice Chair. He currently serves as Coastal Studies Institute Board Chair.

Mark has also served in local, regional and state leadership roles, including Greenville Utilities Commission Chair, Pitt County Industrial Development Commission Chair, Pitt County Girls Softball League President, East Carolina Engineers President, Envision East 2050 Regional Planning Forum facilitator and NC Society of Engineers Executive Officer. He currently serves as an Invest Greenville Board member. As a Greater Greenville Chamber Committee Co-Chair in 1986, he helped promote implementation of the display of ECU athletic logos on a local water tower and the railroad overpass adjoining the athletics campus.

A 1994 inductee into the ECU Planning Alumni Hall of Fame, Mark, along with his wife, Gail, is a member of the Chancellor’s Society and Order of the Cupola, and they are charter members of the ECU Educational Foundation’s VanSant Society.

Benjamin Davis ’08 ’10
Mr. Benjamin Davis was appointed Chief Information Officer for the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis in May 2024. As CIO, he leads the delivery of intelligence information systems supporting Treasury’s national security mission.

Prior to joining OIA, Mr. Davis served as Director of the Intelligence Community Security Coordination Center within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, where he led cyber situational awareness, vulnerability management and coordinated incident response across the U.S. Intelligence Community.

Mr. Davis also completed a joint duty assignment in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence & Security, providing strategic oversight for enterprise cybersecurity, defense intelligence capabilities and information sharing. Earlier roles at the Defense Intelligence Agency included leading technology integration with Five Eyes and multinational partners, managing international IT services with coalition partners, directing strategic communications for the DIA CIO, and serving as a Legislative Fellow in the office of former Congressman John Ratcliffe, advising on national security, defense, cybersecurity and foreign affairs.

His awards include the National Intelligence Meritorious Unit Citation, Joint Civilian Service Commendation Award, Global War on Terrorism Secretary of Defense Medal and NATO Non-Article 5 Civilian Combat Support Medal.

Mr. Davis holds a Master of Strategic Intelligence from the National Intelligence University and both a Master of Public Administration and Bachelor of Science in Political Science from East Carolina University. He is a Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), Project Management Professional (PMP) and Lean Six Sigma certified.

Dr. Sara Griffith ’00 ’08 ’21
Dr. Sara Griffith is the North Carolina Board of Nursing’s (NCBON) Deputy Executive Officer and has over 26 years of experience in clinical practice, leadership and nursing regulation. Her leadership is grounded in a steadfast commitment to patient safety and a passion for educating others about the essential role of nursing and nursing regulation in protecting the public.

A first-generation college graduate, Dr. Griffith earned her BSN, MSN and PhD from East Carolina University. In recognition of her contributions to nursing leadership and regulation, she was inducted into ECU’s College of Nursing Hall of Fame. She is a 2024 graduate of the NCSBN International Center for Regulatory Scholarship, reflecting her commitment to regulatory leadership.

Prior to her current role, she served on the NCBON as a board member for two terms, including as Vice Chair, advancing the Board’s public protection mission. She represented North Carolina on multiple NCSBN committees, helping to shape national regulatory policy. Dr. Griffith was instrumental in developing strategic communication initiatives for the NCBON, implementing emergency nursing waivers to expand access to nursing care while reducing regulatory burden, and engaging nurses and students across the state in understanding the role of nursing regulation. Inspired by her doctoral research on substance use disorders in nursing at ECU, Dr. Griffith’s research interests include nursing regulation, workforce development and regulatory approaches to enhance patient safety. She believes that strong support systems, intentional planning and determination are key to achieving both professional excellence and a fulfilling family life.

Dr. Patrick O’Shea ’08
Dr. Patrick O’Shea is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and Medical Director of UNC Health’s Advanced Care at Home program.

Raised in Camden, Delaware, Dr. O’Shea attended East Carolina University as a Brinkley-Lane Scholar, graduating summa cum laude with University Honors in Exercise Physiology. After college, he joined Teach For America and taught eighth-grade science in Vance County, North Carolina, before matriculating at the UNC School of Medicine. While in medical school, he earned an MBA in Health Sector Management from Duke University and later completed residency training in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at UNC Hospitals.

Dr. O’Shea is co-founder and Board Chair of MedServe, an AmeriCorps program that places recent college graduates in primary care clinics across North Carolina to address healthcare workforce shortages and inspire careers in medicine and public health. Since its founding, MedServe has helped hundreds of young leaders pursue careers in healthcare, including more than 20 who have gone on to attend the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University.

He currently serves on the ECU Honors College Advancement Council and started the ECU Honors College Alumni Network to connect recent graduates with current students and staff in the Honors College.

He lives in Chapel Hill with his wife, Nisha, and their five children. Outside of work, he enjoys long-distance running and spending time with friends in the F3 Churham community.