Profiles
Faculty : Paula D. McClain | Staff : Phail Wynn | Undergraduate : Osueke/Adams | Graduate/Professional : Jessi Bardill | Alumni/ae : Phil Rubio | Trustee : Janet Hill
Phail Wynn
Phail Wynn brings three decades of experience to his role as Duke's vice president for Durham and regional affairs.
In the position, Wynn is working with city officials to promote economic development projects near campus and new collaborations between the university and Research Triangle Park. He also is a liaison between Duke and community constituencies including the public school system, N.C. Central University and Durham Technical Community College.
Wynn retired in 2007 as president of Durham Tech. The first African-American to serve as president of a community college in North Carolina, he had led the 25,000-student college since 1980. In those years, Wynn and Durham Tech were active in expanding high-tech job training that lured big business to Durham.
"Dr. Wynn knows Durham, the Research Triangle Park and our region as few others do," Duke President Richard Brodhead said. "His community and regional leadership include many of the most active and important educational, business, government and nonprofit organizations in our community."Wynn also is working with colleagues at Duke Medicine to address local health-care issues and with community leaders to help secure new permanent funding for the Duke-Durham Neighborhood Partnership.
"My 30 years at Durham Tech have allowed me to focus on areas that I care passionately about: education and training, and economic development and community development," Wynn said. "This new opportunity will allow me to continue this professional focus through assisting Duke University in its ongoing efforts to be an advocate and partner for economic and community development in Durham and the region."Wynn was awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine in 2000. A member and former chairman of the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce, he is a founding member of the Greater Triangle Regional Council and a member of the boards of directors of the Triangle Community Foundation, the Research Triangle Institute and SunTrust Banks Inc. He also serves on the board of governors for Research Triangle Institute and is a founding trustee of the Kenan Institute for Engineering, Technology and Science at N.C. State.
An Oklahoma native, Wynn holds degrees from the University of Oklahoma, N.C. State University and the Kenan-Flagler School of Business at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.