Donna J. Dean and Charles Crowe Elected as Berea College Trustees

Donna J. Dean, Ph.D. and Charles Crowe were elected to serve on the Berea College Board of Trustees for six-year terms beginning immediately through June 30, 2027. Crowe previously served a six year term as alumni trustee from 2014-2020.

Dean’s career has included various positions in scientific research and administration. Most recently, she was an executive consultant to the Association for Women in Science in Washington, D.C. Previously, Dean was senior science advisor for Lewis-Burke Associates LLC and senior scholar in residence for the National Academy of Engineering. She served in various capacities for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Bethesda, Md., including senior advisor for engineering in the office of the director; acting (and founding) director of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering; senior scientific advisor to the director; and several positions for the Center for Scientific Review/Division of Research Grants, NIH. Dean also was a consumer safety officer for the Division of Food Additives and Veterinary Drugs for the United States Food and Drug Administration, DHHS, Washington, D.C. She also has held laboratory and faculty-based positions as a research chemist for the National Institute of Arthritis, Metabolic Diseases and Diabetes NIH and as a visiting research fellow in the department of biology at Princeton University.

Since 2012, Dean has served as a career consultant for the American Chemical Society in Washington, D.C., and as an emeritus member of the board of advisors for Tulane University’s School of Science and Engineering.
Dean holds a certificate in executive management from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. After receiving her Ph.D. in biochemistry from Duke University, she completed post-doctorate studies in cell and molecular biology at Princeton University. Dean earned her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Berea College.
A resident of Hedgesville, W.Va., Dean has been a member of the Berea College Alumni Executive Council since 2019. She is a Fellow with the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Association for Women in Science and Washington Academy of Sciences.  She also is a volunteer leader in a number of local community organizations.

Crowe, a native of Johnson City and Jonesborough, Tenn., was the CEO of LeGacy Resource Corporation until it was dissolved in 2015. He previously spent more than 30 years with the U.S. Department of Energy and its predecessor agencies, (Energy Research and Development Administration and the Atomic Energy Commission) from which he retired as the director of the Procurement and Contracts Division in 2006. Earlier in his career, he worked in the auto industry, higher education and the construction industry.
Crowe earned a bachelor’s degree from Berea College, a master’s degree from Eastern Kentucky University and an honorary doctorate degree from Berea College.
A very active member of his community, Crowe has received many awards and recognitions for community service, including the Thousand Points of Light Award, for which he enjoyed a tour of the White House provided for recipients by then-First Lady Barbara Bush; President of Berea College Alumni Association; Distinguished Alumnus award from Berea College; Omega Man of the Year and Citizen of the Year by Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.; and the Community Service Award from the South Eastern Region of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. He also was twice recognized by Outstanding Young Men of America. Crowe notes one of his highest honors came in 2003 when he was asked to present the commencement address at his alma mater, and was presented with an honorary doctorate degree.
As a community leader, Crowe has led and served on the boards of numerous charitable organizations.  He currently serves on the State of Tennessee Textbook and Instructional Materials Quality Commission, the Community Reuse Organization of East Tennessee, as vice president of the Oak Ridge Breakfast Rotary Foundation, and president of the Men of Tomorrow Foundation, which he co-founded 31 years ago.
The Men of Tomorrow Foundation operates a mentoring program focused on the core values of developing a good self-image, providing positive role models, stressing academic achievement, encouraging cultural development and stressing career development. The program provides community youth a jump start to a successful future career.
Crowe and his wife, Edwena, live in Oak Ridge, Tenn. They have two adult children, Nicholas and Rebecca. A former civil aircraft pilot, in his spare time, Crowe enjoys traveling with his family, playing golf, analyzing business problems, walking, reading and pickleball.