[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Hero” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_color=”#592C88″ background_color_gradient_direction=”271deg” custom_padding=”100px|0px|100px|0px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ make_equal=”on” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_margin=”|auto|-206px|auto||” custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding_tablet=”20px|10%|0px|10%” custom_padding_last_edited=”off|desktop” global_colors_info=”{}” padding_tablet=”20px|10%|0px|10%” padding_last_edited=”off|desktop” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.4″ text_font=”||||||||” header_font=”Merriweather|700|||||||” header_font_size=”46px” header_line_height=”1.3em” background_layout=”dark” custom_margin=”|-18px|0px|||” animation_style=”flip” animation_direction=”top” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
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A. K. Hinds University Center Grand Room<\/p>\n
Saturday, September 12, 2026
9:00 am – 9:30 am<\/p>\n
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[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”rgba(255,255,255,0.5)” divider_position=”center” divider_weight=”2px” _builder_version=”4.16″ max_width=”90px” max_width_tablet=”12%” max_width_last_edited=”off|desktop” custom_margin=”|||” animation_style=”flip” animation_delay=”100ms” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/affiliate.wcu.edu\/cure\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2024\/09\/trytry-scaled.jpg” title_text=”trytry” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”About” _builder_version=”4.16″ min_height=”1083.4px” custom_padding=”5px|0px|0px|0px||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”0″ _builder_version=”4.22.1″ min_height=”756.6px” custom_margin=”|||” custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.17.4″ text_font=”||||||||” text_text_color=”#592C88″ header_font=”||||||||” header_2_font=”Merriweather|700|||||||” header_2_font_size=”40px” header_2_line_height=”1.3em” custom_margin=”|||” custom_padding=”0px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
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[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”description” _builder_version=”4.27.0″ text_font=”||||||||” text_font_size=”20px” text_line_height=”1.8em” width=”100%” max_width_tablet=”89%” max_width_phone=”97%” max_width_last_edited=”off|desktop” custom_margin=”-14px|||||” custom_padding=”10px|25px||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Ben Pendry, Vice Chancellor for Advancement, Western Carolina University<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Ben Pendry serves as Vice Chancellor for Advancement and President of the Western Carolina University Foundation, providing leadership for WCU\u2019s Development, Engagement, Advancement Services, Athletics Development, and Alumni Communications efforts. A 2007 graduate of Western Carolina University, he also holds a Master of Public Administration from UNC Charlotte. Since joining WCU in 2017, Pendry has held several leadership roles and helped lead the university\u2019s historic\u00a0Fill the Western Sky<\/i>\u00a0campaign through its public launch and successful conclusion, surpassing its $100 million goal. He also served in a leadership role during\u00a0Lead the Way: A Campaign Inspired by the Belcher Years<\/i>. His university service includes serving as WCU Staff Senate Chair in 2020\u201321, being selected as a WCU Senior Leadership Fellow in 2023, and participating in the UNC System Executive Leadership Institute in 2024. A Certified Fund Raising Executive since 2014, Pendry previously held fundraising and nonprofit leadership roles at UNC Charlotte, the Sigma Chi Foundation, and the North American Interfraternity Conference. He is active in the Sylva community through First Presbyterian Church, the Rotary Club of Sylva, the Daniel Boone Council of Scouting America, and the Jackson County Public Schools Education Foundation. Pendry and his wife, Jenna, have two children, Branch and Jackie, and a notably vocal cat, Bindi.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/affiliate.wcu.edu\/cure\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/375\/2026\/08\/benpendryww.jpg” alt=”Ben Pendry” title_text=”Ben Pendry” _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Keynote SpeakerBen Pendry A. K. Hinds University Center Grand Room Saturday, September 12, 20269:00 am – 9:30 am About the Keynote Speaker Ben Pendry, Vice Chancellor for Advancement, Western Carolina University Ben Pendry serves as Vice Chancellor for Advancement and President of the Western Carolina University Foundation, providing leadership for WCU\u2019s Development, Engagement, Advancement Services, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1666,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-105","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/affiliate.wcu.edu\/cure\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/105","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/affiliate.wcu.edu\/cure\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/affiliate.wcu.edu\/cure\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/affiliate.wcu.edu\/cure\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1666"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/affiliate.wcu.edu\/cure\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=105"}],"version-history":[{"count":39,"href":"https:\/\/affiliate.wcu.edu\/cure\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/105\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":938,"href":"https:\/\/affiliate.wcu.edu\/cure\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/105\/revisions\/938"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/affiliate.wcu.edu\/cure\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=105"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}