Dr. David C. Weindorf
Vice President for Research and Economic Development
Dr. David C. Weindorf currently serves as Vice President for Research and Economic Development at Georgia Southern (GS) University. Dr. Weindorf leads the Offices of Research Integrity, Sponsored Programs, the Business Innovation Group, and the Research & Service Foundation. He has led the institution to record-breaking research expenditures and scholarly output. A Fulbright Scholar and Fellow of both the National Academy of Inventors and the Soil Science Society of America, Dr. Weindorf has worked in over 30 countries and published more than 220 peer-reviewed papers. His extensive career includes senior research leadership roles such as the Associate Vice President of Research at TTU, Associate Dean of Research and BL Allen Endowed Chair of Pedology in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (TTU), and Associate Professor of Soil Classification/Land Use at Louisiana State University (LSU). Prior to that, he was an Assistant Professor of Soil Science at Tarleton State University.
An international authority in proximal sensor soil characterization, he holds five awarded patents, has testified before the U.S. Senate on environmental disasters, and served as Executive Producer for the acclaimed documentary Between Earth and Sky 鈥� Climate Change on the Last Frontier. Dr. Weindorf holds a B.S. in Range Management, M.S. in Soil Science (geochemistry minor), and Ph.D. in Agronomy from Texas Tech University (TTU).
Dr. John Banter
Director, Office of Organizational Effectiveness
Dr. John Banter is the Director of Organizational Effectiveness at 快猫app短视, where he leads strategic planning, leadership development, and institutional improvement initiatives. With a background in leadership development and a passion for data-informed decision-making, he supports faculty, staff, and senior leaders in advancing organizational goals. In addition to his work at Georgia Southern, John teaches graduate courses in leadership at The Citadel and volunteers his time with local civic organizations.
MacKenzie Dow
Coordinator, Office of Organizational Effectiveness
MacKenzie serves as the Coordinator for the Office of Organizational Effectiveness at 快猫app短视, where she supports strategic planning initiatives, leadership development programming, and continuous improvement efforts across the institution. As a proud Double Eagle, MacKenzie is passionate about investing in the campus community that helped shape her own educational and professional journey. In addition to her role, she remains actively involved in campus leadership and service initiatives that support student and employee engagement. MacKenzie enjoys collaborating with colleagues throughout the university and helping create experiences that foster connection, engagement, and professional growth.
Diego H. Meeroff
Associate Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer, University Communications and Marketing
Diego H. Meeroff is a creative leader and marketing executive with more than 20 years of experience in higher education and the private sector. He currently serves at 快猫app短视, where he leads initiatives that strengthen brand visibility, support enrollment growth, and advance student success. His recent accomplishments include developing integrated marketing strategies, enhancing institutional reputation, and aligning communications efforts with key recruitment and retention goals.
Previously, Meeroff led marketing and communications efforts at Gulliver Preparatory School, Palm Beach State College, and Florida Atlantic University, building high-performing teams and launching impactful campaigns. He also brings agency and corporate experience, having worked with global brands including Heineken, St. Regis Resorts & Residences, Royal Caribbean International, and American Express Travel.
Angela Landers
Program Director, Leadership and Institutional Development
Angela Landers is the Leadership and Institutional Development Program Director at the University System of Georgia. She has a passion for providing professional development on leadership development, emotional intelligence, building team culture and community, employee wellness, and professional goal setting and attainment. Having worked in higher education for over two decades, Angela combines her programming and psychology experience to provide a strengths-based approach grounded in theory. She designs and facilitates innovative, interactive programs that give participants concrete tools for moving theory into application.
Angela has presented at educational conferences throughout the state and internationally on employee wellness, specifically as it relates to burnout, chronic stress, self-care, and resilience. In 2019, she presented at the Ministry of Education’s Caribbean Well-Being Conference in St. Maarten. She enjoys focusing on the personhood of employees and how bringing in one’s natural strengths and skills can lead to increased work engagement, collegial connection, wellness, and life satisfaction.
Angela holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Psychology from 快猫app短视. Prior to joining the USG, Angela served as the Assistant Director of Outreach and Community Engagement at the Counseling Center at 快猫app短视.
Dr. Mark Taracuk
Associate Director of Training, Counseling Center
Dr. Mark Taracuk (pronounced: terra chuck) is a licensed psychologist at the 快猫app短视 Counseling Center. He has been with Georgia Southern since 2019. He is currently the Associate Director of Training and the training director for the APA-Accredited Doctoral Internship in Psychology. His clinical focus includes college student development, existential concerns, autism spectrum disorders, sexual health and well-being, intimate partner violence, and relational concerns. Dr. Taracuk is an avid Indiana Hoosiers fan and appreciates clever puns.
Ashlea Anderson
Chief Information Officer
Ashlea Anderson brings more than 25 years of experience in both higher education and corporate technology to her position. Before joining 快猫app短视 in 2010 as an Information Systems Coordinator, Ashlea served Fortune 500 companies in the audio, video and web conferencing arena, growing her skills in building and executing strategic plans as well as gaining valuable understanding of the importance of customer service.
She joined 快猫app短视 in 2010 as an Information Services Coordinator and has grown in responsibility since that time, most recently serving as Executive Director of IT Service and Delivery. In this role, Ashlea worked on a number of strategic University-level projects, providing support and solutions for various levels of administration in Divisions across the University.
Prior to joining Georgia Southern, she served as Account Executive at web conferencing and communication technology companies, including Polycom and MCI. During this time, Anderson advanced her career providing communications solutions to Fortune 500 companies and growing and excelling in her roles, not only helping these companies in discovering solutions to meet strategic goals but also developing and implementing training for and managing staff.
Anderson is a 鈥淒ouble Eagle,鈥� having earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from 快猫app短视, including a bachelor鈥檚 degree in Public Relations in 1997 followed by an MBA in 2015. She and her husband Bradley have one son and reside in Glennville, GA.
Dr. Annalee Ashley
Vice President, Chief of Staff
External Affairs, Communications, and Strategic Initiatives
Dr. Annalee Ashley serves Georgia Southern as Vice President for External Affairs, Communications, and Strategic Initiatives and Chief of Staff to the President. In this dual role, she functions as a strategic partner to the President, advancing the university’s mission, coordinating institutional priorities, and ensuring alignment across the executive leadership team. As Chief of Staff, she liaises between the President and internal and external stakeholders, helping drive key decisions and initiatives forward. As Vice President, she oversees Georgia Southern’s public image, community relationships, and strategic communications through executive leadership of the university’s departments of External Affairs, Business Engagement, University Communications and Public Relations, and Special Events and Protocol.
Before joining Georgia Southern in her current role, Dr. Ashley held positions in communications and government relations at the University of West Georgia and Georgia Southern. Her career also includes experience on Capitol Hill, where she worked for the Secretary of the U.S. Senate and the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration. Her time in Washington, D.C. began through Georgia Southern’s Eagles in D.C. Internship Program, serving as a legislative intern for U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson.
A proud “Double Eagle” and member of Georgia Southern’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2020, Dr. Ashley holds a BBA and MBA from the Parker College of Business and an Ed.D. in Higher Education Leadership from the University of Georgia. During her time as a student at Georgia Southern, she was deeply involved in campus life, serving as a SOAR Leader (SOAR love, #442), President of Alpha Delta Pi Sorority, and Executive Vice President of the Student Government Association.
Dr. Dominique Quarles
Associate Vice President, Organizational Effectiveness, Leadership Development and Engagement
Dr. Dominique A. Quarles serves on the President鈥檚 Cabinet at 快猫app短视 and provides administrative leadership for the Offices of Organizational Effectiveness, Institutional Engagement, and Student Engagement and Support. His unit also includes four U.S. Department of Education grants, totaling over $5.6 million, which serves first-generation and low-income college students. In his current role, Dr. Quarles is responsible for the university鈥檚 performance excellence portfolio, which includes university strategic planning and annual progress reports, senior leadership scorecards and quarterly goals dashboard, the employee e-learning platform for skill development, employee engagement surveys and institutional action planning, and leadership development institutes for executives (70), departmental leaders (160), and emerging leaders (30).
A higher education professional with more than a decade of experience, Dr. Quarles has held leadership roles at Mississippi State University and the University of Georgia. He is connected to the academic enterprise through his role as a lecturer in the College of Education, and he has published and presented nationally and internationally on higher education leadership, student achievement, and institutional policy鈥攖ranslating research into practical strategies that positively impact campuses and student outcomes.
He earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Master of Education in Higher Education from 快猫app短视, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Higher Education from the Louise McBee Institute of Higher Education at the University of Georgia. Dr. Quarles is a University System of Georgia Executive Leadership Institute Scholar (2025鈥�2026), a contributing author in Student Affairs: Voices from the Profession (2025), and a 40 Under 40 快猫app短视 Alumni Award recipient (2018).
Ava Edwards
Director, Alumni Relations
Ava Edwards is Director of Alumni Relations at 快猫app短视, where she leads engagement strategy for a network of 162,000 alumni, advancing institutional priorities through alumni development, communications and campus-wide collaboration to strengthen philanthropy and lifelong connection.
She joined Georgia Southern in 2011 and has served in multiple roles across the University, including within Student Affairs and Enrollment Management. She holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of South Carolina Aiken and an MBA from 快猫app短视.
Ava is active in the community, having served as President of the Board of Directors for Habitat for Humanity of Bulloch County, helped launch the City of Statesboro Youth Retreat through the Mayor鈥檚 Youth Commission and is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Statesboro. She also serves as staff advisor for Circle K, the collegiate service organization.
Her professional development includes Leadership Southeast Georgia in 2026, the University System of Georgia Executive Leadership Institute in 2022 and a Protocol Officer Certification from The Protocol School of Washington in 2022. She participates in the CASE Alumni Engagement and Benchmarking Cohort and was recognized as a 2021 Statesboro Top 20 Under 40 honoree.
Outside of work, she enjoys travel, golf, exploring food as a 鈥減rofessional foodie鈥� and time with her family.
