UMO appoints two new trustees

MOUNT OLIVE – The University of Mount Olive has appointed two new Board of Trustees members, J. Matthew Rast and Dusk Stroud. Each will serve six-year terms.    

Rast, from Pikeville, graduated from East Carolina University, where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in construction management with a minor in general business. He and his wife, Trudi, have two children, Maci, 11, and Kase, 9. 

Rast has worked in the construction field for more than 20 years. He is the owner/vice president of his company, Eastern Building Solutions, LLC. With a long history of leadership roles, Rast has a record of coordination and cooperation, making him a valuable addition to the Board of Trustees.   

Aside from his professional history, Rast is an active member of Pleasant Grove Original Free Will Baptist Church, serving on the Trustee Board. He actively coaches football, basketball and baseball for the Princeton Little Tar Heel League Youth Sports Organization, where his children play sports. Rast is an Eagle Scout from Troop 5 in Pikeville, and was president of the East Carolina Construction Association at East Carolina University.  

Stroud, from Kinston, is a graduate of East Carolina University, the University of Mount Olive and Lenoir Community College, where he obtained his doctorate and bachelor’s, master’s and associate’s degrees, respectively. He and his wife, Katie, have one child, Garner, who is three months old.  

Stroud has held positions at Lenoir Community College including adjunct instructor, director of admissions and enrollment management. He has a long history of leadership success in the area of education including workforce development, recruiting and implementing changes in learning management system software. He has more than 30 professional affiliations, and has served on multiple boards and committees throughout his professional career.    

Aside from his professional history, Stroud is an active member of Stoney Creek Church. He also serves on the mock interview panel for the Annual Miss Neuse Scholarship Pageant, the interview committee for Junior Leadership Lenoir, the Lenoir County Public Schools Business Advisory Committee and the Lenoir County Crime Stoppers Board.    

 “The University of Mount Olive Board of Trustees is delighted to add these talented and well-respected business leaders to our board,” said University of Mount Olive President Dr. H. Edward Croom. “Their individual and collective knowledge, insight and connections will surely help to elevate and advance the mission of our institution.”  

The University of Mount Olive Board of Trustees is the university’s governing body and has been a pivotal aspect of the growth and development of the university since its founding. The board comprises 30 trustees, all of whom have demonstrated expertise in numerous vocations. These include education, theology, agriculture, human resources, finance, accounting, medicine and law. This unique conglomeration of individuals brings an invaluable perspective to the institution’s governance and is instrumental in its progress.