Below is a press release from ECU News Services to announce that the school’s board of trustees has elected officers and new members.
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Photo credit: (ECU News Services photo)
By ECU News Services
The East Carolina University Board of Trustees elected its officers for the coming academic year and welcomed new members during a special called meeting on Thursday.
Cassie Burt will serve as chair, Dave Fussell will serve as vice chair and Van Isley will serve as secretary for 2025-26 after a unanimous vote by the board.
Burt, from Emerald Isle, attended ECU in the 1980s and then became a long-time employee of Hastings Ford, working in the accounting office and as the office manager. She serves on the ECU Medical & Health Sciences Board and spends much of her time volunteering throughout the area. Burt is a member and treasurer of the Seaside Arts Council in Swansboro, and with her husband Travis, works with the Boys and Girls Club of Morehead City. They also support youth sports programs and the Hope Mission in Carteret County. The Burts are passionate members of the Pirate Club. She becomes the first woman chair of the ECU Board of Trustees.
Burt thanked the board members for what she called “a humbling honor” to serve as chair. She acknowledged the successes of previous boards that supported academic accomplishments such as the university’s R1 research designation and capital initiatives such as ECU’s Center for Medical Education Building, now under construction. She also noted strengthened oversight of university finances, operations and enrollment strategies as well as a continued commitment to serve students and the communities of eastern North Carolina.
“These accomplishments didn’t happen by chance nor accident,” Burt said. “They are a direct result of our board culture grounded in trust, transparency, respect for the leadership and the leadership team, and a shared commitment to ECU’s long-term success. This healthy culture is one of our greatest strengths, and I believe we must fully lean into that as we move forward.”
The board approved committees for 2025-26 and welcomed four new members, each appointed to a four-year term beginning July 1 and ending June 30, 2029.
Curtis Struyk was appointed by the UNC System Board of Governors. Struyk, a Carteret County native, graduated from East Carteret High School in 1982. He enrolled at ECU, excelling academically and as a three-year letter winner in football. He received his degree in industrial technology with a concentration in construction management in 1987. He has been a Pirate Club member since 1990 and served on its executive committee from 2015-17.
Struyk is the president of TMX Shipping Company, an international freight forwarder and NVOCC (non-vessel operating common carrier) in Morehead City, specializing in exporting wood products worldwide.
Matt Crisp was appointed by the UNC System Board of Governors. Originally from Washington, Crisp received his Bachelor of Science in business administration with a concentration in finance from ECU in 1993 and his MBA in 1996.
Crisp co-founded an Atlanta-based financial technology company called eVestment, a data and analytics organization that services the institutional investment industry, and served as its chief operating officer. The company grew from four original partners to more than 400 employees globally with offices in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Since the sale of eVestment, Crisp has been a private investor in pre- and post-revenue companies, helping fellow entrepreneurs avoid common pitfalls of start-ups and growing successful businesses.
In addition, he is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Ron Clark Academy, a globally recognized education nonprofit organization founded by fellow ECU alumnus and childhood friend Ron Clark. He is also a member of the ECU Foundation Board, serves on the advisory committee for the Crisp Small Business Resource Center and is a member of the Pirate Club.
Nick Crabtree of Greenville was appointed by the N.C. Senate. Crabtree earned a Bachelor of Science in political science and communications from ECU in 1999 and was also a member of the football team. He is co-founder and operator of The Crabtree Group, a family-owned enterprise offering specialized products and menus tailored to meet the unique needs of governmental and child nutrition clients. He also co-founded Medco33, a medical investment organization dedicated to commercializing advanced technologies and fostering research partnerships. He serves on the ECU Foundation Board and recently received the James R. Talton Jr. Service Award for outstanding contributions and lifetime service from the board.
Rich Balot of Grimesland was appointed by the N.C. House. Balot founded ABC Phones, now known as Victra, in October 1996 as a freshman in college. Under his leadership, the company has grown from one location to more than 1,700 locations in all 50 states with more than $3 billion in revenue. Balot is a member of YPO and president of John Paul II Catholic High School. He was the 2024 Ernst and Young Southeast U.S. Entrepreneur of the Year. He also is an ECU alumnus with a Bachelor of Science in business administration.
Daniel Walker, ECU Student Government Association president, also joined the board as an ex-officio member for the coming year. He is from Currituck and graduated in May with a bachelor’s in public health. He is a first-year graduate student in public administration with a concentration in health care administration.