WARRIOR CLUB

Warrior Club Board Members
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Alisa Smith, President Alisa is a longtime member of the St. David’s community and a proud mom to four students—three graduates: Ardyn ’22, Lila ’23, Julius ’25, and current 11th grader, Gabe ’25. Born in Texas and raised in New York, Alisa and her husband, Jule, a Clayton native, chose St. David’s because of its integration of faith and academics. Since joining St. David’s in 2009, Alisa has been a supporter of its mission and athletics programs, with her children participating in golf, football, tennis, lacrosse, baseball and basketball. A proud moment was watching her daughter, Lila, go on to play Division I collegiate golf, a journey shaped by incredible coaches and mentors, highlighting the profound impact of athletics on students’ lives. Professionally, Alisa holds a doctorate in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from NC State University and is the president of Strategic Organizational Solutions. She has a heart for helping leaders grow, building strong workplace cultures and driving positive change. In her free time, Alisa is active in women’s ministry and enjoys playing tennis, hiking, biking, and running.

Chad France, Vice President

Joanna Worthington, Treasurer Joanna Hill Worthington is no stranger to the St. David’s School campus; she grew up attending Hale High School with all three of her siblings. She attended Hale High School from 1992 to 1997 and graduated from high school at St. Mary’s School in 1999. Joanna went on to receive a bachelor’s degree in communications from Peace College. After completing her education, she began her career at Weather Master Heating and Air Conditioning, Plumbing and Electrical with her father and brother located in Knightdale. Joanna lives in Raleigh with her husband Rob, son Ty ’30 and their Boykin Spaniel “Pappy”. She was very eager to have her son begin his journey here six years ago to receive the same faith, virtue and knowledge that she learned, which shaped her to the adult she is today. Ty is very active in football and basketball and is excited to begin his 8th-grade year. This is Joanna’s second year on the Warrior Club Board.

Jeff Gordon, Secretary Jeff Gordon recently joined the Warrior Club and currently serves in the role of secretary. Jeff and his wife Joy have two children: St. David’s graduate, Jade ’21 and Jonah ’29. Born in Oklahoma City, OK and the son of a military father assigned to Fort Bragg, Jeff moved to North Carolina at a very early age. He is a native of the Harnett County community of Anderson Creek. As a student-athlete, he graduated from East Carolina University with a degree in Business Administration. He was a member of the ECU football team before joining the North Carolina State Highway Patrol (NCSHP) in 1993. In the fall of 2021, Jeff retired from law enforcement after an adventurous 30-year career as the Deputy Commander of the Highway Patrol and as a former Special Agent with the FBI. Jeff looks forward to serving the St. David’s community by providing the tools and resources to better serve our student-athletes.

Joey Menendez, Athletics Director, ex officio

Gena Burnett Gena Burnett is a Nurse Anesthetist, hailing originally from Beaufort, NC. She is the wife of Michael and the mother of Jeb ’32, an avid competitive tennis player, and St. David’s student since pre-kindergarten. Gena was a four-year letter winner for Women’s Swimming and Diving at UNC-Chapel Hill, where she was awarded the team’s Strength and Conditioning award, the ACC’s top Six Award for Service, and the Jim Tatum Chancellor’s Award for Community Service. She was inducted into her high school’s Athletic Hall of Fame as a two-sport athlete (swimming and track) in 2014. Her dedication to athletic excellence with a community-service oriented approach will be an asset to the Warrior Club Board.

Allen Hales A proud Wayne County native and Raleigh resident since 2014, Allen Hales is an NC State graduate with an MBA from East Carolina University and a lifelong passion for sports. Since 2007, he’s held multiple roles at AgCarolina Farm Credit, all while coaching his children, Reagan (Class of 2028) and Benton (Class of 2035), through life and various sports leagues. When he’s not cheering from the sidelines or court side at a basketball game, Allen’s focused on nurturing the next generation of athletes at St. David’s, where he’s committed to advancing a sports program that champions teamwork, discipline, and fun—all in perfect alignment with the school’s values.

Martha Howard, ex officio Martha Howard, a native of Rocky Mount and a graduate of Meredith College, brings over 25 years of experience in hospital and medical sales. She currently serves as a Key Account Surgical Specialist for LifeNet Health, where she is committed to advancing patient care through innovative solutions. Martha is a proud wife to Richard and a devoted mother to Addie and Grandison, both of whom began their education at St. David’s in Pre-K. Grandison (’26) plays football at Ravenscroft, while Addie (’28) plays volleyball and lacrosse at St. David’s. Martha enjoys quality time with her family, especially watching them play sports, going on offshore fishing trips, and spending time at the beach.

Justin Keever Justin Keever is an 8th & 12th-Grade Humanities Teacher at St. David’s. He is a proud US Navy Veteran, husband to wife Kaitlin and father to two St. David’s students, gymnast Kennedy ’34 and three-sport athlete Hayden ’30. When not taxiing his kids to their extracurriculars, you’ll hear him announcing many Warriors athletic events. Both All-State athletes in high school, he and his wife know their adult character and work ethic were shaped by great coaches and programs in their youth. As the former Division Physical Training Leader on several ships while serving in the US Navy, he is excited to bring the mindset of “fit body = fit mind” to the Warrior Club and its support of student-athlete programs.”

Matt Martin Matt Martin serves as Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary of First Citizens Bank in Raleigh, N.C. In this role, he provides legal counsel to the Board and executive leadership, oversees legal support for the general bank, commercial bank, and corporate functions, and leads the legal department. Prior to joining First Citizens, Matt served as U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina, the chief federal law enforcement officer for the district. Prior to serving as U.S. Attorney, Matt was Associate General Counsel of Duke Energy and a partner with the law firm of Smith Anderson. He has served in leadership positions on the boards of the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina, Meals on Wheels, and the Marbles Kids Museum, as well as on several committees of the North Carolina Bar Association. He also spent three years as chair of the Wake County Planning Board. Matt and his wife, Jamie, have four children—a 2023 St. David’s graduate and three current students, as well as an erstwhile hunting dog called Charlie.

Patrick Mills Patrick Mills is a proud husband to Harriet, owner and founder of Wine & Design, and father to three: Abigail ’30, an 8th-grade tennis and basketball player at St. David’s; Cooper ’35, a 3rd-grader and future Warrior athlete; and Patrick, a sophomore at Broughton and an avid lacrosse player. Patrick spent 13 years at Arendell Parrott Academy, where the coaches and athletic programs made a lasting impact on his character and work ethic. That experience inspired his desire to give back to a school community much like the one that shaped him. Now in his third year on the Warrior Club Board, Patrick has enjoyed being part of the team behind various branding efforts that have helped build school spirit and pride for current and future student-athletes. As the owner of Capital Sign Solutions, he’s been grateful for the opportunity to contribute professionally as well—quietly helping bring to life a shared vision for the campus and athletic programs he and his family care deeply about.

Sara Morisey Sara has been a native of Raleigh since preschool. She attended Millbrook High School and graduated from UNC Chapel Hill. Sara grew up playing tennis and loves the sport. She is currently the varsity girls’ tennis coach and enjoys mentoring these wonderful girls! Sara and her husband, Jack, have two sons who both attend St. David’s. Henry is in the class of 2028, and Schaf is in the class of 2030. Both boys play basketball and lacrosse. Our family has been part of the St. David’s community since 2015, and we are incredibly grateful for this school. Go Warriors!

Amy Perry Amy Perry is excited to join the Warrior Club this year and serve our Warrior athletes. Amy is married to Lee Perry, and they have three daughters, Allie (16), Jane (14), and Hannah (11). Allie and Hannah attend St. David’s and are in 11th and 6th grades. Allie has loved being involved in cheer and cross country through her middle and upper school years and hopes to play golf this year at St. David’s. Hannah is trying out for the middle school tennis team. Amy has always played sports and played Division 3 Field Hockey and Tennis at Catholic University from 1998-2002. Amy works as a Clinical Social Worker at Lifecare Counseling and Coaching. Amy is looking forward to being a part of a great year of athletics at St. David’s!

Felice Pete Felice is a native North Carolinian. She has always been an avid sports enthusiast. She and her husband, Karl, live in Raleigh with their son, Reagan ’29. Reagan is a two-sport athlete at St. Davids, baseball and football, and has attended St David’s since fourth grade. Felice lettered in high school in cheerleading and was the Nash County Parliamentarian for FFA (Future Farmers of America). She graduated from UNC, Chapel Hill, where she made the dance team, the High Kicking Heels. Although she never danced with the team due to their rigorous practice schedule and her academic demands, she knows the hard work and commitment it takes to become excellent. She later attended Wake Forest University for harpist graduate work and now works as a Nurse Anesthetist. She is unapologetically God first in life and work, which is what drew her to St. David’s. She believes that her work ethic and God-first principles will be an asset to the Warrior Club, setting the bar high for our members, students, and faculty. Fun facts about Felice are: She follows the United Tractor Pullers of the Carolinas and represented the state of North Carolina as a 2012 member of the Electoral College.

Kelly Shoaff Kelly Shoaff is a St. David's alumna. Go Warriors! She is a wife (Kevin Shoaff) and mother of three boys, two of whom are currently enrolled at the school: George Henry ’27 and Max ’30. Her youngest son, Renwick (2033), attends the Montessori School of Raleigh. Kelly practiced law in Texas for many years before moving home to Raleigh, where she served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina. Over recent years, Kelly has watched her boys play football, lacrosse, soccer and basketball at St David's. When she's not sitting in the bleachers, Kelly enjoys traveling, reading, and, most recently, attempting to learn mahjong. She is excited to work with the Warrior Club to elevate, expand and energize the athletic program.

Ryan Shears Ryan Shears is the Division President of M/I Homes in Raleigh, North Carolina, with over a decade of homebuilding experience. Ryan is a proud husband to Faith Shears and father to Ty Shears, a freshman at St. David’s, who plays football, basketball, and baseball. He is a Florida native, who attended the University of South Florida in Tampa on a golf scholarship. His experience as a collegiate athlete shaped his competitive spirit and leadership style, both of which have fueled his success in the business world. Ryan is excited to be part of the Warrior Club at St. David’s and to help support St. David’s athletics.