Several APSU Division of Alumni, Engagement and Philanthropy team members earn promotions
By: Payton Baggett September 18, 2023
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – The Austin Peay State University (APSU) Division of Alumni, Engagement and Philanthropy recently promoted several of its current team members to new positions.
Those who have received new titles include Brad Averitt (’10, ’17), who is now assistant vice president of alumni and annual giving; Payton Baggett (’14, ’17), who is now director of communications; Kelley Board, who is now assistant director of donor relations and scholarships; Hannah Heflin, who is now philanthropy coordinator; Sam Mynhier (’15), who is now the director of alumni and annual giving; Lee Persinger (’91) who is now director of corporate relations and strategic alliances; and Vonda St. Amant (’83), who is now the assistant vice president of philanthropy.
Averitt is a native of Erin, Tennessee, and a third-generation Austin Peay graduate.
He has degrees from APSU in corporate communications and health and human performance.
He began his career at APSU as an admissions counselor from 2011-16 and as the coordinator
of graduate recruitment from 2016-18. He then served as the director of development
for the APSU College of Business until 2022.
Baggett is a Clarksville native and an APSU graduate with degrees in journalism and
marketing. She previously worked as a reporter for ClarksvilleNow and an AmeriCorps
VISTA member for the Clarksville-Montgomery County Education Foundation before returning
to Austin Peay in 2018.
Board earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in
2006. She entered the higher education field in 2017 and worked her way to the assistant
director of admissions role at Daymar College in Nashville, Tennessee, before coming
to APSU.
Heflin grew up in the military. She earned her Bachelor of Science in anthropology
in 2019 from Middle Tennessee State University. Since graduation, she has worked in
Human Resources under the umbrella of staffing until joining APSU.
Mynhier has been with the division for almost five years as the assistant director
of annual giving. During his tenure, he has overseen record years for Govs Give, the
overhaul of GOVing Tuesday and the launch of the SHAPE Faculty and Staff Giving Campaign.
As an undergraduate, he was also the Governor mascot for two years.
Persinger has a bachelor’s degree in communications and marketing from APSU. Earlier
in her career, she worked with corporate and nonprofit fundraising in the Nashville
and Clarksville markets. Most recently, she worked in employee relations and human
resources management for a large, local manufacturer. She initially came to work for
Austin Peay last year as the director of development for the College of Arts and Letters
and the College of Behavioral and Health Sciences.
St. Amant is a 1983 graduate of APSU. After several years in nonprofit fundraising,
she returned to her alma mater in 2010. In her role, she oversees a dynamic development
team and provides donor-focused leadership to help meet the University’s strategic
goals.
“We are thrilled by the growth that our division has experienced in recent months by bringing in new talent and recognizing the outstanding efforts of our current team members,” APSU Vice President for Alumni, Engagement and Philanthropy Kris Phillips said. “I eagerly anticipate the impact they will all make on our University. I know they will all help our division engage with our community of ‘Govs for Life,’ including APSU students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends.”
To support APSU’s fundraising initiatives, contact the Office of Philanthropy at 931-221-7127.