UNG Foundation announces four new trustees

The University of North Georgia (UNG) Foundation Inc., the philanthropic arm of the university, adds four new members to its volunteer Board of Trustees, effective July 1: Carol Burrell of Northeast Georgia Health System; Oscar Baldwin "Bo" Fears Jr. of Tharco Packaging; Patrick Magill of Coca-Cola Co.; and Jenny Muller of Smith & Nephew.

The UNG Foundation Inc. supports the mission of UNG by promoting philanthropy from all constituents, managing and investing its assets responsibly, providing financial assistance for students, faculty and staff, and serving in an advisory role to the president of the university.

"I am pleased to welcome these four new members to our Board," said Mary Helen McGruder, chairman of the Board of Trustees of the UNG Foundation. "Our trustees demonstrate a high level of leadership with their dedication to our students and commitment to contributing to their successful experience by helping ease their financial burdens.  These new members will certainly make us more effective as we work to make sure our students have every opportunity to thrive at UNG and in their future endeavors."

The UNG Foundation was formed July 2014 from the consolidation of the two separately incorporated foundations from the former North Georgia College & State University and Gainesville State College and is governed by a volunteer Board of Trustees.

Carol Burrell

As the president and CEO of Northeast Georgia Health System, Burrell is responsible for all health system operations including clinical, support and human resources, facility and construction projects, and physician practice management. 

Burrell has a bachelor's degree in medical technology from Georgia Southern University and Emory University, where she started her career in healthcare; Burrell also has a master's in health care administration. Burrell became interested in the business side of health care early in her career, which ultimately led her to Northeast Georgia Health System in 1999; she was named COO in 2005.

Burrell was recognized by Georgia Trend magazine in 2015 and 2016 as one of the 100 Most Influential Georgians. 

Burrell lives in Gainesville with husband Steve; the couple has two grown children, Lee and Bradee, both of whom earned degrees at UNG.

"Bo" Fears

Fears, a 1968 alumnus of UNG with a Bachelor of Science in physics, is the retired CEO of Tharco Packaging.

After graduation, Fears commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he served for seven years. Fears was a helicopter pilot in Vietnam and an instructor pilot in Pensacola, Florida. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Single Mission Air Medal, 84 Air Medals, Navy Commendation Medal with Combat V, Navy Achievement Medal, and others.

After his military career, Fears spent 25 years with the paper company Westvaco, rising to senior vice president and general manager of the consumer packaging division. Fears then joined Tharco Packaging as president and CEO, for 10 years.

Fears and wife Carolyn, also a UNG alumnus, live in Greensboro, Georgia. 

Magill has more than 20 years of experience, including 17 at Coca-Cola, in consumer and business-to-business marketing, innovative solution development, and organizational design and culture.

In his current role as director of customer marketing, Magill leads a team dedicated to engaging consumers and driving revenue and repeat visits for Coca-Cola's customers. Prior to his current position, Magill provided marketing leadership across a variety of Coca-Cola customers and teams both in headquarters and in the field.

Magill is a graduate of the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign, and has an MBA from Loyola University-Chicago. He is also a graduate of the Second City Conservatory for Improvisational Acting.

Magill resides in Alpharetta, Georgia, with wife Kendra and three sons Hayden, EJ and Branden.

Jenny Muller

Muller, a 1994 alumna of UNG with a degree in political science, is district manager at Smith & Nephew. While at UNG, Muller became the first woman in the Corps of Cadets to lead a line company when she took command of Alpha Company. She went on to earn her MBA from Tulane University. 

Muller has worked in pharmaceutical sales since 2003; in her current role, she leads a team of 10 sales representatives covering the Gulf Coast region. 

Muller and her husband, James Beard, live in Houston, Texas. She has served as an active member of the UNG Corps of Cadets Advisory Council since 2014.