Patrick Cato’14 He/him/his
Chair
Patrick is a 2014 graduate from Clemson University who lives in Charleston, SC. He currently works at MUSC in NIH-funded clinical research. Having learned to market clinical research, budget with grant funds, and work alongside a variety of people (from doctors to patients to outside vendors), he brings a range of skills to the Board. He is motivated to work hard on behalf of the Clemson LGBTQ+ Alumni Council to build a strong LGBTQ+ family at Clemson University and beyond. He believes we must stand together now more than ever to continue to build an enduring future for LGBTQ+ students.
Beverly Smith, ’81 She/her/hers
Vice Chair
Beverly graduated from Clemson University in 1981 with a degree in Sociology and minor in Communications. She currently lives in Rock Hill, SC. She was on the staff of The Tiger and Taps while at Clemson and began her career as a journalist with stints at the Greenville (SC) News and Gastonia (NC) Gazette. She later enjoyed a successful career in public relations with Duke Energy and seven years in Washington, DC as a coalition builder, communicator and grassroots organizer. Not being one to tire easily or rest on her laurels, Beverly is currently following her passion of caring for others as a Certified Medical Assistant with Atrium Health’s Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute in Charlotte, NC. She also has a digital marketing and public relations business specializing in promoting independent medical practices and providing patient education. In her spare time, she blogs about social justice issues, politics and LGBTQ+ equality and serves on the leadership board of First United Methodist Church of Charlotte.
Chris Grace, ‘99 He/him/his
Treasurer
Chris graduated from Clemson University in 1999 with a degree in PRTM. He recently relocated back to Clemson from Chicago. Chris has worked in the medical convention planning industry since graduating from Clemson. Along the way, he has also donated his professional skills to various non-profits like HRC (Human Rights Campaign), AIDS Foundation of Chicago, Equality Illinois, Rainbow Alliance of the Deaf, and Deaf Illinois Awards events. Chris grew up across the lake from Clemson University in Seneca and was involved with the beginning of the Clemson LGBTQ+ Alumni Council (formerly known as CASE). He’s excited to become more involved in alumni activities and in the development of the Clemson LGBTQ+ Alumni Council scholarship he helped to make a reality through his role as Endowment Chair.
Caroline Simpson, ‘97 She/her/hers
Secretary
Caroline, a Walhalla, SC native, graduated from Clemson in 1997 with a degree in Speech & Communications. She currently lives in Leander, TX a suburb of Austin, TX, with her husband and three kids. She is the owner of Virtual Admin Partner, where she partners with senior executives in companies of all sizes to provide virtual administrative services. Serving on the Clemson LGBTQ+ Alumni Council Board is a small way for Caroline to give back to a school of which she is a proud alumna and that she continues to support. The Clemson LGBTQ+ Alumni Council is also an important contributor and reminder to the entire Clemson community that we must continue to strive for equality for all current and former students, and that we must all work to move forward together. Caroline was previously the Secretary of the club from 2013 to 2014.
Gregory Caleca, ’05 He/him/his
Board Member
Gregory, a New York, NY native, graduated from Clemson University in 2005 with a B.S. in Construction Science and Management. He was a member of CGSA, Clemson Crew, a university tour guide, and the Student Body Treasurer. Greg has lived all over the southeast since graduating, constructing projects for Duke Energy, SCE&G, Dominion Energy, and AT&T. Currently living in the Greater Metro Washington, DC Area, Greg is doing transmission & distribution work for Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE). He is still very active with rowing and serves as the Chief Financial Officer for the Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association (SIRA). Greg is excited about being elected to the Clemson LGBT+ Alumni Council Board and looks forward to working with alumni and the university, serving in any way that he can.
Micah McDade, ’17 He/him/his
Board Member
Micah J. McDade is a 2017 graduate of the Clemson University MBA program. Micah has spent the last 12 years in live entertainment marketing all over the country, including New York City (Broadway and National Tour marketing and press), Fort Worth (Bass Performance Hall, Casa Mañana Theatre) and Dallas, Texas (Tony Award-winning Dallas Theater Center) and Greenville, SC (Peace Center). He earned his BA in Theatre performance from The University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He currently serves as the marketing director at the Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet, IL and resides in the fabulous Andersonville neighborhood of Chicago. Other Board involvement: Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus, Board Member- External Communications and Marketing, and League of Chicago Theatres Young Professionals Board. Go Tigers!
John Jay Jacobs, ’91 He/him/his
Board Member
Jay is a 1991 Clemson alumnus who spent sixteen years employed in the membrane switch and electro panel industry before returning to Clemson in 2008. After acquiring his Master of Science in Graphic Communications in 2010, he stayed to become Lecturer at Clemson University. He is pursuing a PhD in Rhetoric Communication Information Design while teaching in the Department of Graphic Communications. He is the department Safe Zone faculty and is an advocate for diversity and LGBTQ rights at Clemson. In addition to his industrial and academic experience, he’s been a personal trainer, yoga instructor, model, artist, jeweler, writer, and licensed massage therapist.
Kim Carter, ’19 She/her/hers and/or they/them/their
Board Member
Originally from Maine, Kim relocated to South Carolina to attend graduate school at Clemson University. In May 2019, Kim earned an MEd in Student Affairs. She also has a BA in English from the University of Maine at Augusta. Kim currently works at Clemson in the Academic Success Center as an academic adviser and coach. While a student at Clemson, she was involved in planning Pride Week activities and is passionate about continuing to create an inclusive and welcoming experience for LGBTQ+ students at Clemson. She looks forward to working with former and current students through the Clemson LGBTQ+ Alumni Council.
Shawn Knight, ’16 He/him/his
Board Member
Shawn is a 2016 graduate with a Masters in Education (Student Affairs). During his time at Clemson, Shawn’s primary role was as a Graduate Assistant in the Gantt Multicultural Center, supporting LGBTQ+ students. In this role, Shawn served as the primary advisor to CGSA & CU SAGA. Shawn also worked to create the Pride Week and Trans Week of Awareness series of events. In his spare time, Shawn also served as a TrevorChat volunteer, for at-risk LGBTQ+ youth. While at Clemson, Shawn also was a member of Phi Gamma Delta, Chi Sigma Alpha, and the Student Personnel Association. After leaving Clemson, Shawn spent two years in California at UC Davis. Shawn now works at UNC Charlotte in the Dean of Students office and is a student in the Educational Leadership doctoral program at UNCC. Shawn is serving in his first term on the board after relocating to Charlotte, NC and is looking forward to re-connecting with campus and furthering initiatives for LGBTQ+ alumni and the University as a whole.
Jonathan Yongue, ’10 He/him/his
Board Member
As a native of Six Mile, SC, a small town on the outskirts of Clemson, Jonathan was born instantly to the Clemson Family. His fondest memories and favorite days of the year still are of Fall Football Saturdays in Tiger Town – the sea of orange, cool weather, and tailgating; but most importantly the energy, passion and support the fans showed for the each other, the team and its coaches, and its students. It was therefore an obvious choice to attend Clemson University for his undergraduate studies, where he served for 3 years on the Tiger Newspaper staff and graduated in 2010 with a BS in Political Science. After graduation, Jonathan relocated to Columbia, SC, where he completed his Master’s in Human Resources at the University of South Carolina in 2011. Though he never donned garnet, he found a supportive network of both allies and within the LGBTQ+ community in Columbia. Jonathan lived in Columbia until Summer of 2018, when he moved to Charleston to pursue a career opportunity with the South Carolina Ports Authority. Jonathan’s passion for Clemson motivated him to join the Clemson LGBTQ+ Alumni Council as a Board Member beginning in 2019. He could not be more excited to dedicate his time, effort and own experiences to the students and alumni of the Clemson LGBTQ+ Community.
Michael O’Brien, ’17 He/him/his
Board Member
Michael graduated from Clemson University in 2017 with his B.S. in Microbiology with a Biomedicine emphasis. He was a leader in Alpha Phi Omega, a co-ed national service fraternity and the third oldest student organization at Clemson. He now lives down the road in Greenville, SC and is a student at the USC School of Medicine-Greenville. As a queer Clemson alum, Michael is passionate about advocating for equality both in patient care, as well as within the medical education system itself. Being a member of the Clemson LGBTQ+ Alumni Council is an incredible opportunity, and he is looking forward to giving back to the Clemson Family and doing his best to ensure that LGBTQ+ alumni and students are always welcome where the tigers play and beyond.
Brian Cave, ’97 He/him/his
Past Chair
Brian, a Charleston, SC native, graduated from Clemson University in 1997 with a degree in PRTM. In 2006, he also received a Master of Arts in Theology from Union Theological Seminary in the city of New York. He currently lives in Union, NJ with his husband of 15 years; three dogs, Dasher, Jane & Gumbo; and one cat, Chewy. He is an accomplished professional in the areas of human resources, operations, project management, and event planning & management, working with non-profits, small companies and international corporations based in Charlotte, NC, New York, NY, Austin, TX, and London, UK. He currently works in New York City as the Operations Manager for Issey Miyake USA Corp., the USA division of Issey Miyake International headquartered in Tokyo. Brian was one of the founding members of the Clemson LGBTQ+ Alumni Council (formerly known as CASE) and served on the board for many years.