Kaye Lingle Koonce - 2011
Kaye Lingle Koonce retired in September 2010 as general counsel and senior vice president at Trident Technical College in Charleston, South Carolina. During her twenty-three years of service as general counsel Ms. Koonce also held several other positions, including the dean of the Public Service Division and department chair of the Business Division. Prior to her tenure at Trident Tech, she was a special prosecutor for the Ninth Judicial Circuit of South Carolina and a S.C. assistant attorney general. She is a member of the South Carolina Bar, U.S. 4th District Court Bar and the U.S. Supreme Court Bar.
Ms. Koonce received a bachelor’s degree with a double major in Broadcast Journalism and Dramatic Arts from the University of Missouri. She graduated from the University of South Carolina Law School in 1982. She frequently speaks on higher education law and other topics including sexual harassment, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and nonprofit board governance and legal liability issues at numerous institutions and conferences including for NACUA, Stetson University, Valencia Community College, and the University of Vermont
Since joining NACUA in 1988, Kaye attended every annual conference (22 in total) and 12 CLE workshops. She was an active speaker and moderator at 11 educational programs. She served as a member of the NACUA Board of Directors from 1998-2001. She also volunteered to serve on 13 committees and task forces, including the Committee on Membership and Member Services, Annual Program, Nominations and Elections, Continuing Legal Education, Board Operations, Professional Development and the Board Advisory Council on Diversity and Inclusivity. Kaye was also active in establishing the first Community College Interest Group.
Since her retirement in the fall of 2010, Kaye has had the opportunity to travel extensively and she has been an active volunteer for numerous organizations including the Spoleto Festival USA, the SC Association of Nonprofit Organizations, numerous political campaigns, the South Carolina Democratic Party and the Democratic National Committee.
Kaye is the epitome of NACUA’s core values of civility, collegiality, and service. She modeled those values throughout her career in higher education law.
NACUA is pleased to recognize Kaye Lingle Koonce as a Life Member of the Association in recognition of her outstanding service and her sustained and substantial contributions to NACUA and the field of higher education law.