Sweet Briar College’s president’s cabinet is composed of the senior officers in each division of the College. The cabinet works with the president and the Board of Directors to keep the College running smoothly.
Belinda Burke
Chief Financial Officer, Vice President for Administration
Belinda came to Sweet Briar in 2025 from William Peace University in Raleigh, N.C. where she served as chief financial officer and vice president for administration for three years. She holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Virginia Tech, is a certified public accountant and certified management accountant, and is a graduate of the Credit Union Executives Society’s CEO Institute as a certified chief executive. Belinda has also held CFO roles at Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa, N.C. and Wesley College in Dover, Del. Prior to her career in higher education, she worked in banking for large credit unions.
Belinda has experience in strategic planning, financial reporting and analysis, financial modeling and analysis, budget preparation and reporting, investment portfolio management, cash flow and liquidity management, debt management, procurement, and cost accounting. In addition, she has a strong background in human resources, building and grounds, information technology, public safety, auxiliary services, and risk management.
Terrie Conrad
Chief Development Officer
Terrie Conrad joined the College’s Office of Alumnae Relations & Development in 2025. A certified fundraising executive and fellow in charitable estate planning, Terrie is an experienced fundraiser who has dedicated her career to advancing higher education. She held key development roles at Virginia Military Institute during more than 20 years of service, worked at Hampden-Sydney College as editor of college publications, and was previously the director of annual giving at Mary Baldwin College. While Terrie is a graduate of Randolph-Macon Women’s College (now Randolph College), she has a daughter who graduated from Sweet Briar in 2003.
Kerry Greenstein, Ed.D.
Dean of Student Life
Kerry joined Sweet Briar in 2021 as dean of student life. Prior to Sweet Briar, Kerry served as the dean of student affairs at Beacon College. In that role, he was responsible for the oversight and management of housing and residence life, student activities, counseling, health services, safety, fitness and recreation, transportation, and overall student advocacy.
At Sweet Briar, he utilizes his passion for leadership development to engage students in student life, and in conjunction with the Student Life team, provide students a full co-curricular experience. Kerry holds a B.A. in communications from Rider University, M.Ed. in student affairs practice in higher education from the University of Delaware, and Ed.D. in educational administration from Georgia Southern University.
Claire Dennison Griffith ’80
Vice President of Alumnae Relations & Development
Claire joined Sweet Briar College in 2015 as the director of major gifts in the Office of Alumnae Relations and Development before becoming the department’s senior director in 2017 and vice president in 2024.
Claire was the managing director of Direct Hits Education for 11 years organizing SAT, PSAT, and ACT prep classes for high school students and helping families work through the college admissions process. She also managed the marketing and distribution of the Direct Hits Vocabulary series. She was on the board of a non-profit, Student Aid Foundation, which loaned money for college and graduate school to girls that live or go to school in Georgia.
After graduating from Sweet Briar with a degree in Economics, Claire joined Merrill Lynch in the Corporate Intern Executive Training Program and then spent six years in the as an assistant vice president of the Special Transactions Group in Equity Trading. Claire was the Sweet Briar Club president in New York City, New Jersey, and Atlanta and served on the Alumnae Association Board.
Donna Meyer Hodgert ’89
Director of Athletics
Donna returned to Sweet Briar College as director of athletics in 2025. In addition to being an alumna, she also previously served the College as swim coach, aquatics director, and interim athletic director. Most recently, she served as director of aquatics and swim coach at the Country Club of Charleston. In Charleston, Donna oversaw the management of the club aquatics facility and programming; hired, trained, and supervised swim coaches and lifeguards; maintained inventory reports and safety data sheets in compliance with South Carolina DHEC and OHSA; marketed and promoted the aquatics program; and oversaw and managed all aspects of the summer league swim program. Prior to, she held positions in athletics administration and coaching at both Liberty University and James River Day School.
Donna received a B.A. in Spanish and international studies from Sweet Briar and still holds two records in Vixen swimming, including the 400 individual medley in short course meters and the 400 medley relay in short course yards.
Kathleen Placidi
Director of Institutional Grants
Kathleen has been working on grants for Sweet Briar since 2003. She received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Case Western Reserve University and did additional graduate study in American art at the University of Virginia. Before coming to Sweet Briar, she was a fundraiser at CWRU and Monticello, and she has taught art history at several colleges, including Sweet Briar.
As the director of institutional grants, Kathleen collaborates with the faculty and professional staff to help the College obtain external grant support from a variety of funders, ranging from federal and state agencies to private foundations, corporations and individual donors. Kathleen serves on a number of College committees and works closely with the president on communications and special projects.
Lisa J. Powell, Ph.D.
Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dean of the College & Chief Sustainability Officer
Lisa joined the Sweet Briar College faculty in 2020 and became vice president of academic affairs, dean of the College, and chief sustainability officer in 2025. Prior, she was working in British Columbia, Canada on research focused on strengthening regional food systems, agricultural land use policy and planning, adoption of new technologies in the agri-food sector, diversification of fruit and vegetable production and food literacy education.Lisa is an interdisciplinary scholar of environments and food systems, whose research, teaching, and program development work weaves together her training in the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities, as well as her life-long involvement in her family’s farm. In her role as director of Sweet Briar’s Center for Human and Environmental Sustainability, Lisa collaborates with students, faculty, staff, and surrounding communities on sustainability initiatives. She leads the academic and community-focused aspects of Sweet Briar’s agricultural areas, including the greenhouse, apiary, vineyard, garden, and forests. She also supervises teams of students who work in the greenhouse, apiary, and garden both during the school year and as Willits Summer Food Systems Fellows.
Lisa earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mathematics from both Harvard University and Vanderbilt University, respectively. She then continued her studies at the University of Texas at Austin, earning a M.A. in American studies and Ph.D. in American studies and sustainability.
Christopher Smith, Ph.D.
Vice President of Enrollment Management
Christopher assumed the role of vice president of enrollment management at Sweet Briar College in 2024. With more than two decades of leadership in high-impact sales and higher education, he brings a stellar track record of driving enrollment growth through data-driven strategies, innovative marketing, and a steadfast commitment to diversity and program development—all in alignment with the College’s mission of empowering women leaders.
Before joining Sweet Briar, Christopher was the executive director of enrollment management and new student engagement at Kansas State University Salina Aerospace and Technology Campus for six years, overseeing admissions, marketing, financial aid, and auxiliary services, including dining and the bookstore. His leadership was instrumental in creating holistic recruitment and retention strategies centered on student engagement from initial contact through graduation. Earlier, Christopher served eight years as director of admissions for DeVry University and its Keller Graduate School of Management in North Carolina, where he led significant enrollment initiatives. A certified professional marketer with expertise in digital marketing, he is a sought-after speaker in higher education and is known for his thought leadership in enrollment management and marketing. Christopher earned a B.A. in political science with a minor in criminal justice from Valdosta State University, M.A. in organizational management from the University of Phoenix, and Ph.D. in education and higher education leadership from Capella University.
Yani Smith, SHRM-CP
Director of Human Resources
Yani Smith is a SHRM-certified professional and U.S. Army veteran who joined Sweet Briar College in 2025. With more than a decade of experience across public, private, and nonprofit sectors, she has built a distinguished career grounded in service, leadership, and advocacy for employees. Before coming to Sweet Briar, Yani served as director of human resources, Title IX coordinator, FOIA officer, and clerk of the school board for Martinsville City Public Schools. Her diverse professional background also includes key roles with the Gracefully Natural LLC, Medical Facilities of America, Wells Fargo, Verizon, and the U.S. Army, where she first developed her foundation in finance, discipline, and strategic personnel management.
Yani holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Phoenix and a master’s degree in human resource management from Western Governors University. She also earned a finance certificate from the U.S. Army Finance School, and has served on the boards of the Blue Ridge Human Resource Association and the Patrick & Henry Community College Foundation. Dedicated to continuous growth, Yani is passionate about leveraging her extensive experience as she transitions toward a future career in employment law, aiming to further advocate for fairness, equity, and ethical leadership in the workplace.
Clélie Steckel
Director of Communications, Marketing, and Events
Clélie Steckel has been a member of the Sweet Briar College staff since 2015, though grew up as a member of the campus community as the daughter of two College employees. She currently serves as the director of communications, marketing and events and has previously held roles in the Office of Alumnae Relations & Development.
Before Sweet Briar, she worked locally in Lynchburg at the Centra Foundation and Amazement Square. Clélie is a graduate of Guilford College and the University of Lynchburg, earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English. Her favorite thing about Sweet Briar is watching our students grow and go on to make a difference in the world.
Merrilee “Mimi” Wroten ’93
Director of Riding
Mimi is the director of the Riding Program and head coach of the NCEA team. She taught and rode professionally in New Jersey before returning to the College and its nationally-recognized program in 1996.
She is a U.S. Equestrian Federation ‘R’ judge, an American National Riding Commission-recorded judge and holds the ANRC top rider rating. She is also a U.S. Hunter Jumper Association Certified Trainer and Credentialed Instructor. Mimi graduated from Sweet Briar with a B.A. in psychology. Upon her return, she taught under Paul D. Cronin, director emeritus of the Riding Program, and former director Shelby French before her promotion to program director in 2011. She enjoys teaching and training riders of all levels.
