Ed Winslow, a Greensboro attorney who served as chair of Guilford College’s Board of Trustees from 2014 to 2021, was recognized by the board as chair emeritus at its meeting in February.
He has served on the board since 2004 alongside four College presidents and was vice chair for eight years. He and his predecessor, Joseph M. Bryan Jr. ’60, (in 2014) are the only individuals to be honored with the designation of chair emeritus.
“As board chair, Ed led with patience and fortitude. He sought stability in leadership through turbulent times and gracefully supported others during times of transition. We owe Ed and his wife Sally a major debt of gratitude for their steadfast support,” said Ione Taylor ’76, who succeeded Ed as chair in 2021.
“Grounded in his Quaker heritage and convictions, Ed’s presence, belief in higher education for the greater good, and attunement to Guilford’s unique place in the world, served the institution beyond words. Throughout his tenure on the Board, Ed remained an enthusiastic champion for the important role Guilford College has played, and will continue to play, in the Greensboro community and in North Carolina,” Ione added.
As chair of the Trusteeship and Governance Committee, before becoming board chair, Ed helped usher in many new trustees and manage the critical task of updating bylaws and establishing a new committee/council structure.
He served on a number of other committees, including presidential search committees that brought Jane Fernandes and Kyle Farmbry to Guilford in 2014 and 2021, respectively.
Ed and his family are rooted in Guilford’s Quaker history from the founding of New Garden Boarding School in 1837. His great-great grandfather, Nereus Mendenhall, was principal of the boarding school and courageously kept it open to serve students throughout the Civil War.
Mary Mendenhall Hobbs, a great-aunt, was the spouse of Guilford’s first president, Lewis Lyndon Hobbs. Another great-aunt, Gertrude Mendenhall, and a great-grandfather, J. Franklin Davis, were members of the original faculty of the College.
Ed is a partner at the business law firm Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard, LLP, with offices in Greensboro, Raleigh and Wilmington, and has more than 40 years of experience in litigation, tax law, banking and financial services.