Wake Forest University Board of Trustees Elects Smith Anderson Managing Partner as Chair

Wake Forest University has announced the election of Smith Anderson Managing Partner Gerald Roach as Chair of its Board of Trustees for a term commencing July 1, 2018. For the past three years Gerald has served as a Board Vice Chair.

Wake Forest consistently places among the top 30 national universities in U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges” rankings. Members of the Wake Forest University Board of Trustees come from 17 states and three countries, who bring a broad array of talent and experience from a variety of fields – including business, finance, education, religion, medical, and legal – to their role with the University as well as the communities they serve.

"I am pleased to welcome Gerald to the role of Chair and am deeply grateful for his steadfast leadership,” said Wake Forest University President Nathan O. Hatch. “As a Wake Forest alumnus, parent and longtime Trustee, Gerald’s knowledge of and aspirations for our University are both uniquely suited and much appreciated.”

Gerald is a highly-credentialed corporate law attorney whose accomplishments have resulted in a number of accolades. Most notably, Gerald has been named a “Leader in the Field” in the Corporate/M&A category from 2004 to 2017 by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business; ranked among an elite group of attorneys as a “Client Service All-Star” and “Client Service MVP” by BTI Consulting Group for providing superior client service, and recognized among the 100 most influential business and nonprofit leaders across the state by Business North Carolina’s “North Carolina Power 100.”

“I am humbled to have been elected to serve Wake Forest University Board of Trustees in this capacity,” said Gerald. “I look forward to working alongside the Board and administration to live up to our mission to educate the whole person and advance strategic initiatives that support our school, our students, faculty and programs.”

Gerald is the Managing Partner of Smith Anderson and served as Chair of the firm's Policy and Planning Committee for 15 years. In addition to his work at Smith Anderson and on the Board of Trustees at Wake Forest University, Gerald also served on the Board of the North Carolina Biotechnology Center and as Chair of its Nominating and Governance Committee and a member of its Executive Committee for 11 years, where he stepped down this past June. Gerald is also an active member of White Memorial Presbyterian Church, serving as an Elder and Chair of the Imagine Campaign, an initiative that will transform the church’s presence and impact its community.

Gerald’s practice involves domestic and international mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, corporate governance matters, public company securities, private financings, technology law, and advising boards of directors and special committees. He regularly represents public and private growth companies and private equity firms with their general corporate needs and domestic and international transactions.

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About Wake Forest University

Wake Forest University combines the best traditions of a small liberal arts college with the resources of a large research university. Founded in 1834, the school is located in Winston-Salem, N.C. The University’s graduate school of arts and sciences, divinity school, and nationally ranked schools of law, medicine and business enrich our intellectual environment. Learn more about Wake Forest University at www.wfu.edu.