BUCKHANNON, West Virginia – After spending the last year leading Wesleyan’s strategic efforts to expand diversity, equity and inclusion on West Virginia Wesleyan College’s campus, Dedriell Taylor, Ed.D., has accepted a new challenge to steer the Office of Development and Alumni Relations.

President of WVWC Joel Thierstein, J.D., Ph.D., announced Taylor as the Chief Institutional Advancement and Development Officer effective Feb. 1.

One of Taylor’s first projects will be to spearhead the annual WVWC Day of Giving March 1. The Office of Development and Alumni Relations is also in the midst of its McCuskey Hall Challenge Campaign to meet a challenge grant from The Reeves Foundation before May 31. Funds will be used to renovate McCuskey Hall which opened in 1958 and is named for Wesleyan’s eighth president, Dr. Roy J. McCuskey. 

“We are excited about Dr. Taylor joining us as Chief Institutional Advancement and Development Officer,” Thierstein said. “She brings an incredible network of statewide connections to the role.”

Taylor’s career has included roles in higher education, state government and the nonprofit sector. Prior to arriving at West Virginia Wesleyan College in 2021, Taylor served as Director of Philanthropy for the West Virginia’s Girl Scouts of Black Diamond Council. She has served in a host of capacities at Bluefield State College, West Virginia State University and the University of Charleston. 

Taylor added, “I am honored to have the opportunity and to be a part of a passionate team working to make a meaningful difference in the lives of our students, alumni and friends.”

A Beckley, West Virginia native, Taylor earned her Doctor of Education and Master of Science in Management from Marshall University. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Anthropology from West Virginia University. 

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN COLLEGE
West Virginia Wesleyan College (WVWC) is a private, four-year residential liberal arts college in Buckhannon, West Virginia. A tradition of excellence for more than 130 years, West Virginia Wesleyan is home to 14 Fulbright Scholars. The Princeton Review ranked Wesleyan one of its 2022 Best Colleges in the Southeastern Region of the United States. U.S. News & World Report’s 2022 Best College Rankings designated Wesleyan a “Top 20” Best Value – Regional Universities (South) and one of the “Top 75” Regional Universities (South). WVWC offers students more than 40 majors and 40 minors; graduate programs in athletic training, business administration, creative writing, and nursing; 22 NCAA Division II athletic programs; multiple performing arts groups; and more than 70 organizations. Founded in 1890, the College is closely affiliated with the United Methodist Church and abides by the Wesley doctrine that emphasizes service to others. For more information, visit wvwc.edu.