With the beginning of a new school year come fresh faces serving in various leadership positions across Clemson University.
Kimberly Spears-McNatt: Associate Vice President for Public Safety
Most recently, Kimberly Spears-McNatt was named associate vice president of public safety on Aug. 1.
As the leader of the department of public safety, Spears-McNatt oversees all areas of campus security, including police, fire & EMS, emergency management and TigerOne, according to OUR Clemson. She will also lead efforts to find a new chief of police for the University.
Prior to joining Clemson, Spears-McNatt spent 30 years with the Ohio State University Police Division and served as their first female chief of police from 2019-2024.
“I am so humbled and honored to be joining the Clemson Family,” Spears-McNatt told OURClemson. “This is an amazing opportunity, and I look forward to continuing the great work being done in Public Safety and cultivating a thriving community at Clemson.”
Ece Erdogmus: Dean of College of Architecture, Art and Construction
In August 2023, the new College of Architecture, Art and Construction welcomed its inaugural class, spurring a national search for the college’s founding dean. In May of this year, Ece Erdogmus was selected to fill that position.
“I am very excited to take on the founding dean role at Clemson University and see tremendous opportunity for interdisciplinary and innovative research and education,” Erdogmus told Clemson News. “Together with the faculty and staff, we’ll harness these existing strengths to define our new college’s vision and identity as a global leader in transforming the built environment and visual arts.”
Erdogmus previously served as chair and professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology School of Building Construction. Her research covers a wide variety of projects related to masonry, construction and the integration of augmented and virtual reality into STEM education, according to Clemson News.
Matthew Holt: Dean of College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences
Similarly, the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences will welcome Matthew Holt as its new dean on Sept. 1. Holt is currently a professor and head of the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics at Virginia Tech University, according to Clemson News.
As a first-generation college student raised on a family farm in Indiana, this new leadership role holds special significance to Holt.
“Effectively, every positive aspect of my life and career is due to the education, training, and experiences I have had in a college like CAFLS. To have the opportunity to serve as the dean of CAFLS provides me with the greatest possible platform to ‘pay it forward.’ Our business is, at its core, all about transforming lives,” Holt told The Tiger in an email. “CAFLS is extremely well positioned to become among the most visible and impactful colleges of its type in the world. I look forward to sharing the CAFLS story with anyone who will listen.”
Doug Hallenbeck: Vice President for Student Affairs
After the resignation of Chris Miller in March, the board of trustees chose Doug Hallenbeck as the newest vice president for student affairs. Hallenbeck is no stranger to Clemson, as he spent 12 years at the University working in student affairs and was executive director of housing and dining before becoming vice president for student affairs at Oklahoma State University in 2019.
Lesslie Pekarek: Assistant Vice President for Health and Wellness Services
Also under the Division of Student Affairs, Lesslie Pekarek has been named assistant vice president for health and wellness services. While maintaining her current position as director of medical services at Redfern Health Center, Pekarek has taken on an administrative role in all aspects of student health, including “Medical Services, Counseling and Psychological Services and Healthy Campus,” according to Clemson News.
