CofC Welcomes New Staff

The College of Charleston officially welcomes the newest additions to the Cougar family. With a range of skills, expertise and interests, these new staff members have one thing in common: They are excited to be part of the CofC community. And we’re just as excited to have them!

Please welcome them all to campus!

Derrick Bennington, Athletics

Derrick Bennington
Associate Director of Athletics Communications and Creative Content, Department of Athletics

Background: I’m from Staunton, Virginia, and graduated from Longwood University, then spent the last six years working in athletics communications in various offices.

Interests: In my spare time I still follow other professional and collegiate sports as well as hang out at the house with my two dogs or home improvement projects.

Looking Forward: I am looking forward to joining a great team and getting to know everyone while working alongside great coaches, student-athletes and staff members.

Felicia Boone, Political Science

Felicia Boone
Administrative Coordinator, Department of Political Science

Background: I received my bachelor of science in business administration from Benedict College. I’m coming from The Citadel, where I served as the program coordinator for the School of Engineering department. I spent most of my year in Atlanta, Georgia, and worked as a senior administrative assistant at various institutions to include Spelman College, Morehouse School of Medicine and Georgia State University.

Interests: What’s important to me is that people are respected, given fair opportunities and show compassion for others. I love crafting and spending time with my family during my spare time.

Looking Forward: Given I have worked in various institutions, I enjoy meeting new people, learning the culture of the institution and engaging in activities and events that are impactful to the students and community.

Karen Crush, Academic Advising and Planning Center

Karen Crush
Academic Advisor, Academic Advising and Planning Center

Background: After working for 30 years in Virginia K-12 public education, I decided to retire in order to pursue a lifelong goal of living and working in Germany. I moved to Duesseldorf and lived there for five years, working as an international school teacher.

Interests: I love traveling and learning about new places. I enjoy reading, walking and spending time with friends.

Looking Forward: I am excited about becoming a part of a team that works to support students. I am looking forward to learning about the College. I am especially looking forward to working with and supporting students.

Katie Doherty, Center for Sustainable Development

Katie Doherty ’16
Zero Waste Manager, Center for Sustainable Development

Background: I am from Greenville, South Carolina, and I attended College of Charleston from 2012 to 2016, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in marine biology and a minor in environmental studies. While at the College of Charleston, I interned at the Office of Sustainability, and the experiences I gained from my time there allowed me to realize my passion for sustainability. Since graduating, I have stayed in the South Carolina and Georgia Lowcountry, working in environmental education and naturalist guiding. I most recently came from working at the Center for Birds of Prey, where I worked with birds of prey.

Interests: I love getting outside and exploring nature, whether I’m on the water or on the trail! Kayaking, SUP boarding, hiking, running, snowboarding, litter cleanups, swimming – you name it! I enjoy traveling with friends and family. I also enjoy exploring markets and cooking with locally produced products. When I’m home, I usually can be found relaxing with a good book (or audiobook) or playing with my dog Laya!

Looking Forward: I found my experience interning at the Office of Sustainability, while attending CofC, to have been an incredibly rewarding and positive experience for me, and I look forward to working as an employee of the Center for Sustainable Development to give that experience to our current and future students. The work we do at the CSD and CofC as a whole is extremely important. I can’t wait to be a part of the culture here.

Nicole Killen, Center for Sustainable Development

Nicole Killen
Associate Director of Student Engagement, Center for Sustainability

Background: I am from the small town of Strasburg, Virginia, about an hour outside of Washington, D.C. I completed my undergraduate degree in environmental biology from Christopher Newport University (CNU). After college, I took a position at CNU as their student engagement university fellow, where I developed intentional programming and worked with students to find their place within the CNU/Hampton Roads community. I am currently finishing a concurrent graduate degree from CofC in public administration and environmental and sustainability studies, where my research is focused on sustainable behavior change within athletic facilities at the College.

Interests: I love anything to stay active! I have been an athlete all my life, so I enjoy finding new and fun ways to move my body. My free time tends to include exploring new places/traveling, reading, watching trashy reality TV and listening to live music. I am also a big people person and love meeting new people, so please don’t hesitate to reach out!

Looking Forward: I am most looking forward to being surrounded by so many passionate and intelligent people and working with these people to create opportunities to move the College toward a more sustainable future!

Ty Robinson, Enrollment Plamning

Tymoshio M. Robinson
Budget and Facilities Manager, Division of University Marketing and Enrollment Planning

Background: I am from Kingstree, South Carolina. I graduated from Francis Marion University in 2021, and moved to Charleston to pursue my Master of Public Administration degree at the College, which I’ll be finished with in May. I worked at the College for one year as a residence hall director for the residence life/student affairs, and left to work as a budget analyst for the City of Charleston. I am excited to be back at the College in this new, dynamic role.

Interests: My professional interests include public budgeting and financial management, government and politics, and executive-level administration. My career passion includes being able to use my experiences, knowledge and skills to help solve problems of different impact and trajectories within different levels and facets of society as a public administrator. My personal hobbies include cooking, reading, gaming in my free time, trying new eateries in the Charleston area and just all-around having a good time and enjoying life! Outside of work and schooling, and outside of my hobbies, I also enjoy napping (probably a little too much)! I also enjoy nice walks.

Looking Forward: I am looking forward to starting in this role and just learning and growing as a person and professional! I also look forward to rejoining the College’s open environment of collaboration and engagement.

Brittany Smith, Registrar’s Office

Brittany Smith
Registration and Scheduling Assistant, Office of the Registrar

Background: I was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. I moved to South Carolina at the age of 10 where I lived in the Pee Dee Area (Hartsville, S.C.). I have a bachelor of science in sociology from Francis Marion University and a master of science in human services from Walden University. I worked with the Department of Social Services (Child Support Services Division) for five years, and I worked at the Charleston County School District (North Charleston Elementary – Go Dolphins!!) for one. I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent at both jobs. I met and established relationships with some amazing people.

Interests: Family is most important to me. I love spending time with my mom and my 2-year-old son. In my spare time I enjoy shopping, watching television and checking out different restaurants (I’m a FOODIE!!).

Looking Forward: I look forward to just being in the midst of college life. I love the feeling of walking on a college campus, seeing students and staff, going to the bookstore, etc. The additional positives of working at CofC includes the location (downtown Charleston is absolutely beautiful) and the historic beauty of the campus. I look forward to taking on the tasks of my new position as well as meeting and working with an amazing group of individuals.

Jessica Taylor, Campus Services HQ

Jessica Taylor
Customer Service Office Manager, Campus Services HQ

Background: I am from Owensboro, Kentucky, and moved to the Charleston area after graduating with my bachelor of business administration degree in management from the University of Kentucky in 2019. Since then, I have worked on the College of Charleston campus with Aramark in various roles.

Interests: I enjoy getting to spend time with my friends, finding new places to walk and spending time with my Shih Tzu.

Looking Forward: I am looking forward to working with the amazing community at the College in a new role and to continue learning about both the College and the city itself.

Veronica Vereen, Institutional Advancement

Veronica Vereen
Director of Development, Division of Institutional Advancement

Background: Prior to joining the institutional advancement team, I have held various positions in the development profession over the last 15 years in both the health care and higher education sectors, including time at The Citadel Foundation and MUSC. Over the last year, I worked as a consultant for a global philanthropic consulting firm.

Interests: Beyond family, friends and my 10-month-old corgi Barnum (yes, his brother’s name is Bailey), it’s hard for me to show restraint for my love of all things Peloton. “The pain you feel today shows itself as strength tomorrow,” is one of my favorite quotes from Peloton instructor, Tunde Oyeneyin.

Looking Forward: As a Charleston native, as early as I can remember, participating in Piccolo Spoleto and other cultural events was something that I looked forward to. In my new role, I am excited to combine my love of liberal arts and my passion for development to continue to cultivate existing and new support for the School of the Arts and the Division of Student Affairs.