Board of Trustees welcomes new leadership

With a reputation for professional expertise and steady leadership, D. Michael “Mickey” Payseur ’73 began his term as chair of the Lenoir-Rhyne University Board of Trustees on June 1, continuing more than 30 years of service to the university.

“I’m humbled and flattered that I’ve been elected to this position,” said Payseur. “There’s no place in the world that I love more than Lenoir-Rhyne.”

Payseur brings more than 50 years of experience in accounting and financial management to the role. After completing his bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in accounting at LR, he began his career with Sherrill and Smith in Salisbury, North Carolina. After completing the exam sequence to become a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), in 1977 he accepted a position with Butler and Stowe in Gastonia, North Carolina, where he retired as a senior partner in 2020 and has maintained a private CPA practice since.

To underscore both Payseur’s capability and integrity, in 2022 North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper appointed Payseur to the State Board of CPA Examiners, which is the licensing and regulatory body for CPAs statewide. He was elected secretary/treasurer in 2024 and played an instrumental role in bringing this board to LR for its fall 2024 meeting, creating a unique learning experience for business and accounting students.

Payseur’s combined depth of knowledge, ethical standards and dedication to the student experience made him a strong candidate to lead the board.

“The purpose of the Board of Trustees is to be fiduciaries for the university – which means we’re overseeing the university’s assets in an ethical and responsible manner,” Payseur explained. “I want to see Lenoir-Rhyne continue to grow while maintaining our traditions and fulfilling our mission – all while remaining financially stable. I think my experience as a CPA will be a benefit.”

Payseur traces his longstanding commitment to the university and his profession to the influence of his undergraduate mentor, Professor Raymond M. Strunk, who served on the faculty from 1956 to 1997.

“He was professional and ethical – an excellent teacher who easily earned his students’ respect and admiration,” Payseur recalled. “When he retired, I was on the committee to organize his celebration. We established a scholarship in his name. It is an honor to know my signature is among the ones that appear on that paperwork.”

After spending his first 15 years after graduation focused on building a career and raising a family, Payseur returned to campus in the late 1980s when his son, Ben Payseur ’99, attended a basketball game at LR with his youth team. That visit rekindled his connection to the university and led him to join and eventually chair the Planned Giving Council.

When Ben enrolled as a student a few years later, Payseur and his wife, Debbie, co-chaired the Parents Council. Then their daughter, Jenny Payseur Emerson ’03, followed in her father’s and brother’s footsteps.

“We turned into a Lenoir-Rhyne family,” said Payseur. “I always believed I was the product of the Lenoir-Rhyne focus on developing the whole person. That philosophy is deep in the culture here, so when my children came here, I was curious to know if that culture remained strong. I was pleased to find it was.”

In 2012, Payseur joined the Board of Visitors and later served on the Presidential Selection Committee, which sought out, vetted and selected Summer McGee, Ph.D., as Lenoir-Rhyne’s 13th president.

“I feel very good about our choice and look forward to working with Dr. McGee,” he said. “She has a wealth of understanding about higher education as both a professor and administrator, so I think our respective areas of expertise will mesh together well.”

Payseur also acknowledges the challenges facing higher education today, noting the need for institutions to remain both flexible and true to their values.

“Higher education has always been about change and adapting to those changes. I think Lenoir-Rhyne is rising to those challenges in a financially sound way that honors the best of who we are as a university,” he said. “When I was elected, I told the board I want to do a good job—to not just meet expectations but exceed them. I’m confident Dr. McGee, the board and I will plan, execute and ensure a bright future for the university.”