New Members Join College of Design Leaders Council
Seven new members join the College of Design Leaders Council in 2026, an advisory body to the college. In addition to the new cohort of members, president Jennifer Heintz will step down as Betsy Peters Rascoe assumes the role for the next two years.
Betsy Peters Rascoe will serve as the president of the Leaders Council for 2026-2028. Since her first term as member, Betsy has made a strong impact and commitment to service. While serving as chair for the events committee, she assisted in transitioning Events to the Industry Engagement Committee to better serve the Leaders Council mission. She has been actively involved in the college as a supporter of the Design Lab for K12 Education.
Betsy is excited to take on this role during a transitional time, with many new opportunities on the horizon. High on her priority list are continuing to provide a one-of-a-kind education to every student and furthering our community of support by fostering connections with industry leaders, alumni and partners.
“I am so grateful for my experience so far on the Leaders Council. It has been a privilege to have a seat at the table as we discuss the health of the college, explore opportunities to engage in more creative engagement, and—most exciting to me—utilize design thinking to identify and approach challenges we may face,” Rascoe says. “I am energized after every meeting, which just tells me that I am committed to the college deep down in my core. From Design Camp, to studio and the connections in between, the College of Design has shaped me professionally, and I look forward to bringing my expertise into this role.”
2026 New Members
Chris Boney
As Principal and Chief Strategy Officer at LS3P, Chris Boney, AIA is responsible for firmwide market leadership, business development, and community engagement. Chris was raised in a family of architects with a deep tradition of service, and he has carried that legacy forward through decades of civic involvement and nonprofit leadership.
Chris is driven by the power of design to connect, inspire, and elevate—an ethos forged during his time as a student at the College of Design. Over the years, Chris has proudly supported the College through a Boney family scholarship, alumni engagement, and LS3P Foundation grantmaking.
In recent years, Chris’ focus has been on expanding impact through philanthropy. As a founding member of the New Hanover Community Endowment, he helps oversee a fund aimed at transformational change in southeastern NC. In 2022 he was named founding Chairman of the LS3P Foundation, leading the firm’s efforts to fund design-related research into human and planetary well-being.
Matt Checkowski
Matt Checkowski is a catalyst for connection at the intersection of storytelling, design, and culture. His work as an agency founder, accomplished filmmaker, and global brand leader changes how we understand the forces shaping our world. He currently leads multisensory brand strategy at Mastercard, from AI-powered commerce to priceless experiences.
Matt’s pioneering work as an artist and designer has propelled audiences into the future, with Glyph, a conversational A.I. artwork acquired by the Dallas Museum of Art (2020), responsive visuals for MIT’s robot opera at the Opéra de Monte Carlo (2010), and the iconic dream sequences in Steven Spielberg’s Minority Report (2002).
As principal of his brand innovation agency, Matt led category-defining partnerships across industries, reimagining perfume retail for Sephora, launching Monday Night Football for ESPN, and uncovering the University of California system’s impact on everyday lives. Dedicated to storytelling as a force for positive change, the agency supported science, education, and culture initiatives — from conservation in Madagascar’s rainforest to the search for habitable exoplanets to brand stewardship for the Walker Art Center’s 75th anniversary.
Matt lives in Los Angeles and is a proud Alumnus of the College of Design.
Hao Dinh
Hao N. Dinh is a global digital transformation and AI executive with 15+ years of experience applying design thinking to drive business growth, operational efficiency, and cultural change across Fortune 500 companies including Enpro Industries, Electrolux, Schaeffler, and General Electric.
An NC State alumnus (BS, Electrical Engineering), he has partnered closely with boards and executive teams to translate human-centered discovery and rapid prototyping into strategies that increase revenue, lower costs, and improve user and employee experiences.
Hao has served eight years on the Be A Mentor board and spent nine years partnering with underserved schools across North Carolina to nurture the next generation of entrepreneurs by integrating design thinking into K–12 curricula. He is also the founder of two education non-profits: Grow By Design and Upskill230.org, and an Aspen Institute Corporate Social Innovation Fellow and IDEO / University of Pennsylvania Innovation Fellow.
Rodney Eason
Rodney Eason is the Director of Horticulture and Landscape for the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University. This position allows him to lead an amazing team of people with the care and management of over 16,000 plants on an historic landscape designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Charles Sprague Sargent.
Prior to joining the Arnold & Harvard, Rodney was the CEO of the Mount Desert Land & Garden Preserve, which included leading the transition of nearly 1,400 acres of land owned by the Rockefeller Family from privately held to public use. He was also director of horticulture and curator of plants at Coastal Maine Botanical Garden and display division leader at Longwood Gardens.
He graduated from NC State’s College of Design with a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture and a minor in Horticulture. Rodney obtained a Master of Science in Public Horticulture from the University of Delaware through their Longwood Gardens Fellowship Program. Since relocating to Boston in 2023, he has become a community advisory member for Bikes Not Bombs – a non-profit bike school for Boston youth and has assisted with landscape architecture classes at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design.
Rodney is excited to join the College of Design’s Leaders Council and looks forward to working with others to help advance the college.
Sydnor Elkins
Sydnor Elkins, AIA, is a San Francisco-based architect and a native of Chapel Hill, NC. She earned a Bachelor of Environmental Design in Architecture at NC State’s College of Design, and after working in London through an IAESTE internship, she returned to the College of Design to earn a Master of Architecture.
Twenty years in the San Francisco Bay Area later, Sydnor’s career has taken shape across two complementary paths: as an architect and project manager within studio practice, and as a client-side leader at the Eames Institute, where she was Senior Director of Design & Construction.
At the Eames Institute, she led the transformation of spaces into immersive experiences that celebrate the legacy of mid-century designers, Ray and Charles Eames — one built on iteration, curiosity, “the best for the most for the least” and the importance of play.
It all began with the College of Design’s Design Camp that Sydnor attended one summer in high school. That week opened her eyes to what a future with design could look like, and what an extraordinary privilege it would be to spend four years (and another two!) immersed in a multi-disciplinary studio environment.
Gaurav Gupte
Gaurav “Gau” Gupte is an accomplished architect and senior associate at Perkins&Will in Charlotte. With over 25 years of experience in architecture and design, Gau has worked on a diverse range of projects both locally and nationally. His portfolio includes sports facilities, commercial buildings, and mixed-use developments, showcasing his versatility and expertise in the field.
Gau holds a Master of Architecture degree from N.C. State University. Gau has made significant contributions to the Charlotte community through his civic engagement. He has served on the City of Charlotte’s Public Art Commission and was recently appointed to the Charlotte Center City Partners Board of Directors. Gau also leads the regional selection committee for N.C. State’s Park Scholars program, reflecting his pride in being a Wolfpacker. In recognition of his dedication,
Gau received the AIA Charlotte 2022 Scott S. Ferebee Service Award for his outstanding civic involvement. Originally from Mumbai, India, Gau has made Charlotte his home for the past 25 years. He resides in Uptown with his wife, Mary Ellen George, who is also an NC State architect and a southerner. Mary Ellen has helped Gau embrace regional culture, including the use of “y’all” in conversation. Gau’s passion for travel and sketching often inspires him to capture freehand mementos from their journeys throughout the United States and abroad.
Emily Blackwell Hsiao
Emily Blackwell Hsiao graduated from NC State’s College of Design with a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture in 2008. As a licensed landscape architect, her work focuses on parks, greenways, campus design, urban design, and land planning. She is a visionary leader in landscape architecture whose profound expertise in client development, project management, partnership cultivation, and team leadership has set her apart as an influential force in the industry.
Emily is deeply committed to making a lasting impact on future landscape architect professionals through leadership, advocacy, and service. She actively engages in initiatives that enhance public spaces, support local organizations, and foster meaningful connections within the community. Whether through her involvement in civic programs, mentoring future leaders, or championing initiatives that address community needs.
This post was originally published in College of Design Blog.
