NGU to Recognize Alumni Award Winners on Oct. 17
Posted on: October 14, 2025
Tigerville, SC—Three North Greenville University (NGU) alumni will be recognized during the university’s annual Alumni Awards & Half Century Reunion on Friday, Oct. 17 in Tigerville.
Alumni award honorees include David Cottengim (’68), Joanna Wilkey Beasley (’07), and Samuel Miller (’15).
The Alumni Awards & Half Century Reunion recognizing the Class of 1975 will be in Paul and Daphne Moore Hall, located in Hayes Ministry Center, at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 per person and can be found online.
Alumni Service Award
Joanna Beasley (’07)
Joanna Wilkey Beasley is being recognized with NGU’s Alumni Service Award. A Nashville native with deep Greenville County roots, Beasley currently serves as the Archivist for NGU. A 2007 NGU graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history, Beasley has dedicated her career to preserving and sharing the university’s rich heritage. After earning her Master of Library and Information Science degree from the University of South Carolina, she returned to NGU in 2015 as the Technical Services Librarian. She was appointed Archivist in 2022. In this role, she highlights North Greenville’s legacy through social media, writing, public speaking, and community engagement. Joanna’s professional journey also includes experience with the Southern Baptist Historical Library and Archive in Nashville and previous service as NGU’s archives supervisor. The daughter of Lonnie and Joyce Wilkey, and the wife of fellow NGU alumnus Matthew Beasley, Joanna is proud to continue her family’s connection to the university. She and Matthew have been married since 2010 and are the parents of two sons, Parker and Eli.
Young Alumni Award
Sam Miller (’15)
Miller, a native of Lexington, South Carolina, will receive NGU’s Young Alumni Award. Miller is a 2015 graduate, earning a bachelor’s degree in sport management. He currently serves as an elder at Trailside Church, where he helps lead, teach, and shepherd the congregation through both ministry and hands-on service. Professionally, Sam has spent the past seven years working with Christian non-profit organizations, including four years in NGU’s Admissions Office. Miller currently serves as the Director of Development for Child Evangelism Fellowship.
Distinguished Alumni Award
David Cottengim (’68)
David Cottengim is NGU’s Distinguished Alumni Award recipient. Cottengim is President Emeritus of Resources for Seniors, Inc., a Raleigh-based home care agency he led as CEO and President from 1985 until his retirement in 2014. Under his leadership, the organization serving the needs of older adults and their families across Wake County grew to more than 130 employees, with annual revenues exceeding $12 million. His career in human services spans four decades, including leadership roles with Easter Seals of North Carolina and the Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Hospital in Kentucky. A graduate of North Greenville College with additional studies at Eastern Kentucky University, the University of Kentucky, and North Carolina State University, Cottengim has dedicated his life to improving community health and aging services. An active volunteer and civic leader, he has served on numerous boards and initiatives, including the North Carolina Association on Aging, Wake County Human Services, and Mended Hearts at Wake Medical Center. His lifetime of service has been recognized with the Searstone/Transition Life Care Lifetime Achievement Award, the Kentucky Colonel distinction, and North Carolina’s prestigious Order of the Long Leaf Pine. He and his wife, Emily, have been married for 56 years and reside in Raleigh, where they enjoy time with their son and twin granddaughters—all graduates of North Carolina State University.
