President's Cabinet

Rachel A. Bowser assumed the position of vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college and professor of English on July 1, 2022. As vice president, she oversees the academic program, the faculty and academic support services. Most recently, she was associate provost for strategic initiatives and professor of English at Georgia Gwinnett College. She received her BA from Grove City College, MA from West Virginia University and PhD from Emory University, all in English.

Marti Fessenden, General Counsel and Title IX Coordinator, has had a unique 30-year career in law, higher education administration and non-profit leadership. Prior to joining Agnes Scott as special counsel to the president in 2016, she practiced law for more than 26 years in the private sector, most recently with her own law firm – The Fessenden Firm / Higher Ed Advise.  She holds a Juris Doctorate from Emory University School of Law and a master's in education with a focus on higher education from the University of Florida.

Alexa Wood Gaeta assumed the role of vice president for enrollment and dean of admission and financial aid in April 2017. In this role, she oversees the recruitment and admission of prospective students and student financial aid. She joined the Office of Admission in 2001 and has since assumed roles of greater responsibility, including nine years as the director of admission and four as associate vice president for enrollment. Prior to her work in admission, she was a client representative for the IBM Corporation. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Agnes Scott.

Lea Ann Hudson is associate vice president and secretary of the board. She has been secretary of the Board of Trustees since 1995. In addition to providing support for the Board of Trustees and the President's Cabinet, she oversees the Office of the President, is responsible for institutional research and institutional effectiveness, and serves as an accreditation liaison. Previously she held various positions at the college, including director of the Office of the President, director of institutional research and planning, assistant comptroller and registrar. She earned her BA in chemistry from Agnes Scott and completed requirements for her CPA certificate at Georgia State University.

Nicole Long joined Agnes Scott in April 2023 as the vice president for finance and administration. In this role, she oversees the college's finance, accounting, facilities, dining operation, institutional technology and public safety functions. Her career spans 25 years in finance with Fortune 500 companies, including WestRock, The Coca-Cola Company, AT&T and General Motors. She holds a BA in accounting and an MBA in finance from Florida A&M University and is a proud Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. member.

Chicora Martin assumed the position of vice president for student affairs and dean of students on Nov. 1, 2022. Previously, Dr. Martin served as vice president of student life and dean of students at Mills College in Oakland, California. A graduate of East Carolina University, Dr. Martin earned a PhD in educational leadership from Colorado State University and a MS in higher education from Florida State University. 

Yves-Rose Porcena joined Agnes Scott in July 2019 as the college's inaugural vice president for equity and inclusion bringing a wealth of leadership experience in higher education, human resources and global diversity. She is responsible for leading the college's workforce management and development, and diversity, equity, and inclusive excellence, overseeing the Gay Johnson McDougall Center for Global Diversity and Inclusion and the Office of People and Culture. Previously, she was the chief diversity officer at the University of West Georgia. Dr. Porcena holds a DBA from the Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University, a Master of Arts in law and diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and a Bachelor of Arts in economics from Emmanuel College-Boston.

Cheryl Webster joined Agnes Scott as the vice president for college advancement in October 2024. Before coming to Agnes Scott, Webster served as vice president of advancement for Salem State University in Salem, Mass., and also as executive director of the Salem State University Alumni Association & Foundation, Inc., where she raised the most funding of any Massachusetts state university and brought in the three largest gifts in state university history. In addition to her successful major gift fundraising, she also doubled the endowment during her tenure as vice president. Previously, she directed leadership giving, annual giving, pre-campaign assessment planning and advancement services for Emerson College in Boston.