Denmark, S.C. – The Voorhees University Board of Trustees has named two new members: Kevin Voorhees Carroll and Laverne Lewis Gaskins. Carroll is a commercial real estate broker specializing in leasing and selling industrial properties in the North Los Angeles, California market. Gaskins is an attorney who operates a private practice in Augusta, Georgia. They were appointed to the board in November.
Carroll is the great-great nephew of Ralph Voorhees for whom the university is named. Ralph Voorhees, a New Jersey philanthropist, and his wife donated $5,000 to buy the land and build the first building for Voorhees University, founded by Elizabeth Evelyn Wright, allowing the school to open in 1902.
Carroll is also the grandson of Alan M. Voorhees who was also a benefactor to university. He is also an associate at Colliers, a leading diversified professional services and investment management company with operations in 63 countries. Carroll works with his partners—David Harding, Greg Geraci, Matt Dierckman and Billy Walk—to problem solve for owners, developers, investors and tenants in today’s dynamic business landscape in Los Angeles.
He provides his clients with the tools they need for successful negotiations. He is adept at offering streamlined processes to assist in reconfiguring older industrial sites into value-add opportunities and tenant and investment consultation encompassing new, state-of-the-art construction.
Carroll started his career in commercial real estate in 2018 and is a member of the Urban Land Institute’s Young Leaders Group. Born and raised in Bethesda, Maryland, he was recruited from high school to compete for the University of Southern California Men’s Swim Team. He earned his bachelor’s degree in urban planning and development from USC in 2016.
Carroll, who enjoys traveling and triathlons, completed his first Ironman competition in 2019.
Gaskins operates a private practice, with a focus on civil law and arbitration, in Augusta, Georgia. Gaskins is a registered arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association and has extensive experience in higher education law. She has served as the university attorney for Valdosta State University, senior legal advisor at Augusta University, and deputy general counsel at Tuskegee University. She has previously served as an administrative law judge and is a former Georgia Special Assistant Attorney General.
Gaskins is an active member of the State Bar of Georgia and formerly served as a member of its Board of Governors. She is the Treasurer and Executive Board Member of the Georgia Legal Services Program. A Fulbright grant recipient in law, Gaskins has lectured at universities in Hungary and Canada. She has represented the American Bar Association at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, and Vienna, Austria. She presented a paper on affirmative action in higher education in South Africa. She is an active member of the National Bar Association and previously served as the Editor-In-Chief of the National Bar Association Magazine. Gaskins served for many years as a member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of College and University Law. Her articles have been published in The Journal of College and University Law, The International Journal for Education Law and Policy, Diverse Issues in Higher Education and the Georgia Bar Journal.
Active with various organizations, she is a member of the Rotary Club of Augusta. Gaskins has received numerous awards and accolades, including the State Bar of Georgia’s Justice Benham Award for Community Service, and several for her work with the NBA magazine. In 2019, she was inducted into the Academy of Richmond County’s Hall of Fame. A graduate of Florida State University College of Law, Gaskins is an emeritus member of its alumni board of directors.
