Fall Convocation
Chancellor Darrell T. Allison, Presiding
September 19, 2025 — 10 a.m.
J.W. Seabrook Auditorium
CONVOCATION ADDRESS
Jermaine Coble
Jermaine Coble is a proud Greensboro, NC native and a graduate of Fayetteville State University, where he served as Student Body President (2012–2013) and joined Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated in Spring 2013. His time at FSU gave him not only lifelong friendships and leadership experiences, but also the foundation for a career that has taken him across the country and around the world.
Today, Jermaine is the Senior Manager of Real Estate and Workplace Sourcing at Etsy Inc., where he manages office spaces across the U.S., Europe, Latin America, and Asia. Before joining Etsy, he worked in real estate investment and development at Nuveen Real Estate and with the City of New York, building expertise in everything from large office portfolios to community-focused projects. Along the way, he earned his master’s degree in real estate from New York University and studied abroad in Shanghai, China.
Jermaine also gives back as Vice-Chair of the Fayetteville State University Foundation Board and Chair of its Finance Committee, helping raise funds and manage real estate investments to support student scholarships.
Whether in Greensboro, Fayetteville, or New York City, Jermaine has always carried a passion for leadership, growth, and community—values he’s excited to share with the next generation of Broncos.
THE FAMILY OF THE YEAR
Robert Lee McLean ’62 and Marin “Pat” McPherson McLean ‘63
Robert Lee McLean has lived a life of dedication to education, service, and fraternity. A native of Erwin, North Carolina, he was lovingly raised by his grandparents, the late Roberta and James Harrison McLean. He received his early education in the Harnett County Public Schools and graduated in 1957 from Harnett High School in Dunn, North Carolina, where he was a member of the Crown and Scepter Club, National Honor Society.
Following high school, Robert enrolled at Fayetteville State Teachers College (now Fayetteville State University), where he graduated in 1961 with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. In the spring of 1960, he was initiated into Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., Pi Chapter, marking the beginning of a lifelong commitment to Sigma. His passion for the fraternity was immediate—he attended his first Conclave in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1961, and has participated in most Conclaves since.
Robert McLean’s service to Sigma spans more than six decades. At the national, regional, and state levels, he has served with distinction, including as Treasurer, Secretary, and Chairman of the Necrology and Rededication Committees of the Southeastern Region. He also conducted Music and Financial Workshops, and served two terms as North Carolina State Director, as well as Treasurer and Director of Collegiate Affairs. A charter member of Eta Theta Sigma Chapter in Jacksonville, North Carolina, he was instrumental in creating the Sigma Scholars Recognition Program, which honored outstanding young men in area high schools.
His leadership extended beyond the fraternity into the wider community. Robert chaired the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life in partnership with his church, and he has long served as a delegate to church, educational, and fraternity conferences—often at his own expense. His contributions also include active service in his community, working weekly with homeless shelters, supporting his church ministries, his Fayetteville State Alumni Association, and Retired Educators’ organizations (OCAE, NCAE, NEA).
Robert is a member of St. Julia A.M.E. Zion Church, Jacksonville, NC. He is a member of the Trustee Board, Men of Zion, and the Male Chorus. He has served on various committees in his over 55 years as a member of the church.
Professionally, Robert gave 34 years of his life to education, teaching in the public schools of Wilmington, Delaware, and Jacksonville, North Carolina. Through his career, he touched countless young lives, instilling the values of education and character. Many former students have returned to thank him for the impact he made on their futures, a testament to his lasting influence as an educator and mentor.
Family has always been central to Mr. McLean’s journey. He is married to Marian Patricia McPherson, a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. Together, they are the proud parents of Sonja Z.M Williams and Roderick Maurice McLean. They are also blessed with 5 grandchildren, and one great grandson.
Robert has been recognized for his work in education, the community, school, and the Fraternity; however, his proud to have been inducted into the Distinguished Service Chapter (#188), the highest honor bestowed by Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. This distinction reflects his lifelong devotion to the fraternity’s guiding principles of Brotherhood, Scholarship, and Service.
Today, Robert Lee McLean remains a tireless servant-leader, mentor, and advocate for education, fraternity, and community.
Marian Patricia “Pat” McPherson McLean is a woman whose life has been defined by giving, service, and love for others. Known for her kind and generous spirit, she is always willing to help anyone in need, encourage young people to be their best, and bring comfort to the sick and shut-in. Her compassion reflects her belief that no one should suffer alone.
Born in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Pat is the eldest child of the late Lee Alton and Alice Lee Williams McPherson. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from Fayetteville State University, home of the Mighty Broncos, and later completed her Master of Arts degree in Educational Media from North Carolina Central University in Durham. She dedicated 30 years to education in Cumberland, Johnston, Jones, and Onslow counties, with the last 25 years of her career spent as a Media Specialist at Jacksonville High School. Even in retirement, she remains connected to education as Secretary of the Onslow County Unit of the Retired School Personnel.
A devoted servant of God, Pat is an active member of St. Julia AME Zion Church, where she faithfully serves as a choir member, class leader, deaconess, assistant Sunday School teacher, missionary, and President of the Lay Council. She has also served as a Past President of the New Bern District Women’s Home & Overseas Missionary Society and worked as part of the Presiding Elder’s Administrative Staff.
Her dedication to service extends into her beloved sorority, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. Pat became a member of Omega Beta Chapter in 1960 while at Fayetteville State University and has been a proud Zeta for more than 60 years. A charter member of Mu Lambda Zeta Chapter, she is regarded as the matriarch and guiding voice of her chapter, serving in numerous roles including Secretary, Treasurer, Parliamentarian, and Blue Revue Chairperson. Though never chapter president, her wisdom and presence have been pivotal—when she speaks, others listen. She was honored as Zeta of the Year in both 1996 and 2020.
Pat’s impact has been recognized widely. She has received awards from the Council for the Arts, St. Julia AME Zion Church, the Northeast Community Development Corporation, and has been honored as a Community Pioneer.
At the heart of her legacy is her family. She shares 62 years of marriage with her husband, Robert L. McLean, a retired educator and proud member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. Together they raised two children: Roderick M. McLean, Vice President and General Manager at Lockheed Martin in Marietta, GA, and Sonja M. Williams, a retired music teacher and certified group fitness instructor. She is the proud grandmother of five and great-grandmother of one, and she delights in traveling to spend time with them whenever she can.
To all who know her—as mother, sister, aunt, friend, confidante, or mentor—Marian Patricia McPherson McLean is truly a woman of many gifts. She loves her family, church, university, and sorority, and her life stands as an inspiring example of service, leadership, and unwavering faith.