N.C. A&T Alumni Times

N.C. A&T Alumnus Continues to Drum Up Support for Athletics and Student Scholarships

At the height of athletics for North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Ponce Tidwell, Jr. ’91, board chair of the Aggie Athletic Foundation (AAF) and Capital Campaign committee member, has been steadfast in helping the athletic department continue to thrive with solid fundraising initiatives. His goal and passion have been for student-athletes to have success on and off the field.

“Athletics serves as a gateway for high visibility for any university, it helps with enrollment and it is the central piece of homecoming,” said Tidwell. “Aggie Pride is authentic and the AAF has amazing board members, staff and student-athletes that are fueling our success.”

While attending North Carolina A&T, Tidwell was no stranger to leadership. As a student, he served as president of the Student Union Advisory Board (1989-90) and the Student Government Association (1990-91). In addition, he became a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.

After graduating in 1991 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, Tidwell immediately did a sports administration apprenticeship with his mentor, the late, Dr. LeRoy T. Walker, president emeritus of the U.S. Olympic Committee. After his apprenticeship, he enrolled in Howard University’s School of Law and graduated with his Juris Doctor degree in 1995. Upon graduation from law school, he joined the Indianapolis based law firm of Ice Miller where he helped found a sports practice group and provided counsel for USA Track & Field, the 1996 Summer Olympics, NCAA compliance matters and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In 1999, he joined the legal department of Eli Lilly and Company, a global pharmaceutical company headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana where he currently serves as an assistant general counsel.

“While attending N.C. A&T, Dr. Quiester Craig, dean of the College of Business and Economics was very instrumental in my growth as a student leader. He challenged me to be the best version of myself and he saw great potential in me,” said Tidwell. “His mentorship prepared me beyond measure for my career.”

In the Tidwell family, there is a tradition of attending A&T that dates back to 1941. Along with his parents, Ponce Tidwell, Sr. ‘63 and Marva ‘62, and sister Stephenie ‘87, a former Miss A&T, they have invested greatly in the university with the Tidwell Family Endowed Scholarship now in its 25th year.

“My parents provided the foundation I needed to be prepared to capitalize on opportunities when they presented themselves. They emphasized education and they have sacrificed greatly so that my sister and I could achieve our dreams,” he said.

Tidwell’s love for A&T and his parents has motivated him to give back to students by establishing the Tidwell Legacy Fund, a $500,000 unrestricted gift to the university in honor of his parents set to roll out in 2019. This brings the family’s combined endowed gifts to the university to nearly $1 million.

In 2018, Tidwell established an annual award in his family’s member honor, the late Catherine T. Bonner. Bonner worked at A&T in the athletics department for more than 40 years and is an inducted member of the N.C. A&T Sports Hall of Fame. The inaugural award was given out in April at the All-Sports Athletics Banquet to Dominic Frescura from the football team.

“The passion my parents have for giving back is the same for me, and establishing this gift in their honor is a great opportunity to pay tribute to my parents for everything they have done for our family and this university,” he said.

Since 2012, Tidwell has been involved in several entrepreneurial ventures including the launch of “Still Moon,” a sophisticated moonshine beverage that is currently being distributed in North Carolina, Indiana and Texas. The company was started by Tidwell and five other business partners that came together for this collaborative effort. Most recently, Still Moon “Aggie Gold” was a signature cocktail during the Capital Campaign Kick-Off event and for all Aggie Gentz homecoming events.

“Still Moon has been very successful and my partners and I have used a grassroots approach to help grow our business,” he said. “In life, you never know who you are meeting and it just so happened that my network consisted of people who knew what to do to get us started in the beverage industry.”

In addition, Tidwell and his fraternity brother/Still Moon business partner, Kelvin Bratcher, general manager of Flow Mini of Winston-Salem created the annual Flow Mini Ultimate Tailgate Experience during homecoming six years ago. It is a three-day event that involves networking activities at Fat Tuesday of Greensboro on the Thursday and Friday of homecoming, and a tailgate event on Saturday at BB&T Stadium. Alumni that registered for this year’s events are eligible to participate in a discounted auto purchase program.

In the future, Tidwell plans to continue to support A&T and his children’s education and dreams. His daughter, Kendal is currently enrolled at A&T and will graduate in 2022.

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In 2018, the Aggie Athletic Foundation has achieved another record-setting year for fundraising by closely reaching its $1 million goal in annual giving. The foundation’s year-end campaign, #TheBigPush can be supported by texting “AGGIESDO” to 41444 or donating online at www.aggieboosters.com.