By Laken Franchetti, Editor-in-Chief
On Tuesday, President Bob Iuliano sent an email to the campus community revealing the passing of Gettysburg College Trustee Troy Datcher ’90.
“I do not have the words to describe my grief and the profound loss that all of us have experienced,” Iuliano wrote. “Troy was a leader, mentor, and friend to so many across our community, and his devotion to our mission has helped to propel the College forward. His absence from our lives will be intimately felt. Our hearts go out to Troy’s wife, Shannon, and daughter, Nyah; his brother, Kelvin ’92; his mother, Margaret; and their family, friends, and loved ones during this most difficult time.”
After his graduation from Gettysburg College in 1990, Datcher built a career spanning 20 years at Clorox, where he held numerous leadership-level positions. He then transitioned in 2021 to the cannabis sector, and he served as the CEO of The Parent Company and as Board Chair of The Gold Flora Corporation. Datcher was named among the “Top 100 Most Influential Black Leaders in Corporate America” by “Savoy Magazine” in 2016.
Datcher was elected to the College’s Board of Trustees in 2015 and had served as secretary since this past June. Iuliano shared that during his tenure on the Board of Trustees, Datcher chaired the Diversity and Inclusion subcommittee and held a commitment to social equity and justice. Datcher also participated in several Board committees, such as College Advancement, Enrollment and Educational Services and Finance and Administration divisions.
“Above all, Troy loved to give of his time and expertise to our students,” Iuliano wrote. “A champion of the liberal arts, he would frequently connect with students at the Office of Multicultural Engagement, offer his insights on first-gen and career panels, and attend and speak at marquee campus events, including as our keynote speaker for the 37th Annual Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 2017.”
Iuliano shared the advice that Datcher would provide students and urged the campus community to honor Datcher’s legacy.
“A few years back, I had the opportunity to ask Troy what advice he would give to today’s Gettysburg College students. He responded: Take chances. Don’t look back. Reinvent the box,” Iuliano wrote. “May we all honor Troy’s inspiring legacy by heeding his timeless advice as fellow Gettysburgians and by living the values he embodied of activism, hard work, creativity, generosity, and kindness.”
