Office of External Relations

Mailing Address

Office of External Relations
Duke Divinity School
Box 90966
Durham, NC 27708-0966

Physical Address

Duke Divinity School
Langford Building, Room 143
405 Chapel Drive
Durham, NC  27708-0966

Phone: (919) 660-3456
Fax: (919) 660-3405
external@div.duke.edu

External Relations Staff

Dan Struble headshot in black suit and yellow tie
Dan Struble, Ph.D.
Associate Dean, External Relations

dstruble@div.duke.edu
(919) 660-3454

Dan graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1983 with a B.S. in naval architecture and a commission as an officer in the U.S. Navy. He served on USS Rentz FFG-46 as communications officer and damage control assistant, then as NROTC instructor at the University of Southern California where he also earned an M.A. in comparative politics and a Ph.D. in American politics. Dan transferred to the Navy Reserve where he served numerous roles; he retired as a commander in 2004. In his civilian career, Dan served Occidental College in development and as an adjunct professor before returning to the Naval Academy where he started the U.S. Naval Academy Foundation and co-designed a successful $250 million campaign. Most recently, Dan served as president of Montreat College for nine years. Dan is married to Karen Brown Struble, a clinical psychologist, and they are the parents of two children, Amanda and Ben. Dan loves to spend time with his family, read, exercise, and waterski.

Alli Bukema headshot in dark green shirt in front of Goodson Chapel windows
Alli Buikema
Program Coordinator

abuikema@div.duke.edu
(919) 660-3456

Alli is originally from Holland, Mich., where she graduated from Hope College with her B.A. in Business. She moved to North Carolina in 2020 to attend Duke Divinity School and live in the Friendship House community in downtown Durham. During her time in Divinity School, Alli deeply enjoyed her field education experiences and learning from classmates from different strands of the Christian faith. She earned her M.Div. in May 2023 and joined the External Relations team a few months later. In her free time, you can find Alli walking, hiking, traveling, and exploring new restaurants with her partner, Matt, and their dog, Skippy. She also enjoys volunteering at Reality Ministries in Durham and participating in life at the Kirk of Kildaire Presbyterian Church in Cary, N.C.

Carey Kidd headshot in blue shirt in front of Goodson Chapel windows
Carey Kidd
Assistant Director, Annual Fund and Development Operations

ckidd@div.duke.edu
(919) 660-3455

Carey joined the External Relations team in 2018 and previously served as Program Coordinator. She came to Duke with over nine years of frontline fundraising experience with non-profit organizations in Tennessee and Virginia. Carey is originally from Knoxville, TN, and earned a B.A. from Emory & Henry College in Emory, VA. She and her husband have two children. Carey enjoys spending time with family, attending sporting events, hiking, and traveling.

Whitney Martin headshot in red shirt in front of Goodson Chapel windows
Whitney Martin
Senior Major Gifts Officer

wmartin@div.duke.edu 
(919) 660-3579

Whitney Martin joined the Divinity School in September 2023 with more than 17 years of experience in soliciting and securing transformative major gifts in the nonprofit, higher education, and medical fields. She is a native of North Carolina and graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Boston University. After beginning her career in education, she was inspired by the impact of philanthropy in the arts and humanities at UNC Chapel Hill and making a difference in the lives of young people by securing national and local foundation gifts and grants for the nonprofit Young Life. During her recent five years at Duke Health, Whitney served as the point of contact for philanthropic gifts to the neurosciences raising more than $17 million in research funding and helping donors establish Duke’s first-ever endowed professorship for ALS. Martin resides in Chapel Hill, with her husband, John, and two active sons, Hogan and Jones. She has served as a mentor to young women via a number of organizations and is a faithful member of University Presbyterian Church in Chapel Hill, where she also serves on the Children’s Ministry Committee.

Betsy Poole in black shirt with silver necklace and brown-rimmed glasses
Betsy Poole
Director of Development

bpoole@div.duke.edu
(919) 660-3402

Betsy came to Duke Divinity School in 2010 as director of annual giving and soon after became a major gift officer before being named director of development in 2018. Prior to Duke, Betsy worked for nine years in development at Trinity School of Durham and Chapel Hill and before that had served as vice president and regional marketing manager for Nations Bank/Bank of America. She earned a B.A. from the University of Virginia and is married to Allan Poole, pastor of Blacknall Presbyterian Church in Durham. Allan and Betsy have three adult children.

Sarah Robinson headshot in black shirt with gray background
Sarah Robinson
Associate Director of Advancement Services

srobinson@div.duke.edu 
(919) 660-3464

Sarah comes to the Divinity School from Duke Medical Center Development and Alumni Affairs, where she had worked since 2008. She is from Charlotte, N.C., and earned a B.A. from North Carolina State University. Sarah is married to Blair, who is a Durham native. Sarah and Blair have two children. Sarah enjoys visiting local restaurants, spending time with family, and exploring the outdoors.

Minoka Yonts headshot in bright pink shirt, light pink shirt, and blue blazer and a gold heart necklace
Minoka Yonts
Director of Alumni Relations

minoka.yonts@duke.edu

Born and raised in Blacksburg, Va., Minoka now calls North Carolina home. Minoka received her B.A. from Virginia Tech in 2013 and her M.Div. from Duke Divinity School in 2017. Before assuming her role in Alumni Relations, she worked for five years in the Admissions Office at the Divinity School. When she is not at work, she can usually be found with her husband and their dog at their home working on a project, watching college football, trying a new recipe or traveling. She also volunteers her time to assist in pastoring a new church plant called Kindred Church, which meets in a movie theater in Durham.