Tyson Lusk, President

Tyson Lusk serves as President of the USC Staff Senate after serving previously as Vice President and Parliamentarian.

Lusk, a native of Winston-Salem, NC arrived at USC in 2013 as Director of Baseball Operations. I’m 2019, Lusk transitioned into Development for Gamecock Athletics where he serves as Assistant Athletic Director for Development, overseeing the Gamecock Athletics philanthropy team. Lusk also serves on a number of university committees and boards.

In his Staff Senate capacity, Lusk serves on the Russell House Advisory Board, Policy Advising Committee, the President’s Council on Diversity Equity and Inclusion, and is a member of the LGBTQ+ employee caucus. Lusk earned a Bachelor’s degree in political science from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Masters degree in Sports Industry Management from Georgetown University.

Megan Colascione, Vice President

As Vice President, Megan serves as an advisor for all Staff Senate Committees, advocates for staff on various campus community committees/boards, prepares the general body meeting agenda each month, and assists in the President’s absence.

Previously, Megan served as a Staff Senator for the Division of Student Affairs and Academic Support and as the co-chair of the Staff Policy and Well-being Committee from 2021-2023.

Megan is the Assessment Director for the Department of Student Life and has been a USC staff member for over 9 years. Megan hails from St. Petersburg, Florida. She earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from Florida Gulf Coast University (’12) and Master of Education Degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs from the University of South Carolina (’14).

Chris Burkett, Parliamentarian

Chris Burkett, Ed.D. serves as Executive Director of Gamecock EdQuarters within the College of Education where he leads the student services enterprise including advising, clinical experiences, and the Teaching Fellows program. This endeavor allows College of Education teacher candidates a “one stop shop” for all their student services needs. Dr. Burkett began his teaching career as a social studies teacher and athletic coach at Dutch Fork High School in Lexington School District Five, were he served for eleven years. He has over thirty years of experience within the field of education.

Dr. Burkett earned his bachelor’s degree from Newberry College, his master’s degree in education from Columbia College and his Doctor of Education in Higher Education Administration from Nova Southeastern University.

Vanessa Berry, Treasurer

Vanessa L. Berry currently serves as senior director of human resources, operations, and IT. She has over twenty years of comprehensive experience in business management, patient financial services, human resources, and facilities management. Vanessa received her bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Pittsburgh and a master’s degree in administration with a concentration in health services administration at Central Michigan University.

Katherine Hilson, Secretary

Katherine serves as Secretary and bears the responsibility for maintaining and distributing accurate records, including meeting minutes for Staff Senate meetings, attendance records for Staff Senate, and all official business conducted by the Staff Senate. She is currently the Associate Director for Recruitment Support and Training within the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.