Remembering the Servant Leadership of a Beloved Community Builder

Ensuring the safety and well-being of a college campus is no easy feat, but for one former leader at Queens, it was a job he performed with a smile and servant’s heart for a quarter of a century.

The Former Chief of Police for Queens University of Charlotte, Johnnie Ravenell (well known to members of the Queens community as “Chief”) lovingly prioritized the safety and well-being of students, faculty, staff, and all on-campus visitors from 1990 to 2015. He passed away suddenly after a brief illness. Johnnie Ravenell on campus at Queens University of Charlotte.

Jill Perry, assistant dean of Health and Wellness at Queens, shares her memories of Ravenell.

“Chief’s love of Queens was evident as he continually fostered community building. Students were drawn to him because of his wisdom, generosity, and kindness,” she said. “The ripples of his strong yet quiet leadership remain in the lives he touched. While he carried a weapon, he used his words to soothe and heal. His big smile put even the most distressed individual at ease.”

An iconic member of the Queens community, Ravenell’s care for students did not stop at their physical needs for safety and security on campus but spanned beyond their time as a Royal because he championed student success.

“During my many years at Queens, I’ve met a lot of students,” he said in a 2013 Queens Chronicle article. “It’s always great to see students in their new roles as corporate executives and as mothers and fathers.”

Ravenell devoted his life to service and ministry. Before his time at Queens, the Charlotte native spent 20 years in the United States Air Force and later became an ordained pastor.

A visitation and viewing will be held on Sunday, January 30, from 12-1:00 p.m. at the Sarah Belk Gambrell Center for the Arts and Civic Engagement located at 2319 Wellesley Ave, Charlotte, NC 28207, with a Homecoming service to follow inside the Gambrell Center’s Sandra Levine Theatre at 1:00 p.m. Masks and social distancing will be required. Additional details about the life and legacy of Johnnie Ravenell can be found in his obituary.