RALEIGH -- Stephen P. (Steve) Zelnak, Jr. of Raleigh has moved into the chairmanship of the North Carolina Community Colleges Foundation Board of Directors.

Zelnak is President, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Martin Marietta Materials. He has served as Vice-Chairman of the NCCC Foundation Board for the past year.

Zelnak succeeds J. Gregory Poole, Jr., who had chaired the board since its reorganization in August of 1998. Poole stepped down after serving several months longer than the year to which he had originally agreed. Poole is the chairman emeritus of Gregory Poole Equipment Company in Raleigh.

Governor James B. Hunt, Jr. appeared at the meeting to congratulate Poole and welcome Zelnak into the chairmanship. He said, "I think the Golden Age of community colleges is underway."

On behalf of the board, Zelnak presented Poole a plaque honoring him for his strong leadership to the Foundation's current campaign to raise an endowment of at least $5 million dollars to support statewide efforts on behalf of the community college system.

Zelnak told the board, "I think community colleges are fundamental to the success of our state." He said he would focus first on completing the campaign, which has received more than $2.75 million in pledges from major industries and foundations, and second on an ambitious campaign to re-image the North Carolina Community College System.

Zelnak joined Martin Marietta Corporation in 1981 and has been responsible for the Aggregates operations since 1982. He served as president of the Materials group from 1992 until the formation of Martin Marietta Materials in 1993, when he became president of the new organization. In 1997, the Board of Directors elected Zelnak Chairman of the Board.

Zelnak received a bachelor’s degree from Georgia Institute of Technology and master’s degrees in Administrative Science and Business Administration from the University of Alabama. Active in a number of civic and business groups, Zelnak served as chairman of the North Carolina Citizens for Business and Industry from March 1998 through March 1999.

The North Carolina Community Colleges Foundation was formed in 1986 to help sustain the mission and programs of the North Carolina Community College System. After several dormant years, the Foundation was reorganized in 1998 under the leadership of H. Martin Lancaster, President of the North Carolina Community College System, and Lt. Governor Dennis A. Wicker, who was then chairman of the State Board of Community Colleges. The board now includes top leaders from business, government, education and philanthropy.

The Foundation is conducting a capital campaign to raise at least five million dollars for an endowment to fund system wide efforts on behalf of community colleges. Endowment income will be used to improve the effectiveness of the System; promote the benefits of community colleges; and educate, reward and motivate executive leadership and faculty to lead North Carolina's community colleges into becoming the most effective, efficient educational institutions in the nation.

The North Carolina Community College System, with more than 747,000 students, is the third largest community college system in the United States. It includes 58 comprehensive community colleges and the North Carolina Center for Applied Textile Technology. The System is the state’s primary agency for delivery of job training, literacy and adult education programs.

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