N.C. State Board of Community Colleges Expresses Thanks to State Leaders for Newly Enacted Budget

New Personnel Approved for Hire, and Order of the Long Leaf Pine Presented to Long-time Employee

RALEIGH – The N.C. State Board of Community Colleges (NCSBCC) today at its monthly meeting again expressed sincere appreciation for state leaders’ support of the N.C. Community College System. As follow-up to the new budget, the Board approved delegation of authority to NCCCS President Thomas Stith to allocate funds for the State Recovery Fund Bonuses appropriated in the 2021 Appropriations Act, and it authorized community colleges to implement the 2021-2022 compensation increase directed in the 2021 Appropriations Act.

Following are a few other highlights from the meeting.

• Two new appointed members to the Board were welcomed. Sen. Terry Van Duyn to serve Region 1, and Rep. Ray Russell to serve Region 2.

  Duyn lives in Asheville, N.C., and is a former senator with the N.C. Senate, representing District 49. She moved to the state following a successful career in systems software. She became very involved with the non-profit community in Western North Carolina, serving on the Boards of Pisgah Legal Services, the Council on Aging, the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina and others.

  Russell lives in Boone, N.C., and is a former representative with the N.C. House of Representatives for District 93. Past work experience includes 30 years with Appalachian State University as associate professor of computer science and chair of the Computer Science Department. He also served in other higher education positions and is founder and owner of RaysWeather.com.
   

• The Board approved the selection of Dr. Patty Pfeiffer as the president of Wayne Community College (WCC). Pfeiffer becomes president after serving as interim president since July 2021. Pfeiffer joined WCC in 1994 as a nursing instructor. She served as Nursing Department chair in 2008, Allied Health and Public Services Division dean in 2010, chief of staff and vice president of institutional effectiveness and innovation in 2018, and vice president of academic affairs and student services in 2019.

  A graduate of Wayne Community College’s Associate Degree Nursing program, Pfeiffer also holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing, master’s degrees in nursing and administration, and a doctorate in education, higher education and adult learning.
   

• The Board approved the hiring of several positions at the System Office, including Dr. Levy Brown to the position of chief academic officer with the N.C. Community College System (NCCCS). He fills the position vacated by Dr. Kimberly Gold, who was promoted at the State Board’s November meeting to the position of chief of staff with NCCCS.

  Gold’s prior work at the N.C. Community College System Office was as senior vice president and chief academic officer. Before joining NCCCS she served as the fifth president of Robeson Community College. Prior to that she served in a variety of roles at Isothermal Community College, including executive vice president, vice president for Academic and Student Services, dean of the Business Sciences and a faculty member.

  Brown’s prior work includes several leadership roles with Vance-Granville Community College, including vice president of Learning, Student Engagement and Success; vice president of Academic Affairs, and vice president of Student Services. Prior to that, he held leadership positions at Lenoir Community College, Brunswick Community College, Pitt Community College and East Carolina University.
   

• The Board received a report from its committees on strategic planning, finance, State Board policy and governance, and legislative. Following are a few highlights from those reports:
  • Statewide listening sessions are underway to inform the creation of a new strategic plan for the Community College System. Upcoming sessions will be held Jan. 5 at Southwestern Community College, Sylva, and Jan. 6 at Caldwell Institute and Technical Community College.
  • The Board approved to support expenses related to data collection for the N.C. Career Coach Program.
  • The Board approved a request $44,000 in funding Rowan-Cabarrus Community College. The funds will reimburse the college for their Education Navigator position of up to $38,000 and provide scholarship funds to support Food and Nutrition Services.
     
• Maureen Little was presented The Order of the Long Leaf Pine for her more than 33 years of service at the N.C. Community College System (NCCCS). The award was presented by NCCCS President Thomas Stith. Little retired earlier this year from NCCCS as the vice president of Economic Development.

  Maureen began her work in economic development in 1987 as director of Business and Industry Services at Stanly Community College, serving her native Union County. After 11 years at the local college level, she joined the NCCCS as a regional director for Economic Development for the Charlotte region. In 2005, she was promoted to the senior regional director until 2008 when she became the associate vice president. In 2016, she was promoted to vice president of Economic Development, where under her leadership, Maureen led oversight of the BioNetwork and the N.C. Small Business Center Network.
   

• NCCCS President Thomas Stith made a report to the Board, which included his goals for 2022: increase student enrollment at North Carolina’s 58 community colleges around the state, enhance and expand business and community college partnerships, diversify financial support for NCCCS, and promote the Community College System’s legislative agenda once it is approved at the State Board’s January 2022 meeting. He also reported having concluded this month visits to all 58 community colleges.