State Board of Community Colleges Elects New Chair, Vice Chair and Welcomes Six New Board Members & Ex-Officio Member

RALEIGH – The State Board of Community Colleges today elected Scott Shook, a Raleigh native and Greenville resident, as chair and Clyde Higgs of Charlotte as vice chair, each for a two-year term.

Shook is an appointee of Governor Pat McCrory and has been a Board member for two years. Higgs is a gubernatorial appointee and has served on the Board for four years.

“The NC Community College System is the largest, most comprehensive higher education system in our State and a leader nationally,” Shook said. “It is an honor to serve as chair with this dynamic group of Board members, all of whom have a passion for our students, our colleges and North Carolina.”

The Board also welcomed six new members, each to a six-year term: Dr. Breeden Blackwell of Fayetteville, Lisa Estep of Wilmington, Matthew “Todd” Johnson of Monroe, William “Bill” McBrayer of Hickory, James “Jim” Rose of Raleigh and Clark Twiddy of Kill Devil Hills. As President of the North Carolina Comprehensive Community College Student Government Association (N4CSGA), Priya Balakrishnan will serve as an ex-officio member of the State Board for a one-year term.

Johnson and McBrayer are appointees of the NC House of Representatives, Blackwell and Twiddy are the NC Senate’s appointees, and Estep and Rose were appointed by Governor McCrory. 

Board member Wesley Fricks of Raleigh was reappointed by Governor McCrory, as was Dr. Sam Powell of Burlington, who served his first six-year term as a House appointee.

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