Earning investment from the state: Meet the leader and the board setting the course for the future of the NC community college system
Tom Looney, a businessman with 40 years of experience at IBM and Lenovo, believes that if you have a solid value proposition in education or economic development, our state will invest in it.
“It’s proven,” he says of state appropriations, with examples from his leadership experiences to back it up.
Now, as chair of the board of the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS), Looney is bringing together elected officials, national and state leaders, industry partners, and other stakeholders to make sure that the value proposition of the state’s community colleges is clear and warrants investment.
Looney opened the first ever North Carolina Community College Summit — held at a moment in time replete with political, economic, societal, and technological challenges — with a vision for the summit to be the catalyst for designing a bold vision for North Carolina’s 58 community colleges.
The system has held planning retreats before, but the summit, said Looney, “is an opportunity to step back, look ahead, and set the course for the future of our system.”
He added, “we can’t move the community college system forward unless we operate as a team.”
Looney wants the system to move at the speed of business and innovation with a focus that is wide enough to include every employer and every student in the state.
He highlighted three major transformations in North Carolina — one in business, one in economic development, and one in education — to prove that “whenever we put our mind to something, we accomplish it,” he said.
- The story of Lenovo, a company with deep roots in North Carolina which started out as a Chinese company called Legend, and today is the No. 1 personal computer company in the world in both sales and market share with more than $65 billion in revenue. Local and state governments invested in the Morrisville headquarters.
- The story of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC), which for more than a decade has set the state’s vision for economic development, established the state’s value proposition to industry, and built strong relationships with site consultants and economic developers. Looney noted “the General Assembly approved $30 million to market the state of North Carolina, which had never been done before.”
- The story of the North Carolina School of Science and Math and its recent expansion to a campus in Morganton, which Looney said would not have happened with out legislative support and engagement.
Looney played a leadership role in all three stories, but he says the stories share something else important.
We had a solid value proposition, we delivered results, we communicated the results, and
— Chair Tom Looney
we earned the right to ask for investment.
That’s exactly what Looney wants the Board of the community college system to do now as it navigates a leadership transition and the development of a new strategic plan while seeking funding from the legislature for Propel NC, a new funding model garnering national attention that would prioritize connecting students to high-wage, high-demand jobs.
Looney hopes the summit will lead to a “unified understanding of why transformation is important to our system.”
As the Board begins its strategic planning process, it aspires for North Carolina not to just be No. 1 in business but to also be No. 1 in workforce. Looney said to get there, the Board will “explore how legislative, economic, and policy priorities shape our competitiveness and how we must adapt to those expectations.”
Meet the State Board of Community Colleges
There are 22 members on the Board. The lieutenant governor, state treasurer, labor commissioner, and president of the student government association serve ex-officio, and each house of the legislature now elects nine members to four-year terms. Looney lifted up the collective skills the Board brings to the strategic planning process, saying he believes “our appointers understand we’re the most important board in the state.”
“We’re going to make a difference,” said Looney. “We’re going to work together, we’re going to work with our partners, and we’re going to get to the No. 1 workforce in North Carolina.”
Chaz Beasley | appointed by governor*, term expires June 30, 2027, attorney in Mecklenburg County
Paula Benson | appointed by Senate, term expires June 30, 2029, president and CEO of the Healthcare Foundation of Wilson
North Carolina Treasurer Brad Briner
Lisa Estep | appointed by the Senate, term expires June 30, 2027, finance in Wilmington, all five children attended community college
North Carolina Labor Commissioner Luke Farley
Stacy Griffin | appointed by the Senate, term expires June 30, 2029, 30 years of experience in human resources, strategic planning, and organizational development
Robert B. Moore, Jr. | appointed by the House, term expires December 31, 2028, outdoor advertising
Vice Chair John Kane | appointed by the House, term expires June 30, 2029, CEO of Kane Realty Corporation
Geoffrey Lang | appointed by the Senate, term expires June 30, 2029, career in business and recruitment, including for MetLife, IBM, and RBC Bank
Chair Tom Looney | appointed by the Senate, term expires June 30, 2027, 40 years with IBM and Lenovo
Dr. David Lowry | appointed by the House, term expires June 30, 2029, president and CEO of UNC Health Caldwell
Chris Lumsden | appointed by the House, term expires June 30, 2029, retired president and CEO of Northern Regional Hospital
Bill McBrayer | appointed by the House, term expires June 30, 2027, community college graduate, 35 years in furniture manufacturing
Dale McInnis | appointed by the Senate, term expires June 30, 2029, president emeritus of Richmond Community College
Scott Ottman | appointed by the Senate, term expires June 30, 2029, retired vice president with Lenovo
David Price | appointed by governor*, term expires June 30, 2027, former U.S. congressman from 1997 to 2023
Bannock Scott | president, North Carolina Comprehensive Community College Student Government Association, term expires June 30, 2026
Sam Searcy | appointed by governor*, term expires June 30, 2027, business and community leader
Ray Trapp | appointed by governor*, term expires June 30, 2027, vice president of strategic engagement of the Research Triangle Foundation
Sarah West | appointed by governor*, term expires June 30, 2027, strategic planning, executive leadership, and organizational development with higher education, health care, and entrepreneurial clients
Terry Yeargan | appointed by the Senate, term expires June 30, 2029, 45 years of experience in construction
Between now and January 2026, the Board will establish high-level goals for the 2026–29 Strategic Plan to incorporate into the system president search profile.
Between January and June 2026, the Board will “define measurable KPIs and annual implementation tactics, with clear ownership between the system office and colleges. Engagement will include co-owners deeply, partners selectively, and stakeholders through structured input.”
Between July and September 2026, the Board will refine and adopt the 2026–29 Strategic Plan and the first annual implementation plan, which will take into account the new system president’s vision.
You can follow Looney on LinkedIn, where he shares the story of community college students he meets in his travels.
*finishing terms from previous appointment system