Breeden Blackwell, a retired school principal from Fayetteville, was elected chairman of the State Board of Community Colleges in 2019. A member of the state board since 2015, Blackwell previously served as a trustee of Fayetteville Technical Community College. He was a member of both the Fayetteville City Council and the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners. Blackwell retired as government relations director for the Cape Fear Valley Health System.