Dr. Russell (Rusty) Thomas Hunt became the seventh president of Lenoir Community College (LCC) in October 2016. Before coming to LCC, Dr. Hunt served as vice president of financial and administrative services at Davidson County Community College (DCCC).

Before that, he served as director of financial services and dean of financial and administrative services at DCCC. His background is extensive having worked in the private sector in places such as Pallet Resources of NC, Inc., in Lexington; Carlyle & Company Jewelers, Inc., in Greensboro; Turlington & Company, LLP, in Lexington; and Ernst & Young, LLP, in Winston-Salem. He earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and his master’s in business administration from Liberty University. He earned his doctorate degree in community college executive leadership from Wingate University.

He is the recipient of the Wingate University Graduate Education Outstanding Capstone Award (2016), the J. Smith Young YMCA Transformation Award (2014), the Business Journal Financial Executive of the Year (2013) and the Business Journal Financial Executive of the Year Community Service Award (2013).

He is a member of the Kinston Rotary Club where he served as president 2020-2021, and he has served on the Kinston-Lenoir County Chamber of Commerce. He serves on the following boards: North Carolina Global TransPark Authority, Eastern Carolina Workforce Development Board, and the UNC Lenoir Hospital Board. He is also a member of the NC Association of Community College Presidents where he serves as chairman of the finance committee. He attends Westminster United Methodist Church.