White’s presidency started on Jan. 1, 2020. This was her first presidency, and her dreams for her own leadership at that point did not include a pandemic, historic flooding, wildfires, the closing of Canton’s beloved paper mill, or Hurricane Helene. Under White’s leadership, the team at HCC has anchored its community, led through crisis after crisis, and served as its architect of the future.

He never intended to be a community college president when he started at Montgomery, he said. McInnis thought it would be a temporary gig, and he would leave the college system when he landed a corporate job. But somewhere between teaching and chief financial officer, McInnis realized he was exactly where he needed to be.

“This whole business is like solving a puzzle,” McInnis said. “And I’ve always been good at puzzles.”

“I was so overwhelmed when I found out that I won. I closed my door and I cried because all of these years working for Southeastern, I don’t feel like I’ve been doing anything different. I have always helped people, which I love, but [this award] just means that I am making a difference… making a difference for our students, and not only for our students, but for our community and this world,” said Young.

“I can say that our encounter was life changing – for my family and future generations to come in my family,” said Tina Riley, Central Carolina Community College graduate. “She has the power to change lives. I’m a living example of that.”

“He has pulled himself up, and he’s got him a good job,” Gibbs said. “He just, he’s giving, and he’s a hard worker, and he just has good work and study ethics.”

Harris said he wouldn’t have made it this far without the many people, like Gibbs, who have helped him the last few years, so he strives to pay it forward. Specifically, he tries to tell other veterans about the value of sobriety and community college training.

On Friday, Dr. Brian Merritt, the system’s senior vice president and chief academic officer, also gave the Board a brief update on accreditation across the system.

A law passed during the 2023 long session now requires colleges and universities to change accreditors every 10 years, or after each cycle. The law did not allocate any funding toward the process.

“This is going to be a big lift for our institutions, especially our rural institutions,” Merritt said in Nov. 2023.

Mental health concerns remain top of mind, with many students, educators, and community members experiencing ongoing trauma. College presidents and K-12 superintendents report “crisis fatigue” among their leadership teams and staff. For students and staff alike, the daily commute through devastated landscapes in many communities serves as a constant reminder of the disaster, creating hurdles to learning and recovery.

Hurricane Helene | Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute serves Caldwell and Watauga counties, both of which were impacted by Helene. In this perspective from CCC&TI’s Amy Parker Bowman, she describes how the college stepped in to assist over 100 K-8 students who lost their school during Helene. The students of Valle Crucis School will finish out their academic year on CCC&TI’s Watauga campus.

McDowell Technical Community College is helping Old Fort small businesses rebuild.

IDD caucus | Legislators invited over 300 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), their families, and other advocates to speak in front of members of the IDD Caucus at the North Carolina General Assembly in March. You can read EdNC’s recap here.

Campus therapy | Durham Technical Community College has a new therapy dog on campus. Durham Tech Police Chief Jamal Walker said his department sought out a grant to obtain a therapy dog after noticing an increase in mental health-related calls. 

Campus news | Fayetteville Technical Community College received six vehicles donated from Geico and Liberty Mutual for use in their 140,000 gallon swift-water rescue simulation tank. The facility is the only one on the east coast, training over 1,300 first responders last year alone. The new vehicles allow the team at the facility to practice more complex training scenarios. Be sure to check out this EdNC article about the program.

Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute announced a new health science facility being planned for the college’s campus in Hudson. The facility will be the largest on the campus once complete, and will help expand CCC&TI’s current health science offerings.

Catawba Valley Community College will name their new workforce training complex after Nascar legend Dale Earnhardt. According to the college, the educational facility and Hickory Aviation Museum will combine “to offer a powerful blend of aviation history and forward-thinking technical education.” The building is currently under construction at Hickory Regional Airport. After completion, the building will be called the Dale Earnhardt Regional Complex. 

Recognitions | Wayne Community College recently earned military friendly school designation for 12th time. Central Carolina Community College also received this distinction.

Free course | Blue Ridge Community College launched a new accelerated construction workforce training program. The six-week program is free to students through a scholarship funded by the National Center for Construction Education and Research and Lowes. Participants will receive specialized training and industry-recognized credentials and employment while helping to rebuild WNC communities.

Upcoming events | Central Carolina Community College’s Small Business Center will host a three-day Procurement Summit on April 8-10, along with other partners. The summit “aims to help local, minority, women-owned, and veteran-owned small businesses build the capacity to apply and win contracts,” a college press release says. To attend the Central Carolina Procurement Summit, visit https://fsuhub.eventbrite.com to register.