Thomas Stith III will serve as the next president of the NC Community College System.
In January, Stith will succeed interim President Dr. William Carver and former President Peter Hans, who left in August to became president of the University of North Carolina System.
Stith is currently district director of the U.S. Small Business Administration. Others may recall Stith served four years as former Gov. Pat McCrory’s chief of staff.
His higher education experience includes five years as economic development program director at UNC-Chapel Hill’s Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise at the Kenan-Flagler Business School.
“My vision for the North Carolina Community College System is very clear. Regardless of whether you are a student just entering our community college system or whether you are a worker that needs retraining because of this global pandemic, the NC Community College System will be there to provide that cost-effective education, that pathway to economic opportun
SBA district directer Thomas Stith to lead NC community colleges
Charlottean s background in business and education
SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Thomas Stith III of Charlotte is president-elect of the North Carolina Community College system. The Durham native and North Carolina Central University graduate is currently district director of the U.S. Small Business Administration.
The president-elect of North Carolina’s community college system is from Charlotte.
Thomas Stith III, who has two decades of experience in public service and business, will lead the state’s 58 community college system after his election Monday by the State Board of Community Colleges. Stith, 57, is currently district director of the U.S. Small Business Administration, where he has led the federal agency’s response to COVID-19 in North Carolina. Those initiatives have resulted in more than $16 billion in support for small businesses in the state.