GREENSBORO, N.C.
Bennett College, North Carolina A&T State University, Winston-Salem State University and Elizabeth City State University have lost or will soon lose their top officials. Although the schools will be searching at the same time, many see the coincidence as a positive trend.
“The reality is that quality candidates of color are highly desirable by almost any institution,” says Steve Leo, a managing consultant with the international search firm Edward W. Kelley & Partners, which he says is not affiliated with any of the searches in North Carolina.
“From a labor perspective, it’s a sellers’ marketplace. High-caliber, top-notch African-American applicants are in demand from historically Black colleges and by mainstream colleges.”
At Bennett College in Greensboro, president Johnnetta B. Cole has announced that the upcoming academic year will be her last. North Carolina A&T has already lost Dr. James C. Renick, who recently took a job as senior vice president for programs and research at the American Council on Education in Washington, D.C.
Winston-Salem State University Chancellor Harold Martin has been hired as senior vice president for academic affairs for the University of North Carolina system. Dr. Mickey L. Burnim, chancellor at Elizabeth City State University, will take the top spot at Bowie State University in Maryland in September.
