Among the leaders serving on the 27-member committee is Phil Berger, president Pro Tempore of the state Senate; Thom Tillis, speaker of the state House of Representatives; Bill Friday, president emeritus of the UNC system, UNC Chancellor Holden Thorp, and businessman and philanthropist Art Pope. 

 

The committee, which includes business, education and government leaders from across the state and several board members, will help assess the state’s current and future workforce needs and recommend degree attainment goals and strategies to respond to those needs and the state’s changing demographics.

 

The members are:

 

Tom Ross, President, University of North Carolina

Peter Hans, Chairman, UNC Board of Governors

Fred Eshelman, Member, UNC Board of Governors 

Phil Berger, President Pro Tempore, North Carolina Senate

Thom Tillis, Speaker, North Carolina House of Representatives

Steve Ballard, Chancellor, East Carolina University

Mahdu Beriwal, President and CEO, IEM

Peaches Blank, Member, UNC Board of Governors

Linda Brady, Chancellor, UNC Greensboro

Jack Cecil, President, Biltmore Farms

Janet Cowell, State Treasurer

Keith Crisco, Secretary, North Carolina Department of Commerce

Lew Ebert, President, North Carolina Chamber

William Friday, President Emeritus, University of North Carolina

Paul Fulton, Member, UNC Board of Governors

Hannah Gage, Immediate Past Chair, UNC Board of Governors

Frank Grainger, Vice Chairman, UNC Board of Governors

Robert Ingram, Retired Executive, GlaxoSmithKline

Leroy Lail, Member, UNC Board of Governors

Cynthia Marshall, President, AT&T North Carolina 

Harold Martin, Chancellor, North Carolina A&T State University

Ken Peacock, Chancellor, Appalachian State University

Art Pope, CEO, Variety Wholesalers

Scott Ralls, President, North Carolina Community College System

Catherine Rigsby, Chair, UNC Faculty Assembly; faculty member, East Carolina University

Jeff Tarte, Health Care Consultant

Holden Thorp, Chancellor, UNC-Chapel Hill