Trailblazer Profiles

The Trailblazer Profiles are a part of the Belk Center’s North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) History Project and will highlight and celebrate the work of Black, Latin*, Asian and Indigenous leaders in the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS), focusing on current and former community college presidents and system leaders.

We hope that through this project, we can re-center the conversations around who we recognize as important in the history of community college leadership in North Carolina, and inspire support for diversifying the presidential leadership pipeline.

Trailblazer Profile: Dr. Patrena Benton Elliot

Looking back on three decades of leadership in higher education, Dr. Patrena Elliott attributes her success to many things: hard work, well-timed opportunities, innate leadership skills and her commitment to the next generation of leaders. However, it’s her desire to serve her community that ultimately led her to serve at Halifax Community College.

Trailblazer Profile: Dr. Lloyd V. Hackley

In his 81 years, Dr. Lloyd V. Hackley has seen and done more in a lifetime than most can imagine. He is a decorated and respected U.S. Air Force veteran, a decades-long leader in the nation’s charge for education access and equity, the groundbreaking first African-American leader of the North Carolina Community College System, and an inspirational speaker who has addressed crowds in 32 states and overseas.

Trailblazer Profile: Melissa Singler

When Melissa Singler left high school at age 17 prior to completing her formal education, she could have never imagined that years later she would be a trailblazing community college president. But her drive, passion and willingness to learn from every experience ultimately brought her to where she was meant to be – helping others on their educational journey to reach their fullest potential.

Trailblazer Profile: Dr. Murray Jean Williams

There are many values that guide Dr. Murray Jean Williams, but her philosophy for success in leadership is simple. Put students first, always remain humble and find your voice. That thinking, paired with the professional lessons she’s learned along the way, has made her the community college president that she is today. Growing up in rural Mississippi, Williams believed that community was family, and that service to others would be a foundation for her success…

Trailblazer Profile: Dr. Thomas A. Walker, Jr.

When Dr. Thomas A. Walker, Jr. accepted the role of senior advisor for economic development and military affairs for the University of North Carolina System in July 2021, it was as though his educational journey and decades-long career path had come full circle. From his upbringing in Robeson County to earning his undergraduate degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Walker’s love for the state, lifelong passion for education…

Trailblazer Profile: Dr. Greg McLeod

Growing up in Raeford, N.C., Dr. Greg McLeod didn’t know that he would end up with a career in the community college system. However, his upbringing in a family dedicated to community and leadership, it seemed that he was destined for a path to blaze trails and help others. McLeod always had a passion for learning and he excelled in the classroom, but with limited opportunities in his own community, he didn’t know what he wanted to be…

Trailblazer Profile: Hilda Pinnix Ragland

Hilda Pinnix-Ragland has broken race and gender barriers her entire life. In 1965, she was escorted to school by U.S. Marshals while integrating Aycock Elementary Schools in Orange County. In 1978, she became one of the first women senior auditors at Arthur Andersen in New York. In 1995, she became the first woman and woman of color to be promoted to District Manager of Distribution Operations…

Trailblazer Profile: Dr. Michael Elam

To Dr. Michael Elam, president of Halifax Community College, a trailblazer is a person who leads others through places or situations where others have not been. “Trailblazers who are African American are held to a much higher standard than their counterparts,” says Elam. “They must perform with perfection and the utmost integrity to be considered successful…”

Trailblazer Profile: Dr. Ervin Griffin

When Dr. Ervin Griffin was asked to apply for a job as a president at a college in the North Carolina Community College System, he had doubts about the college’s readiness for an African American president. He knew that if the college was uncomfortable, there was nothing he could do to change that – and ultimately, he did not apply for the job. Months later, another college in the system, Halifax Community College, began a presidential search…

Trailblazer Profile: Dr. Stelfanie Williams

When Dr. Stelfanie Williams, 2012-2018 president of Vance-Granville Community College, was in middle school, she learned that a beloved relative did not know how to read. Through this experience, she developed a passion for helping others through the power of education, which ultimately led to a career in the North Carolina Community College System…

Trailblazer Profile: Dr. Algie Gatewood

There is a sign on Alamance Community College President Dr. Algie Gatewood’s office wall that reads, “Why did the Jefferson students cross the road? Because a brighter future was on the other side, thanks to Dr. Gatewood.” The sign, given to Gatewood when…

Trailblazer Profile: Dr. Pamela Senegal

From a young age, Dr. Pamela Senegal, president of Piedmont Community College, knew she was a leader. As a child, she didn’t have the same dream other girls had of having a big fancy wedding. Instead, she dreamed of “running stuff.” Both of her parents modeled leadership…

Trailblazer Profile: Dr. Lawrence Rouse

When eastern North Carolina comes to mind, one may think of East Carolina University, fish stew or the Great Dismal Swamp. People often come to the Greenville area for football and barbeque. But, nestled just south of this bustling college city, lies the quiet town of Winterville, NC…

More Trailblazer Profiles coming soon

Stay tuned for more profiles as we recognize important figures in the history of community college leadership in North Carolina and inspire support for diversifying the presidential leadership pipeline.