RALEIGH — The North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges has appointed William S. “Bill” Carver as interim president of the North Carolina Community College System, effective July 1. Jeff Cox, the current president, is retiring June 30.
“Bill Carver has proven himself more than capable in this role, and we are fortunate to have someone of his experience and dedication available to lead the System during this transition,” Tom Looney, chair of the State Board of Community Colleges, said in a statement. “We are confident in his ability to keep the work moving forward while we conduct a thorough search for our next permanent president.
“On behalf of the Board, I also want to thank Jeff Cox for his years of service to North Carolina’s students and communities.”
Carver served as president of Nash Community College from 2005-19. Prior to that, he held multiple roles at the college, including instructor, director of the Small Business Center, director of business and industry services, dean of continuing education and vice president of instruction.
Carver holds a bachelor’s degree from NC State, an MBA from Campbell and a doctorate of education from Nova Southeastern University.
The NCCCS has retained national search firm Buffkin/Baker to lead its presidential search. According to the timeline on the search profile page, a new president was supposed to be named by June 2026.
The NCCCS has experienced frequent leadership turnover over the past decade.
Scott Ralls served as president from 2008 until August 2015 and was followed by George Fouts, who served as interim president from September 2015 to July 2016.
Jimmie (James C.) Williamson then held the role from July 2016 to around October 2017, and Jennifer Haygood served as acting president from October 2017 to April 2018.
Peter Hans was named president in May 2018 and served until June 2020, when he left to become president of the UNC System.
Carver returns to the role for the third time as the board continues a national search to replace retiring Cox.
Cox was announced as the new NCCCS president in April 2023 and assumed the role in June 2023. In August 2025, NCCCS announced Cox would retire at the end of June 2026. The search process, led by the state board and the newly formed advisory council, was detailed in mid-October 2025.
North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) tapped Carver previously to serve as interim president in 2020 following the departure of Peter Hans and again in 2022 after the resignation of Thomas Stith III.
Stith served from January 2021 until July 2022. As North State Journal previously reported, Carver was appointed interim president to replace Stith during an emergency board session July 20. Sources told NSJ that Stith’s removal had been discussed during a three-hour closed session July 15 and had been an ongoing conversation for several months. Documents showed Stith received the equivalent of approximately four months of salary — around $97,000 — to depart early.
Prior to the NCCCS role, Stith headed the U.S. Small Business Administration in North Carolina and served as a top aide to former Gov. Pat McCrory. Buffkin/Baker also led the search that resulted in Stith’s appointment.
The North Carolina Community College System comprises 58 institutions and served more than 631,000 students systemwide during the 2024-25 academic year. Enrollment has grown 12% since fall 2019.
The system’s current operating budget is $3.17 billion. Its mission focuses on removing barriers to postsecondary education, maximizing student success and building a globally competitive workforce.
