ASHEBORO, N.C. — Thomas Stith III, the North Carolina Community College System’s president, visited Randolph Community College on Thursday to tour new health care and technical training facilities.
Stith, in his first year leading the NCCCS, has now visited 31 of the state’s 58 community colleges. He toured the Dr. Robert S. Shackleford Jr. Allied Health Center, which houses nursing, radiography, medical assisting and emergency medical services programs, along with the Continuing Education and Industrial Center and the Photography Imaging Center.
“We just saw state-of-the-art healthcare facilities,” Stith said. “The opportunities that are available after attending a community college are unlimited.”
RCC President Robert S. Shackleford Jr. also guided Stith through the campus, where they met with faculty and students in nursing, machining and photographic technology.
Stith said community colleges serve as “the job engine of the state” and play a critical role in economic recovery and workforce development.
“Education equals opportunity,” he said. “You have the opportunity to pursue careers here and go out and get a well-paying job or to start your own small business.”
According to Stith, 77 percent of community college graduates — whether earning diplomas, certificates or associate degrees — stay in North Carolina after three years.
The presidents also visited the JB and Claire Davis Corporate Training Center, where members of the North Carolina Association of Community College Business Office Professionals were in session.
Stith emphasized the importance of collaboration across the system. “While we are 58 community colleges, it’s important to speak with one voice,” he said.
Stith is the 10th president of the NCCCS. He holds a bachelor’s degree in management and an MBA in marketing from North Carolina Central University, and a certificate in nonprofit management from Duke University.
He has served on the boards of the Golden LEAF Foundation, the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise and the North Carolina Institute of Political Leadership. He is a member of the North Carolina Leadership Forum and a deacon at Union Baptist Church in Durham.
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