Winston-Salem State University Chancellor Search Advisory Committee Announced

Committee will begin work to identify candidates to lead WSSU

RALEIGH, N.C. – University of North Carolina System President Peter Hans and Winston-Salem State University Board of Trustees Chair Kathleen Kelly today announced the formation of a 13-member committee to launch the search for the next chancellor of the university. Kelly will serve as the chair of the committee.

“The members of this group are committed to Winston-Salem State’s success, and I know they will invest their time and talent to identify a strong pool of candidates,” Hans said. “I’m grateful to Chair Kelly for her willingness to lead this committee, and I’m confident Winston-Salem State has a bright future ahead.”

“I am honored to work alongside President Hans and with such an esteemed group of leaders,” Kelly said. “We all share a profound dedication to WSSU and commit to doing our very best to ensure the university identifies a leader who is passionate about the success of our students, faculty, and staff, along with the continued elevation of this great institution.”

The search advisory committee is expected to begin meeting in early January 2024. The committee will identify high-quality candidates and make recommendations to the full Winston-Salem State Board of Trustees. The trustees will vote on a slate of candidates to send to Hans for consideration. Hans will then nominate a finalist to the University of North Carolina Board of Governors, which will elect a chancellor.

The next leader of WSSU will succeed Chancellor Elwood Robinson, who retired in June. Dr. Anthony Graham, WSSU provost, has been serving as the interim chancellor since July 1, 2023.

Under UNC policy, the search advisory committee is composed of up to 13 voting members, including representatives of the trustees, faculty, staff, students and alumni. The policy also calls for a current or former chancellor of a UNC System constituent institution, the president and representatives of the UNC Board of Governors to serve on the committee.

The members of the committee are: 

• Kathleen Kelly, chair of the WSSU Board of Trustees and search advisory committee chair
• Bill Miller (’83), vice chair of the WSSU Board of Trustees
• Matthew Cullinan, member of the WSSU Board of Trustees
• Pam Oliver, member of the WSSU Board of Trustees
• Mark Holton, member of the UNC Board of Governors and Board of Governors chair’s designee
• Phil Byers, member of the UNC Board of Governors and Board of Governors liaison to WSSU
• Andrew Kelly, UNC System Office executive vice president and president’s designee
• Harold Martin, chancellor of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
• Lisa Maness, WSSU Faculty Senate chair and professor of clinical laboratory science
• Sharon Hill, WSSU Staff Senate chair and human resources training specialist
• Tyrone McNair, Jr., WSSU Student Government Association president, WSSU Board of Trustees member, and junior majoring in sports management from Charlotte, NC
• Crystal Thompkins (’99), vice chair of the WSSU Foundation Board
• Mark Owens, president and CEO of Greater Winston-Salem,

Because input from campus constituencies and community stakeholders is vital to the success of choosing WSSU’s next chancellor, opportunities for public input with be offered during the search process, including an online survey and on-campus listening forums held early in the spring semester. Representatives of alumni, faculty, staff, students, and other campus stakeholders will be able to engage directly with candidate finalists. The search advisory committee will work with C. Regina Cason (’90), president of the Winston-Salem State University National Alumni Association, to involve alumni during the search process, including finalists’ interviews. More information about the search process will be available in the near future on the WSSU website.

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Winston-Salem State University fosters the creative thinking, analytical problem-solving, and depth of character needed to transform the world. Rooted in liberal education, WSSU’s curriculum prepares students to be thought leaders who have the skills and knowledge needed to develop innovative solutions to complex problems. Founded in 1892, WSSU is a historically Black constituent institution of the University of North Carolina System with a rich tradition of contributing to the social, cultural, intellectual, and economic growth of North Carolina, the region and beyond.

The University of North Carolina System enrolls 242,500 students at 17 institutions, including the state’s 16 public universities and the nation’s first public residential high school for academically gifted students. The UNC System is among the strongest and most diverse higher education systems in the country, with more than $1.9 billion in research expenditures and campuses that serve every region of North Carolina. Affiliate organizations include PBS North Carolina, with 12 public television stations across the state, and UNC Health, with 19 hospital campuses and an extensive healthcare network.