RALEIGH – Dr. James “Jimmie” Williamson has worn quite an assortment of hats – and he might need them all when he becomes President of the NC Community College System on July 1.

Williamson, currently President and CEO of the South Carolina Technical College System, will succeed Scott Ralls, who left last year to become president of Northern Virginia Community College.

“What a great legacy you have in North Carolina,” Williamson told the State Board of Community Colleges after the board voted unanimously March 31 to hire him.

“You have a great infrastructure in place.  For over 50 years, you’ve been dedicated to affordability and accessibility and providing opportunities for people in North Carolina to make it to the next level,” he said.  “I will pledge to you to continue in that path.”

Williamson, 57, had served as registrar, dean and president of two South Carolina community colleges before he left in 2008 to become an executive at Agape Senior, an assisted living and hospice care provider.

The community colleges wooed him back in 2014 to become president of the system, where he oversees 16 colleges, worked to smooth transfers to four-year colleges and worked on a state workforce-development strategy.  He also worked to provide industry-specific training for companies like Volvo, Michelin, Continental Tire and BMW.

“His experience brings together business, education as well as workforce and economic development,” said Jerry Vaughan, the chair of the search committee that chose Williamson.

Scott Shook, the Chair of the State Board, also emphasized Williamson’s executive experience in more than one field.

“Jimmie had it not only at the community-college level … but he also had it in the private sector as well,” Shook said.

Williamson has been part of both attracting businesses and following through with them.  “Certainly he’s been in the room where negotiations have taken place … but he’s also been in an implementation role,” Shook said.

In addition to community colleges, Williamson is familiar with other levels of education.  He has served as a trustee for the Chesterfield County School Board and is a former trustee at Winthrop University.

Shook said the new system president will need people skills to deal with the presidents of North Carolina’s 58 community colleges, each of which has its own board.

“You have to have the ability to persuade people to get them to go in the same direction,” he said.  “With a system the size of ours, it’s a challenge.”

He’ll also need people skills to deal with the General Assembly.  “He has to have the ability … to build relationships for us to get things done,” Shook said.

Shook said he’s confident Williamson will be an effective communicator.

He’s already making his principles clear.

“I believe that commitment to affordability and accessibility, while embracing accountability and transparency, are the hallmarks of [community colleges’] sector of higher education; principles we must all embrace,” Williamson said in January letter to the committee that selected him.

At the announcement of his appointment, Williamson pointed to the passage last month of $350 million in bonds for NC community colleges.

“That speaks to the level of commitment that the citizens of North Carolina feel towards the community colleges,” he said.  “We can’t let that down.  We have to be accountable.  We have to have that public trust.  We have to make sure that we are accountable to the voters – that we are going to spend those dollars wisely.”

Williamson holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Winthrop University and a PhD from the University of South Carolina.  He and his wife, Kim, live in Cheraw, SC, and have two sons.

VIDEO OF ANNOUNCEMENT:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6qdg-87fpE&feature=youtu.be