Board of Trustees
North Carolina State University is a constituent institution of the University of North Carolina (UNC) system. According to the UNC Code, NC State shall have a board of trustees composed of 15 persons: eight are elected by the UNC Board of Governors; six are appointed by the General Assembly, three upon the recommendation of the president pro tempore of the Senate and three upon the recommendation of the speaker of the House of Representatives; and the president of the student body serves an ex-officio member. Read about the most recent Board of Governors and General Assembly appointments to the Board of Trustees.
The Board of Trustees shall promote the sound development of its institution within the functions prescribed for it, helping it to serve the people of the state in a way that will complement the activities of the other institutions and aiding it to perform at a high level of excellence in every area of endeavor. Each board of trustees shall serve as an advisor to the Board of Governors on matters pertaining to its institution and shall also serve as advisor to the chancellor concerning the management and development of the institution.
Members:
Edward I. “Ed” Weisiger Jr., Charlotte, N.C., Chair (2017-2025)
President and CEO of Weisiger Group (formerly CTE) in Charlotte. Served as a member of the NC State University Engineering Foundation, the Student Aid Association Board of Directors and the W.H. Page Lifetime Giving Society, and is an honorary lifetime member of the NC State Alumni Association. Recipient of the ISE Distinguished Alumni Award. Established the Edward I. Weisiger Professorship in the area of construction engineering and management and Carolina Tractor & Equipment Co. Endowed scholarship with his father in 1997 to aid students from western North Carolina enrolled in mechanical or civil engineering. B.S. in industrial engineering from NC State and MBA from Harvard University Graduate School of Business.
Marie F. Arcuri, Winston-Salem, N.C. (2023-2027)
Marie F. Arcuri is the Dealer Principal and Owner of Flow Imports, Inc., dba Flow Lexus of Winston-Salem and Flow Lexus of Greensboro. She graduated with a B.A. in Business Management and B.A. in Accounting from North Carolina State University and is currently a CPA in the State of North Carolina. Marie was Student Body Treasurer at NC State and member of the Golden Chain Society. She is a graduate of the National Automobile Dealers Association Dealer Academy. Currently, Marie serves as the President of Senior Services Foundation and a member of the Board of Visitors of Brenner Children’s Hospital. She formerly served on the Executive Committee of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, Kaleideum Museum, Ronald McDonald House, and Chair of Summit School Board of Trustees. Marie is a recipient of the YWCA Woman of Vision Award as well as the YWCA Volunteer Leadership Award. Also, she received the Outstanding Leadership Award from the City of Winston-Salem.
Derick S. Close, Charlotte, N.C. (2023-2027)
Derick Close is chairman and CEO of Springs Creative, a diversified private textile and creative service business in South Carolina. Close serves as the chairman of Springsteen Capital and the Kappa Alpha Order Educational Foundation. He also serves on the executive board of the Springs Companies, the Carolina Regional Business Authority, the Charlotte Regional YMCA Board, the UNC Global Board, the Executive Committee Palmetto Business Forum, the North Carolina Executive Leadership Group and the South Carolina Chamber. He is also the CEO of YPO Gold. Close formerly served on the NC State University Board of Trustees and the Johnson & Wales University Board of Trustees, and as a member of the UNC System Board of Governors. He was also a board member and past president of the North Carolina Textile Foundation. Close is a past partner in the Carolina Panthers (NFL football) and a current partner in the Winston-Salem Dash (AAA baseball). Close graduated with a B.S. in textile management from NC State and earned an MBA from UNC-Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business School.
Erik L. Dixon, Wake Forest, N.C. (2021-2025)
Former vice president at Broadcom Limited and CEO of LVL7 Systems. Spent over three decades running businesses and developing end product, semiconductors and software in the networking equipment industry. Currently a strategic advisor for AccessOn Networks, which is helping to provide advanced networking technology to the rural areas of North Carolina. Member of the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Hall of Fame, former member of the Board of Visitors, former part-time lecturer in the NC State College of Engineering and former member of the NC State MAE Advisory Board. Holds a master’s degree in business administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business School (1998) and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from NC State University (1988).
James A. “Jim” Harrell III, Raleigh, N.C. (2017-2025)
Member-manager in the real estate development firm of Chatham Banks Development Group LLC and a partner in the law firm of Bode & Harrell LLP. Former member of the North Carolina House of Representatives, former member of the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center Board of Directors, former member of the Appalachian State University Board of Visitors and current North Carolina House of Representatives appointee to the North Carolina Outdoor Advisory Council. B.A. from Hampden-Sydney College and Juris Doctor from Emory University School of Law.
David Dee Herring, Lillington, N.C. (2021-2025)
David Herring is vice president of Hog Slat Inc., a family-owned business engaged in turnkey construction of confinement-type hog units, manufacturing and distribution of hog equipment and production of live hogs. He is a 1981 graduate from the NC State Agriculture Institute with an associate’s degree in livestock management. David currently serves on the U.S. Meat Export Federation executive committee and the USDA ATAC committee. David is a former president of the National Pork Producers Council and a former president of the North Carolina Pork Producers Council. David and his wife, Lisa, live in Lillington, North Carolina. They have three children: Maggie, Mary Ellen, and Billy and the grandsons.
James L. “Jim” Holmes, Jr., Raleigh, N.C. (2023-2027)
Jim Holmes founded Sentinel knowing that structured, measurable, and smart processes drive results. With over 20 years of professional experience in positions including Controller, Vice President of Finance, Chief Financial Officer, Director of Operations, and Chief Operating Officer at companies in the United States and abroad, Jim possesses the industry insight required to help clients protect investments, assets, and businesses. As the managing partner at Sentinel, Jim oversees client and business operations and has led the company’s expansion throughout the Carolinas. Jim’s current client portfolio includes operating companies, professional liability, complex casualty, commercial real estate, income properties, and growth companies.
Timothy L. Humphrey, Raleigh, N.C., Secretary (2021-2025)
Timothy Humphrey is currently IBM’s Chief Analytics Officer. He is also the senior state executive for IBM in North Carolina and senior location executive for IBM in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, one of the company’s largest sites. Active in the community, Tim serves as a board member for many local nonprofit organizations and is a mentor to over 30 global professionals, students and youth. In 2019, he established the Timothy L. Humphrey Women and Minority Engineering Initiatives Award and the Timothy L. Humphrey Inclusion, Equity and Diversity Award. Tim graduated from NC State University in 1996 with a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering and is a member of the NC State Electrical and Computer Engineering Hall of Fame. Tim is a North Carolina native and currently resides in Raleigh.
Ghazale Johnston, Charlotte, N.C. (2023-2027)
Ghazale Johnston is the founder and principal of Joon Solutions. Previously, she served as chief operating officer for Daymaker, and she also worked for 20 years at Accenture as a partner and managing director in the financial services practice. Johnston received her B.S. in textile and apparel management and a B.A. in multidisciplinary studies with a minor in Spanish from NC State. In addition to having served as the Chair of the NC State University Foundation Board, she is on the Leadership Council for the Wolfpack Women in Philanthropy. In 2016, Johnston created the Johnston Family Scholarship, which supports outstanding freshmen who display strong leadership skills, demonstrate financial need and are members of an underrepresented group. She has also funded an endowment for the Student Emergency Fund and set up an additional fund to support the College of Humanities and Social Sciences in enhancing diversity through its recruitment, retention and support efforts.
Wendell Murphy, Rose Hill, N.C. (2023-2027)
Wendell Murphy is the Chairman and CEO Emeritus Murphy Family Farms, Inc. He has served in both the North Carolina Senate and North Carolina House of Representatives. Murphy is the former chair of the NC State University Board of Trustees and former Chair of the university’s Endowment Fund Board. He is a member of the Achieve! Campaign Steering and Executive Committee, as well as a member of the Holladay Giving Society. He has been a member of the Centennial Authority since its inception in 1995 and is a 1999 recipient of the Watauga Medal. Murphy obtained a B.S. in Education in 1960 from NC State University.
Ven Poole, Raleigh, N.C. (2018-2025)
Ven Poole is the former chairman and CEO of Waste Industries USA and now serves on the Board of Directors of GFL Environmental Inc. following their merger. Ven also serves as chairman of the Environmental Research and Education Foundation, as trustee and secretary for NCInnovation, Inc., and as trustee and treasurer for St. David’s School. He has served on multiple NC State committees, including the Entrepreneurship Initiative Advisory Board and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences Dean’s Advisory Board. Poole earned a B.S. in aerospace engineering in 1985 from NC State.
David M. Powers, Raleigh, N.C. (2023-2027)
David Powers is the managing principal of Powers Strategies LLC, a full-service government relations firm in Raleigh, North Carolina. He has been involved in the political arena and at the highest levels of corporate government affairs. Powers spent over 20 years managing public affairs for Reynolds American, eight of those at the helm of the company’s state government relations efforts. After retiring from Reynolds American in 2015, Powers joined the Winston-Salem law firm of Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice as the senior government relations consultant before venturing out to form his own public affairs firm in 2017. He is a member of the United States Business Associates, an organization of committed business and public affairs executives who work to foster stronger ties with European countries through spirited engagement with European business leaders on issues relating to education, commerce and public affairs. In 2011 the North Carolina General Assembly appointed Powers to serve on the UNC System Board of Governors, and he was reappointed to serve in that capacity in 2015 and 2019. His current term will end in June 2023. During his time on the Board of Governors, he served as chair of the Committee on University Governance and the Committee on Strategic Initiatives. Powers graduated from NC State with a bachelor’s degree in economics and earned an MBA from Campbell University.
Perry R. Safran, Raleigh, N.C. (2020-2027)
Founding partner of Safran Law Offices. Chair of the University Development Coalition political action committee. Appointed vice chair of the North Carolina Turnpike Authority. Appointed inaugural and current member of the PNC Arena, Centennial Authority. Former chair of the School of Public and International Affairs Board of Advisors. Former president of the NC State Alumni association. Former Raleigh City Council member. 2019 recipient of the Meritorious Service award from the NC State Alumni Association. Member of the Peele Giving Society and the Pullen Society. B.A. from NC State, MBA from Wake Forest University, and J.D. from Campbell University.
Edwin J. “Ed” Stack III, Morehead City, N.C., Vice Chair (2019-2027)
Ed Stack is vice president of administration and development for Jarrett Bay Boatworks in Beaufort, North Carolina. He was previously the associate executive director of the NC State Student Aid Association, where he worked for 16 years. As vice president of the Alumni Association Board of Directors, Ed has served as their representative on the NC State University Foundation Board and the NC State University Investment Fund Board. Ed graduated from NC State’s Wilson College of Textiles with a Bachelor of Science in textile apparel and management in 1992, and he served two terms as student body president from 1990 to 1992.
Allison Markert, Charlotte, N.C. (2024-2025)
Allison Markert is a rising senior studying Natural Resources with a concentration in Policy and Administration. She is also pursuing a minor in Political Science. Her academic interest lies in the intersection between human interactions with the environment. Markert has been an active member within Student Government since her first semester at NC State. She has served as a Student Senator for the College of Natural Resources, Title IX Committee Chair, and most recently, Student Body Vice President. She is heavily involved in several University Committees, the SACSCOC reaffirmation of accreditation process and Raleigh City Council’s Community Engagement Board. Personally, Allison volunteers with local Raleigh Girl Scouts, SafeChild Raleigh, and Prevent Child Abuse America.