State Board selects Monty Sullivan to lead North Carolina Community College System
RAELIGH, NC (WWAY) — The State Board of Community Colleges has selected Dr. Monty Sullivan to serve as the next president of the North Carolina Community College System, choosing a longtime higher education leader who previously led Louisiana’s statewide community college system.
Sullivan’s nomination now moves to the North Carolina General Assembly for confirmation. Pending legislative approval and contract approval, he is expected to serve as acting president while lawmakers consider the nomination. A start date has not been announced.
If confirmed, Sullivan will oversee the North Carolina Community College System, which includes 58 colleges serving more than 600,000 students annually.
Sullivan retired in January 2026 after serving 12 years as president of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System. During his tenure, the system nearly doubled its annual number of graduates between 2014 and 2025. According to the State Board, foundation assets tripled during that time, and Sullivan helped secure more than $500 million in state funding for new and modernized workforce training facilities. He also previously served as a community college president and held senior leadership positions within the Virginia Community College System.
State Board of Community Colleges Chair Tom Looney said Sullivan was selected following what the board described as its most comprehensive presidential search to date.
The board said the national search included input from leaders in business, education, workforce development and state government across North Carolina. Sullivan received unanimous recommendations from both the Presidential Search Committee and the Search Advisory Council before the board voted to select him on July 17.
Sullivan said he plans to build on the state’s existing community college system and continue expanding workforce training opportunities.
North Carolina’s Community College System serves as the state’s primary public higher education system for workforce development, awarding more than 60,000 degrees, diplomas and certificates each year while partnering with employers to address workforce needs.
