Thomas F. Looney, former Lenovo executive and economic development champion, elected as new State Board Chair; Dr. Grant Campbell named Vice Chair

RALEIGH (NC) – The State Board of Community Colleges unanimously elected Thomas F. Looney as the new Board Chair on Friday. 

Looney, a retired senior executive at IBM and Lenovo, has served on the Board since August 2021. Prior to joining the State Board, Looney served as Chair of the Wake Technical Community College Board of Trustees. 

Looney’s career in Information Technology spanned more than 40 years at IBM and Lenovo, retiring as VP and GM of North America for Lenovo. In addition to the State Board of Community Colleges, he also serves on the board of the NC Coastal Federation. 

“I am overwhelmed and deeply honored to have been unanimously elected as Chair of the State Board of Community Colleges. This is a great opportunity, but an even bigger responsibility,” said Chairman Looney. “Community colleges are centerstage for our country and workforce development has never been more important to our state than it is right now. We are no longer going to be the best kept secret. We are no longer going to be the Great 58 – we’re going to be the Extraordinary 58.” 

As Chair of the Board at Wake Tech, Looney focused on securing business partners’ support for the new RTP campus and its students’ success. He also previously served as Chair of the Board of Trustees for the North Carolina School of Science and Math focusing on programs to deliver STEM education to every county in the state. He also served on the North Carolina Economic Development Board that created the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina and went on to serve on the EDPNC board as chair of business recruitment. 

“I’m looking forward to working with Chairman Tom Looney and Vice Chairman Dr. Grant Campbell over the next year as they lead our fantastic State Board.  We have set a bold vision for our System with our new strategic plan, and I’m excited to begin the work to accomplish its goals. The future is bright for our North Carolina Community College System,” said System President Dr. Jeff Cox.

Looney recently served on the State Board of Community Colleges as chair of the marketing and communications committee, and as a member of the legislative affairs, personnel, and workforce development committees.  

Looney replaces outgoing Chair Burr Sullivan, whose term expired in June. The State Board of Community Colleges votes in new board officers every two years. 

In addition to Looney, the State Board also voted unanimously to approve Dr. Grant Campbell as Vice Chair of the Board. Campbell, a physician and veteran from Cabarrus County, was appointed to the Board to fill the unexpired term of then-member Lee Barnes. Campbell was reappointed in June 2022. 

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About the North Carolina Community College System 

The North Carolina Community College System is a network created to improve the quality of life across North Carolina by opening the door to opportunities that minimize barriers to post-secondary education, maximize student success and develop a globally and multi-culturally competent workforce. The 58 institutions located throughout the state work to provide easy access to low-cost, high-quality educational opportunities and academic support that focuses on increasing employability. For more information, please visit: www.nccommunitycolleges.edu.