Winterville, NC - The start of a new academic year brought change to the Pitt Community College Board of Trustees this week, as three new members were sworn-into service and a fourth is still on hold.

During their regularly-scheduled meeting Tuesday, trustees welcomed Charlie Langley, Kennis Wilkins and Jeremy Galang to the board. They also selected new officers for the 2023-24 academic year.

Langley, a Greenville resident, is a retired Pitt County Schools principal. He was selected by the Pitt County Board of Education to take the place of Dr. Peter Kragel, a retired doctor/professor with East Carolina University’s (ECU) Brody School of Medicine.

“I am extremely honored to serve on the PCC Board of Trustees and hope to be able to help continue to bridge the gap between secondary public schools and the higher education community,” Langley said. “As a non-traditional student myself, I also hope to help the board find new and different ways to engage even more older students. I will work towards programming that meets the needs of all stakeholders in the region.”

Wilkins, who is also a Greenville resident, was chosen by the governor’s office to fill the spot previously held by retired hospital administrator Tyree Walker. He is the CEO of Faith Works Home Health Care, Inc., and is a former Martin Community College trustee.

“It is an honor that Gov. Roy Cooper has entrusted me with the responsibility to serve as a trustee for Pitt Community College,” Wilkins said. “I look forward to sharing my vast knowledge related to entrepreneurship, business, politics and philanthropy to further advance the Pitt Community College agenda.”

Galang, a University Transfer major from Singapore, was elected president of PCC’s Student Government Association during the spring semester. He took over for outgoing President Tahira Gatson July 1 and will represent the interests of Pitt’s student body as a non-voting member.

PCC’s 13-member trustees board was down a member when it met this week, after Pitt County Commissioners were unable to agree on a nominee to fill the board position held by Kathy Frazier. It is possible Frazier, a retired Pitt County Schools educator whose term expired June 30, could be re-appointed, but commissioners will have to reach a majority decision, which they didn’t do during their Aug. 21 meeting.

Effective immediately, Charles Ellis, an attorney for Ward & Smith, P.A., will serve as PCC Trustees chairman, replacing Gary Evans. Dr. Steve Lassiter, assistant superintendent of Pitt County Schools, will be vice chairman, and Dr. Virginia Hardy, senior consultant for Diversity Inclusion & Belonging at ECU, will be secretary.

After welcoming new board members, PCC trustees joined President Lawrence Rouse in recognizing recent retirees Kelly Moore and Faith Underwood with resolutions, along with future retiree Donna Neal. Moore and Neal also received the Order of the Longleaf Pine for serving more than 30 years with the state.