Foundation Board
The mission of the Beaufort County Community College Foundation is to provide broad-based community support for the college in achieving its educational goals. The Foundation seeks to achieve this mission through the solicitation of private gifts of money, property, and services and by the management of such assets to enhance the educational programs and services offered by the College.
Dr. Amie Fulcher (Chair)
Dr. Amie Fulcher was the Senior Manager of Training at Thermo Fisher Scientific until 2022. She is now working part-time as a Recruitment Specialist at BCCC. She earned her B.S. in Speech Language Pathology from East Carolina University, a M.Ed. in Special Education Technology, and a Ph.D. in Education from George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. Dr. Fulcher has 35 years experience in education and has held many leadership positions in state and national educational organizations. Dr. Fulcher has worked as a Training Project Coordinator for the Virginia Department of Education, the Director of Academic Affairs for the College of Education and Human Development at George Mason University, a Research Analyst for the American Institutes for Research and the Director of Education for Dominion Hospital. A native of Washington, NC, Amie and her husband, Tim, returned home in 2018 and they live in Cypress Landing.
Penny Sermons (Vice Chair)
Penny Sermons has served as the director of the Learning Resources Center/Distance Learning at BCCC since 1998. She holds a Master of Library Science from East Carolina University, a Bachelor of Science in History from ECU and a Distance Learning Administration Certificate also from ECU. Her volunteerism includes work with the Literary Task Force, Historic Bath Commission and the State Library Commission. She was awarded Community Leader of the Year 2013 for Beaufort County.
Mark Boxer
Mark Boxer is Technical Manager for Solutions and Applications for OFS. He assists customers from around the world and analyzes trends in telecommunications markets that drive new fiber optic product innovation. Mark has a BME degree from Georgia Tech and has spent his 30+ year career in the fiber industry. His experience includes varied roles in manufacturing and applications engineering for fiber-based product and markets. Other activities include inventor of multiple US Patents, Board of Directors member of the Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) and North Carolina Broadband Matters, and past Secretary of the IEEE Power Engineering Society Fiber Optic Working Group. Mark is also a driver of the FBA OpTIC Path fiber optic technician course and certification program currently being rolled out to community colleges around the nation. He is a frequent speaker and author on various fiber optic and broadband-adjacent topics. Mark has been married to the former Betsy Oden of the Hunters Bridge area of Beaufort County for almost 30 years. They currently live on Tankard Creek. Away from work, Mark is an avid reader on a variety of topics, cyclist, tennis player and enjoys life and community in eastern NC.
Zina Burbage
Zina Burbage is a paralegal at Rodman, Holscher, Peck & Edwards, P.A. She lives in Belhaven with her husband David and holds a degree in paralegal technology from Pitt Community College. The mother of Gray Burbage and Davey Little, she is involved with Bath United Methodist Church, the Beaufort County Choral Society and Martha’s of Belhaven. She also enjoys horseback riding, kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding.
David L. Clegg
David Clegg has been the county manager and county attorney for Tyrrell County since 2013 and was appointed by Tyrrell Board of County Commissioners as the first county manager. He served as the assistant secretary of the NC Department of Commerce and the deputy chairman of the NC Employment Security Commission. He holds a Juris Doctorate from University of South Carolina School of Law, a Master of Arts in Theater and Speech from University of South Carolina and a Bachelor of Arts in Government from Hampden-Sydney College. He is currently a member of the boards of Partnership for the Sounds, Pocosin School of Fine Arts and the Miss North Carolina Pageant.
Greg Coltrain
Greg Coltrain is the CEO/GM of TriCounty Broadband. He lives in Belhaven with his wife Tiffany and their children Mara, Austin, Jewel, Kaylyn, Mollie and Mallorie. He earned an Associate in Science in Pre-Business Administration from BCCC. He is involved with First Baptist Church and serves on the Bright Futures Board.
David C. Francisco
David Francisco has practiced law in Washington and the surrounding counties for over 41 years. He was appointed the county attorney for Beaufort County in 2015. He earned his undergraduate degree from Virginia Commonwealth University and his Juris Doctorate from Wake Forest University School of Law. He and his wife Barbara have strong ties with BCCC. In addition to his county work he represents a number of organizations and corporations. He has been a member of the Washington Kiwanis Club since 1975 and currently serves as a director. The couple attends St. Peter’s Episcopal Church where they both have been active. They enjoy traveling and spending time with their grandchildren who also live in Washington.
Betty Gray
Betty Gray lives in Washington with her husband Rick. She earned her BA in History from Duke University. Gray was a reporter for the Durham Morning Herald, East Carolina Reminder and Washington Daily News. From 2003-2016 Betty worked for BCCC as the public relations coordinator. She is a charter member of the Society of Environmental Journalists and member of Washington Noon Rotary.
Dr. Mardi Hastings
Mardi Hastings retired as a Professor of Mechanical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2014, and moved to Beaufort County in 2016. During her 40-year career she worked in academia, the federal government and private industry, and as an independent consultant. She advised 35 graduate students, published over 70 technical articles, and co-authored the book, Principles of Marine Bioacoustics (Springer, 2008). Mardi served on the National Research Council Study Panel on Potential Impacts of Ambient Noise on Marine Mammals, the Barotrauma Blue Ribbon Panel for the State of California, and most recently on the National Academy of Sciences Standing Committee on Offshore Science and Assessment. She has received a National Science Foundation Presidential Young Investigator award, a Federal Highway Administration Environmental Excellence award for her work on the effects of pile driving sound in San Francisco Bay, and the Per Bruel Gold Medal for Noise Control and Acoustics from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). She is a Fellow and past president of the Acoustical Society of America, former member of the Board of Directors of the Institute of Noise Control Engineering, and past chair of the ASME Noise Control and Acoustics Division. Mardi received her B.S. and M.S. in mechanical engineering from the Ohio State University and her Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. She is also a retired professional engineer registered in the state of Kentucky.
Mandy Jones
Mandy Jones is a retired counselor who worked at BCCC for 22 years. In addition to counseling students, she taught the College Student Success course and served as the advisor for Gamma Beta Phi for 15 years. Jones and her husband Phil split their time between Washington and Manteo. She received her Bachelor of Science in Social Work from East Carolina University and a Master of Arts in Adult Education. Jones established an endowment in honor of her parents, James and Evelyn Smith to commemorate their life-long love of learning. James Smith, an accountant, was one of the early instructors at BCCC in continuing education, teaching tax preparation classes. Jones and her husband enjoy spending time with their grandchildren Bryson, Braydon and Emorie.
Dr. Dave Loope
Secretary
Cindy Marks
Cindy Marks is an accomplished educator with over thirty-five years in education. She has a Master’s in Education from ECU and a Bachelor’s Degree from Barton College. She was employed as faculty with Pitt Community College, Cape Hatteras Secondary School of Coastal Studies and Chowan College. She is a past recipient of the North Carolina Order of the Long Leaf Pine, Veteran CTE classroom teacher for 26 years, DECA advisor for 25 years, CTE Department Chair and a Professional Learning Communities Trainer. Cindy has a passion for pioneering innovative education in all classrooms and has been a conference presenter on local, regional and state levels. She and her husband, Ed, live in Washington.
Mark Nelson
Treasurer
Sarah Ninan
Sarah Ninan completed nursing school at ECU and graduate school in Maryland.She and her husband raised their three children in Atlanta with the primary goal of educating their children.After a few years of work in Philadelphia, they decided to retire to Washington. Through her volunteer work in the Washington community, she has come to understand more about the critical impact of accessible and affordable educational opportunities. She is honored to serve BCCC in helping meet the educational goals of students in our community.
Penny Paul
Penny Paul and her husband, Michael, moved back to his home county of Beaufort in 1981 where they raised their children, Mike and Kate. They have two grandsons, Liam and Ryan. Penny continued her education at Beaufort County Community College for one year and subsequently transferred to ECU where she earned her BFA in 1998. She earned her MSA in 2013. While at BCCC, she was a member of the Gamma Beta Phi Society and Who’s Who. She worked for Washington High School for twenty years. She earned her National Boards in 2010. She held numerous positions at Washington High School but none were more important to her than being a teacher. She welcomes the opportunity to give back to BCCC as the college helped her achieve her dream of becoming a teacher. She is the owner of The Art Barn of Paul Farms Enterprises where her dog, Beau Henry, is the mascot.
Kate Phelps
Kate Phelps started her banking career in 1997 with Triangle Bank in Chapel Hill and stayed with the company through 2012. She joined Wells Fargo Bank and currently serves as the Washington Market President, handling business banking for both Beaufort and Pitt Counties. She was Chocowinity Primary’s School’s PTO President for 5 years. Presently, she serves on the local advisory board for Boys & Girls Clubs of the Coastal Plain and Beaufort County Committee of 100. In 1997 graduated from Vanderbilt University. She has a 10-year-old daughter, Savannah, and 12-year-old son, Harrison. As a pastime she loves boating, fishing and being at the beach with her kids.
John Rebholz
John Rebholz attended Oakland Community College in Michigan and then Oakland University. He worked first at Montgomery Ward and then for 31 years at Ford Motor Company in sales and marketing. He and his wife Shelly have three sons and six grandchildren. Rebholz is Board Treasurer of Ruth’s House and Open Door Community Center. In addition, he serves on the Board for Inner Banks Legal Services, an Elder at First Presbyterian Church and President of the Cypress Landing Home Owners Association.
Dorie Richter
Dorie is a retired employee of Beaufort County Community College and served as senior staff Director of Institutional Effectiveness (planning, grants, & assessment) for many years. In her post, she was a principle part of every SACS re-accreditation effort for the College. Dorie holds a BA from Rockford University in Rockford, Illinois and holds two MA’s from East Carolina University. She has been and is still active in the community in many ways as a Rotarian, as a volunteer at Vidant Memorial Hospital, and as a member of First United Methodist Church. Dorie is an instrument rated pilot and was a governor’s appointee to the NC DOT Aeronautics Council for 16 years. She is an avid golfer and has played in the BCCC Foundation's golf tournament many times. She looks forward to the opportunity to volunteer with BCCC Foundation events. Dorie lives in Washington Park and is married to Tom Richter, long-time mayor there. They have two children.
Michael Runyon
Michael Runyon was a resident of Connecticut for 56 years and moved to NC in 1999 when he retired. He is a graduate of Nichols College, Dudley, MA, with a BBA degree and was voted alumnus of the year in 2017. He served in the U.S. Naval Reserves from 1967 - 1973 with 2 years active duty on the destroyer based in Long Beach, CA; and with two Westpac tours to Vietnam. His professional resume also includes the director of resale residential homes for 28 years with the relocation management company, PHH Corp. in Danbury, CT.
He enjoys biking, aqua fitness, fresh water fishing, and being a founding and continuous member of Cypress Landing Fitness Center committee. He is proud to have a donor advised fund with the Community Foundation of NC East which gives scholarships to students at Nichols College and Lesley University.
Paul Spruill
Paul G. Spruill arrived in Beaufort County in July, 2003 to accept an appointment as the Beaufort County Manager. After eight years in the employment of Beaufort County Government, Paul accepted a position as the General Manager and CEO with Tideland Electric Membership Corporation effective July, 2011 where he is currently employed.Prior to arriving in Beaufort County, Paul spent five years in various city-county management positions in Chatham County, NC and Grifton, NC. Paul received a B.A. in English from Wake Forest University in 1995 and received a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from the School of Government at UNC-Chapel Hill in 1997.
John Tate, III
John Tate is an attorney who has practiced in Chocowinity for 20 years. John earned his bachelor's degree from Duke University and his law degree from University of North Carolina School of Law. He has moved to Washington with his wife and their two sons in 2000. He currently serves as Secretary of the Beaufort County Board of Elections and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Beaufort County Arts Council. He is a member of both the Washington Noon Rotary Club and the Kiwanis Club of Washington, having served as President of each. He is a former chairman and member of the Marion Shepard Cancer Center Foundation Board of Directors, and former chairman and member of the City of Washington Planning Board. He is active at St. Peter's Episcopal Church, where he sings in the choir. His hobbies include singing and playing music, woodworking, boating, sailing, rowing, kayaking and watersports in general.
Arthur Williams
Arthur Williams is a retired representative from the North Carolina General Assembly, where he served for eight years. He served in the US Air Force for four years. He and his wife Ginny live in Washington and have two children and five grandchildren. He is a member of First Presbyterian Church, the president of the Bunyan Ruritan Club, a co-chair of the NC Sportsman’s Caucus and serves on the advisory board for First Bank. He enjoys raising black labs.
Charles (Chuck) Williams
Chuck Williams is the vice president/city executive of Southern Bank and Trust Company. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and a Master of Business Administration from East Carolina University. He attended the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University. He and his wife Paula have two daughters ages 15 and 12. He attends Wilkinson Church of Christ.