The Board of Governors voted Randy Ramsey the next chairperson of the Board in an emergency conference call Tuesday morning.
Harry Smith announced his resignation last week after serving a year as chairperson, which included the time surrounding the Silent Sam toppling.
Ramsey, the previous vice chairperson, has been on the BOG since 2017. He owns a company that specializes in the construction of custom sport fishing boats and the repair of all types of marine craft. He is also a partner and board member of Bluewater Yacht Sales.
The election was unanimous and involved suspending Board rules, which require a 30-day waiting period following a vacancy in the chairperson position. Smith’s resignation went into effect Tuesday.
The emergency meeting came just after the interim chancellor of East Carolina University was placed on administrative leave for complaints stating he acted inappropriately in a Greenville-area bar last week. During a closed session portion of the board meeting Tuesday, an executive personnel matter was discussed. Steven Long — who acts as the BOG's liaison to ECU, according to an N.C. Policy Watch blog — recused himself from the matter.
Wendy Murphy was elected as vice chairperson.
