Achievers & Accolades

Fayetteville Technical Community College Board of Trustees welcomes new members, elects officers

By Staff Report, posted 10 months ago
From Left to right: Top:  David Williford, Adam Phillips, 
Bottom: Dr. Andrea Dickerson, Michael Chandler, Semone Pemberton, Kenneth Smith

The Fayetteville Technical Community College Board of Trustees welcomed three new members on Monday, Aug. 18, and elected officers for the coming year.

Michael Chandler, Semone Pemberton and Kenneth Smith Sr. have joined the Board. Pemberton, a marketing and real estate professional, was sworn in at the beginning of the meeting by Judge James F. Ammons Jr., the senior resident superior court judge for Judicial District 12 (Cumberland County).

Chandler, the president of Dogwood Capital Management, and Smith, owner of Odell Smith & Sons Inc., were sworn in earlier in August at trustee orientation sessions by N.C. Rep. Diane Wheatley.

Pemberton and Smith were appointed to the Board by the N.C. Senate, replacing Ralph Huff and Tammy Thurman. Chandler was appointed to the Board by the N.C. House, replacing William Hedgepeth II.

Hedgepeth and Thurman were recognized at the Aug. 18 meeting by President Dr. Mark Sorrells who thanked them for their service. Huff left the Board in the spring after being appointed to the N.C. Board of Transportation.

The Board elected officers for 2025-26: David Williford, Chair; Adam Phillips, Vice Chair; and Dr. Andrea Dickerson, Secretary. Williford, a trustee since 2014, also served as Board Chair from 2021 to 2023. Phillips and Dickerson joined the Board in 2023 and 2024, respectively, and are serving as officers for the first time.

Ico insights

INSIGHTS

SPONSORS' CONTENT

In The Current Issue

Community questions: Discussions begin within the Lumbee Tribe of N.C. about potential casino project

On Monday, June 1, 2026, Tribe members from District 2 and District 15, the districts surrounding the area currently planned for the casino, met for a community meeting.Amidst the glitz and glamour of the idea of a new casino coming to the Lumbee Tri


Unlocking innovations: Emerging Technology Institute hosts USSOCOM Technical Experimentation

This is the fourth year that ETI has hosted the event, and in years past Freeman has seen a host of innovative technology, including various drone types and programming, robotic dogs, 3D printed houses, and airspace scanners. Photo provided by USSOCO


Barrier-free financial education: Money Box Academy expands its reach through support from local government and nonprofit organizations

Crystal McLean (left) with Scott Embry (right). Money Box Academy received a $10,000 grant from United Way of Cumberland County’s Youth Growth Stock Trust. Photos provided by Crystal McLean.The Youth Growth Stock Trust Committee, administered by the