In spite of the chilly weather conditions, Sandhills Community College hosted a recent gathering of North Carolina Community College presidents at its Pinehurst campus and in the Pinehurst community on Jan. 22-24, 2025. They co-hosted the NC Association of Community College Presidents (NCACCP) Winter Conference with community college partners from Bladen, Central Carolina, Montgomery, Richmond, Robeson, and Southeastern. Of the state’s 58 community college presidents, 55 participated in the event both in person and virtually. 

The conference agenda covered various topics, including a panel discussion on “Disaster Recovery Lessons Learned.” Four presidents participated in the discussion, covering topics such as cybersecurity breaches, hurricanes and flooding disasters. 

A legislative update panel was moderated by Sandhills Community College President Alexander “Sandy” Stewart. Panelists included Alex Fagg, Director of Government Relations at the NC Community College System (NCCCS) and the following members of the North Carolina General Assembly: the Honorable Jim Burgin (R), the Honorable Jimmy Dixon (R) and the Honorable Neal Jackson (R).  

NCACCP rotates the locations of their biannual conferences across the state. The Association has monthly business meetings and winter and summer conferences. One of the main goals of the Association is to foster and promote the growth, progress and general welfare of North Carolina’s Community Colleges through the unified efforts of the presidents to improve the Community College education system as a whole.