NC community colleges chief Stith resigning after 18 months

The president of North Carolina’s community college system is stepping down after barely 18 months on the job. The State Board of Community Colleges chair announced on Tuesday that Thomas Stith III is resigning effective Friday. Stith was once chief of staff to then-GOP Gov. Pat McCrory and head of the U.S. Small Business Administration in North Carolina. The resignation release came a few days after board members met behind closed doors for three hours. Friday’s closed session was in part to talk about Stith’s performance related to his goals as president. The board plans to name an interim president and search for a permanent replacement.