UNC President named today

Davidson College President Tom Ross has become the University of North Carolina system’s next president. A university official familiar with the decision told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the UNC governing board’s search committee is recommending Ross to succeed Erskine Bowles as head of the 17-school system. Bowles, once President Clinton’s chief of staff and a former U.S. Senate candidate, announced in February his impending retirement after four years on the job. The official requested anonymity to avoid preempting the announcement of a formal vote by the full board today. Ross is expected to be approved by the Board of Governors because he’s the only candidate being offered, board members are well aware of him and the 32-member panel generally reaches consensus on presidential picks, the official said. UNC system spokeswoman Joni Worthington said she couldn’t comment on any speculation regarding candidates before Thursday’s emergency board meeting. A Davidson spokeswoman didn’t immediately provide a comment from Ross about the system presidency.

Ross, 60, became president just three years ago at his alma mater. He has taught at the School of Government, once led the UNC-Greensboro trustee board and served on a special commission recently to examine the UNC system’s long-term future. Then-Gov. Jim Hunt, a Democrat, appointed Ross in 1984 to a Superior Court judgeship. Ross also served briefly as chief of staff to then-U.S. Rep. Robin Britt, D-N.C. As director of the Administrative Office of the Courts from 1999 to 2000, Ross had to work with the Legislature to try to get more funds for the judicial system’s budget. Ross served as executive director for the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation for seven years before becoming Davidson’s president in August 2007.(Gary D. Robertson, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, 8/25/10).