ECSU welcomes interim Chancellor Edmonds

Homecoming came early for Catherine Edmonds, who was introduced as Elizabeth City State University’s interim chancellor on Monday.

“This is a homecoming for me,” said Edmonds. “I am truly excited to be here.”

Edmonds, who is the former superintendent of Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public Schools, was introduced as ECSU’s interim chancellor during a 45-minute welcoming event in the campus’s Ridley Student Center.

UNC System President Peter Hans appointed Edmonds interim chancellor after former Chancellor Karrie Dixon announced in June that she was leaving ECSU to assume the chancellorship at N.C. Central University in Durham. Dixon’s final day at ECSU was June 30.

Edmonds addressed an audience of about 200 ECSU staff, faculty and administrators, plus ECSU trustees, local elected leaders and business officials.

“I am thrilled beyond measure to be back in Elizabeth City and so excited to come aboard the Viking ship,” she said. “I think it was said ‘There’s no ship like the Viking ship.’ And I’m ecstatic to be here and excited to be the interim chancellor of the Elizabeth City State University.”

Edmonds served as ECPPS superintendent from 2019 to 2021, and prior to that, she was superintendent of the Bertie County Schools from 2018 to 2019.

During her time as ECPPS superintendent, Edmonds formed working relationships with ECSU administrators and community partners, many of whom she got reacquainted with on Monday.

“I look forward in this role of reconnecting with old friends, community leaders, partners, students and staff to move forward the mission of Elizabeth City State University,” Edmonds said.

After leaving ECPPS, Edmonds worked as deputy state superintendent in the N.C. Department of Public Instruction from 2021-22. Edmonds is coming to ECSU from her role as chief of staff at N.C. Central University, a post she had been in since 2022.

Edmonds said the passion and commitment she sees to growing ECSU is inspiring.

“When I was here before, I was in a different role of course, but I saw the great things happening on this campus,” she said. “And I’m excited to now be a part of that to continue that momentum.”

Edmonds said it is her goal to promote all of ECSU’s academic course offerings, “to ensure that all programs across this campus will have the resources that they need to help and support to provide to our students.”

One of those students will be her son, who is enrolled at ECSU, she said.

“I want to ensure that every student, every faculty member, every staff member know that it takes all of us working together” to continue the mission of ECSU, she said.