PCC Trustees select Ricky Brown to serve as interim president

WINTERVILLE — Pitt Community College Trustees announced Thursday that PCC Vice President of Finance/Chief Financial Officer Ricky Brown will serve as the school’s interim president when Dr. Lawrence Rouse retires at the end of June.

PCC Trustees Chairman Charles Ellis said college administrators received approval from the State Board of Community Colleges on May 17 to name Brown interim president. He said the move ensures Pitt will have stability and steady leadership until the search for Rouse’s replacement has concluded and a new president is in place on campus.

“Dr. Lawrence Rouse is Pitt Community College’s president through June 30, and we’re going to enjoy every minute we have with him in that capacity,” Ellis said. “Naming Ricky Brown interim president is fulfillment of a pledge that trustees made to students, employees and the community when the presidential search process began in early March, to have a smooth presidential transition.”

Though an eight-member presidential search committee has made significant progress with assistance from Kennon Briggs, a search consultant with the Association of Community College Trustees, Ellis says it’s not clear how long it will take to come to terms with a new president and have that individual on campus. He said Brown’s 32 years with the college allows the committee to take all the time needed to find the ideal candidate to become only the sixth president in Pitt’s 63-year history.

Rouse said Brown was the ideal choice to serve as interim president, since he is well-versed with the state budgeting process, payroll, state construction procedures, and many other administrative and supervisory responsibilities.

“I’m thankful Ricky is willing to serve as interim president and feel that when I retire this summer, PCC will continue to be in good hands until trustees hire a new president and that individual arrives on campus to carry on Pitt’s legacy of educational excellence,” he said.

Brown, a Pitt County native, began working with PCC’s Business Office in 1992. He started out as budget officer and took the role of business manager in 2004. In 2012, he was promoted to chief financial officer, a position that required him to oversee all fiscal aspects of the college. Dr. Rouse promoted him to vice president of finance/chief financial officer in 2019, and in 2022, he assumed all construction and Facilities Services Division responsibilities.

Brown says he is looking forward to serving as interim president and thanked members of the PCC Board of Trustees for their support.

“Pitt Community College changes the lives of our students, and we see that here every day,” he said. “It is a great place to work, and that is why I have made it my career here for the past 32 years. I understand we have some great applicants in our presidential search, and I look forward to working with our new president once he or she is on board.”

A Greenville Christian Academy graduate, Brown earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in accounting from East Carolina University in 1983. He returned to ECU and obtained a master’s in business administration in 1991.

Brown’s professional background also includes seven years of accounting experience in the manufacturing environment. Prior to joining PCC, he worked as a staff accountant for Hampton Industries, a financial analyst for Purolator Products, and a cost accountant for Alcatel Cable Systems.