BOG to Include 5 Incumbents, 4 Newcomers

The newly elected members are James Babb, Dudley Flood, Charles Mercer and Gladys Robinson.

Five of the six members of the BOG up for re-election were selected -- Bradley Adcock, Frank Grainger, Robert Warwick, Craig Souza and BOG Vice Chairman John Cecil.

The only member not re-elected was John Sanders, who said he was disappointed but has no plans to run for the post again in the future.

"I regret not being re-elected," said Sanders, who was first elected to the board two years ago. "I enjoyed being on the board and worked hard to be re-elected, but the House has decided."

Thirty-two voting members sit on the board. Half are selected by the House and half by the Senate. The Senate elected its new members in March.

The newly elected members expressed their eagerness to get started in their new positions.

"I am very, very honored," said Babb, who is from Charlotte and involved with broadcasting. "It was a good group of candidates, and I look forward to being a part of the board."

Robinson, who is CEO of the Sicklecell Disease Association of the Piedmont, also said she was pleased with her election.

"I am very pleased and ecstatic and not to mention very appreciative to the House for putting me on this board."

Robinson added that she ran for the position because she feels she has much to add to the BOG.

"I feel I have a lot to contribute to the board," she said. "I know a lot about education and I know what is going on with public issues."

Robinson also said she hopes to help bring a minority viewpoint to the board.

Robinson said she has worked with the state branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to close the performance gap between black and white students.

And some re-elected members were just as pleased.

Adcock said he was very excited to be re-elected for another four years. He said his reasons for running for a first term are the same reasons he ran again.

"I thought I could help the entire university system."

But the new members know they have a lot to learn. Some of the new BOG members said they feel it is their job to be supportive of other members but watch and learn the details first.

Babb said that although he knows a lot about what goes on with higher education and the BOG, he realizes he does not know everything. "My first priority is to increase my knowledge of what's going on," he said.

"I need to be a good observer, good board member and a good listener first."

The State & National Editor can be reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.