LUMBERTON — The current chairman of The University of North Carolina at Pembroke’s board of trustees was selected Wednesday to serve on the UNC system’s Board of Governors, which makes policy for the 17 member institutions.
Kellie Blue, 45, was one of six selections from the state House to serve on the 24-member board, garnering 95 votes from the 120-member chamber.
Blue, who works as the finance director for Robeson County and is also the interim manager of General Services for the county, will have to surrender her seat on the UNCP board.
Blue’s nomination was made by Republicans, who put six names forward, with Democrats also putting forward six. Her name was put forward by Reps. Brenden Jones, a Republican, and Rep. Charles Graham, a Democrat, both of whom represent Robeson County. The county’s other representatives, Ken Goodman and Garland Pierce, also voted for her to join the board.
She also had the backing of House Speaker Tim Moore.
“I am very excited about being chosen,” Blue said. “I am grateful for the House of Representatives leadership for supporting me and the other members. I am so excited about being an advocate for one of the state’s greatest assets — students. I so appreciate Nelson Mandela’s quote: ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.’ Looking forward to making great things happen with fellow BOG members.”
The other five selections from the House were Wendy Murphy, 103 votes; Doyle Parrish, 101; Leo Daughtry, 97; Rob Bryan, 83; and Carolyn Coward, 71. They will be sworn in during June or July.
Blue, a lifelong resident of Pembroke, graduated from UNCP in 1993 with a bachelor of science degree in business administration with a concentration in accounting. She also holds a finance officer certification from the University of North Carolina’s School of Government in Chapel Hill.
After graduating from UNCP, she went to work as an internal auditor for Southern National Bank, which is now BB&T. Before going to work for Robeson County as the assistant finance director, Blue worked for a short time at the Lumber River Council of Governments.
UNCP Chancellor Robin Cummings last month was excited about the possibility of Blue working on the university’s behalf as a member of the board — although his emotions were a bit mixed because of the loss of UNCP’s trustee chair.
After hearing the news of her selection, Cummings said, “Kellie Blue is a strong advocate for our university, and we are confident she will excel in her newly elected role. We will be losing a great trustee and chairwoman, but will look forward to working with her as a member of the Board of Governors to shape the future of higher education in our state and to maximize the impact of UNCP in Robeson and in Southeastern North Carolina.”
Blue’s nomination did cause a bit of a stir with the Robeson County Republican Party, which initially issued a statement that was vague. Phillip Stephens, chairman of the local party, later explained in an op-ed to The Robesonian that local Republicans supported Blue, but felt like the local party had not been a part of the nomination process.
“We wish Ms. Blue well and are certain she will do a great job,” he said in the op-ed.
The last member on the Board of Governors from Robeson County was Dick Taylor. Taylor, from Lumberton, is the owner and operator of Taylor Insurance Agency.
