N.C. A&T Board of Trustees Elects New Officers, Welcomes New Members

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (July 24, 2025) – The North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University Board of Trustees elected new officers and welcomed new members during its recent annual retreat.

New Officers

Chair Gina Loften is a Fortune 100 board director and the recently retired Chief Technology Officer of Microsoft U.S., widely recognized for her leadership in driving innovation, scaling businesses, and delivering shareholder value. With prior roles as Chief Technology Officer and Chief Innovation Officer at both IBM and Microsoft, she brings deep expertise in mergers and acquisitions, research, technical strategy and emerging technology adoption. She currently serves on the boards of TIAA, TTEC, Thoughtworks, Foursquare, and RTI International. A proud alumna of North Carolina A&T State University, Gina is also a champion for STEM education, an angel investor, and an influential thought leader. She was appointed to the N.C. A&T Board of Trustees in 2023.

Vice Chair Mark Copeland is a Managing Director at Alvarez & Marsal, where he plays a global leadership role across private equity and corporate transactions, delivering integrated solutions throughout the deal lifecycle. With over 28 years of experience, including senior leadership roles at EY and deep expertise in cross-border transactions, Mark is a trusted advisor to private equity firms and Fortune 500 companies. He is a licensed CPA and an active community leader, having served on multiple nonprofit boards and university trustee boards, including most recently at North Carolina A&T State University. He was first appointed to the Board in 2019 and re-appointed in 2023.

Secretary Jini Thornton is the founder and CEO of Envision Business Management Group, a boutique firm specializing in accounting and money management for high-profile clients in the entertainment industry. With over 20 years of experience, she is a trusted financial expert featured on nationally syndicated radio shows and reaches audiences in over 90 cities. A proud alumna of North Carolina A&T, Thornton also founded Thank Me Later, a financial education platform empowering Black women to build and transfer wealth, and hosts a weekly podcast focused on financial empowerment. She was appointed to the Board in 2023.

New Trustees

Kathy R. Hairston is a distinguished business leader, philanthropist and proud alumna of N.C. A&T, having earned her B.S. in social service in 1975. She and her husband, fellow alumnus John R. Hairston, built a successful career in business, owning and operating 11 McDonald’s franchises over four decades. She has been a longtime supporter of her alma mater, making transformative contributions that led to the naming of the John R. and Kathy R. Hairston College of Health and Human Sciences at A&T. Her dedication to service was recognized with the 2013 Alumni Achievement Award, honoring her career achievements and contributions to A&T.

Latisha Hamilton-Williams is senior vice president and chief people officer at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, where she leads the human resources division and oversees the company’s People Strategies, Total Rewards and Shared Services, People Analytics and HR Technology, Enterprise Learning and Development and Employment Brand and Talent Management. A North Carolina native and proud alumna of North Carolina A&T State University, she returned to Blue Cross NC in 2022 after holding senior HR leadership roles at Bridgestone Americas and Amedisys, with a focus on Total Rewards, HR Operations, and M&A. With a strong track record in aligning people strategies with business goals, Latisha brings more than two decades of experience driving employee engagement, retention, and organizational effectiveness.

Jim Kee, an A&T alumnus, is president and CEO of Kee Development Corp. He is developing 144 housing units for seniors and veterans and a commercial urban farm, all powered by 1MW of solar energy in Greensboro. He has more than 40 years’ combined experience in the real estate, airline and medical industries. His management positions in sales include account manager with US Airways, where he managed a $70 million territory and posted an increase in sales for 11 consecutive years. Additionally, he operated as territory manager for  Bristol-Myers Squibb and TheraSense, Inc., and held other high-level positions with San Diego RETC for Gov. Pete Wilson’s administration and the U.S. Treasury Department Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. He is a previous member of the Greensboro City Council (2009-13). 

Darrell McLean, an A&T alumnus, is a retired Caswell County, North Carolina, chief deputy sheriff and serves as mayor pro tem of the Town of Yanceyville. A graduate of the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, where he earned a bachelors’ degree in the field of music education. He spent years in the Cincinnati Public School System, becoming a school resource officer and eventually a Huskins Bill Instructor of Criminal Justice Technology. In 2006, he earned an M.S. in adult education. He recalls his time as an A&T student fondly, and points to it as motivation to serve as a trustee and help ensure students of the future have the same high-quality experience.

Thomas Stanley is founder and owner of BTS Ventures. Most recently, he served as both CEO of Chainalysis US Gov. and as president and chief revenue officer of its global businesses. He is a seasoned executive with more than 20 years of experience in strategic governance, financial oversight and revenue leadership. With a proven track record of driving growth and transformation, he has excelled across industries such as IT services, SaaS, financial services and health care. As CEO of Chainalysis Government Solutions, he spearheaded a business expansion, doubling annual recurring revenue to $200 million and leading the transformation to government-centric operations. He is also vice chairman of the N.C. A&T Real Estate Foundation board, where he leads fundraising campaigns and institutional partnerships. He holds an MBA from the University of Minnesota and a B.S. in computer science from A&T.

Sean Suggs is the recently retired president of Toyota Battery Manufacturing, North Carolina, where he led Toyota’s newest plant in North America, overseeing the construction and start of production for the company’s $13.9 billion investment. He began his career with Toyota in 1998 as a team leader at its manufacturing plant in Princeton, Indiana, following eight years of proud service in the Army. From 2008 to 2013, he served as director of strategy, administration and human resources at Nissan’s North American headquarters in Franklin, Tennessee. He returned to Toyota in 2014 and later served as president of Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Mississippi. He was subsequently promoted to group vice president and chief social innovation officer for Toyota Motor North America, spearheading initiatives to uplift communities, expand access to opportunities, and foster a diverse and inclusive workforce and culture. He holds an MBA from Auburn University and a B.S. from Oakland City University.

During the retreat, the board also officially swore in Student Government Association (SGA) President Corey Smith II as the ex officio member. Smith is a senior Criminal Justice major at A&T, pursuing a pre-law concentration, and a native of Charlotte. As SGA President, he leads initiatives to amplify student voices, improve campus life and foster collaboration between students and administrators. His former leadership roles include Sophomore Class President and SGA Presidential Intern. In 2024, Smith was named a Fellow for the Duke PreLaw Fellowship Program, where he gained hands-on experience with legal coursework and took part in mock trials. He plans to attend law school and pursue a career as a criminal defense attorney. 

The Board of Trustees is comprised of 13 individuals: eight elected by the UNC Board of Governors, four appointed by the North Carolina General Assembly and an ex officio. The term of office for all trustees, except the ex officio member, is four years.

Trustees promote the sound development of the university, helping it to serve the people of the state in a way that will complement the activities of the other institutions and enable it to perform at a high level of excellence in every area of endeavor. The board serves as advisor to the UNC Board of Governors on matters pertaining to the university and also serves as advisor to the chancellor concerning management and development of the university.