Appointments to Appalachian’s Board of Trustees announced

Posted June 24, 2015 at 11:39 a.m.

BOONE—New members will be joining Appalachian State University’s Board of Trustees beginning July 1 following appointments made by the UNC Board of Governors.

They are Charlotte residents and Appalachian graduates George Baldwin and Susan M. Branch. Each has been appointed to a four-year term on the board. In addition, former trustee John Blackburn of Linville was appointed to a four-year term.

Current board member Jimmy Barnes of Raleigh was reappointed by the Board of Governors to a four-year term.

Gov. Pat McCrory will make two additional appointments to the board at a later date.

Baldwin is managing director of government relations and sustainability with Piedmont National Gas. He has a bachelor’s degree from Appalachian, an MBA from Campbell University and a Master of Environmental Management degree from Duke University. He has been a member of Appalachian’s Board of Visitors.

Branch is vice president and risk manager for Ciena Capital LLC in Charlotte. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree with a concentration in marketing from Appalachian and a Juris Doctorate from Howard University School of Law. She has been a member of Appalachian’s Foundation Board of Directors.

Blackburn is president and general manager of Linville Resorts Inc. He served a four-year term on the board and was chairman from 2008-09 before being appointed to the UNC Board of Governors in 2009. Blackburn has a bachelor’s degree in economics and business from King College in Tennessee and an MBA from Virginia Tech.

Barnes is president of NAI Carolantic Realty Inc. He was a founding member of Appalachian’s Board of Visitors. Barnes has a degree in business administration from Appalachian.

About Appalachian State University

As the premier public undergraduate institution in the state of North Carolina, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The Appalachian Experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and to embrace diversity and difference. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System. Appalachian enrolls more than 20,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.