Dr. Kristi Short, courtesy of Central Carolina Community College

From Central Carolina Community College

Central Carolina Community College has named Dr. Kristi Short its new vice president and chief academic officer. She succeeds Dr. Brian Merritt, who now is President of McDowell Technical Community College.

Dr. Short most recently served as the director of the Texas Success Center, with the Texas Association of Community Colleges in Austin, Texas, a position she held since 2017. She also coordinated the Texas Association of Chief Academic Officers of the 50 community college districts in Texas and managed partnerships with national organizations including the Aspen Institute and Community College Research Center.

“I was familiar with the college’s excellent reputation from my previous service in the N.C. Community College System, and when I saw the Vice President/Chief Academic Officer job posting, I had to apply,” she said. “Throughout the interview process, I was impressed by the faculty and staff who served on the hiring committees, and I got a sense they genuinely enjoy working here. There is nowhere I’d rather be than Central Carolina Community College.”

“We are delighted to welcome Dr. Kristi Short back to North Carolina and, in particular, to Central Carolina as our next Vice President /Chief Academic Officer,” said CCCC President Dr. Lisa M. Chapman. “Kristi’s experience matches well with the work of Central Carolina going forward. She understands the North Carolina Community College System and she has a strong background in leading efforts that target student success, working specifically with disaggregating data to address learning and engagement gaps in college service to the community. I know her experience as well as her passion for championing every student’s success will help CCCC continue to improve its support of both our current and future students. I am looking forward to all we will accomplish with Kristi at the helm of our academic division.”

Prior to her work in Texas, Dr. Short served as a faculty member and in varied administrative roles at Guilford Technical Community College in Jamestown, working there from 2005 to 2017.