| Chancellor Harold L. Martin Sr. announced the appointment of Nicole Pride as chief of staff, effective April 1. In this role, Pride will serve as the principal liaison and adviser to the chancellor, is a member of the chancellor’s executive cabinet, and will provide strategic and operational support for internal and external constituencies.
“Nicole has a proven track record as a dynamic leader and strategic thinker who understands the mission and vision of North Carolina A&T and the pathway to Preeminence 2020, the university’s long-range strategic plan. Her contributions to this university have been outstanding and I am confident that she will be a significant asset in her new role as chief of staff,” said Martin.
In collaboration with other members of the cabinet, this position is responsible for planning, organizing and driving the initiatives and activities of the Office of the Chancellor, as they relate to the internal operations and the external relationships of the university.
Other duties of the position include the following: manages and oversees the chancellor’s office and his day-to-day engagements, university relations, and government and state relations; coordinates and supports the board of trustees and board of visitors; serves as the liaison between UNC General Administration and the campus community; is the point of contact for A&T’s various constituent groups; and provides leadership on administrative matters.
Pride joined N.C. A&T in August 2010 as the associate vice chancellor for university relations, serving as the university’s chief communications officer and responsible for communications, marketing, branding, media and public relations and crisis communications. A few of her major accomplishments in this role include redesigning the university's website, executing a comprehensive crisis communications model, developing an integrated marketing and strategic communications strategy, and establishing the university’s first comprehensive marketing and branding assessment in alignment with the institution’s strategic goals.
In August 2013, Pride began serving as interim vice chancellor for the Division of University Advancement, which houses the offices of alumni affairs, development, advancement services, university relations, government and state relations, and the university foundation. In this role, Pride develops and executes an innovative strategy for the future of A&T, and provides senior leadership in the areas of major and principal gifts, corporate and foundation relations, planned giving, donor relations and stewardship, alumni relations, research and prospect management, advancement services and university and state relations. Pride serves as a member of the university’s senior leadership team, executive director of the N.C. A&T Foundation, and ex-officio member of the Aggie Athletic Foundation and National Alumni Association boards. She also leads the activities of the N.C. A&T Board of Visitors.
Prior to joining A&T, Pride served as vice president for development and communications for the Child Care Services Association in Chapel Hill, N.C. For almost a decade, she also served in numerous capacities at IBM including marketing program manager, corporate learning division and manager of corporate community relations and public affairs. Before IBM she was an assistant director of alumni relations at Fairleigh Dickinson University.
She is a member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), National Association of Black Journalist (NABJ), Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., and Leadership Greensboro (Class of 2011).
Past memberships on boards and committees include the North Carolina Business Committee for Education, Durham Public Education Network, Triangle United Way, Wake Education Partnership, Triangle Urban League, North Carolina Business Education and Technology Alliance, North Carolina State Kenan Fellows, Teach for America, and Triangle United Way's External Communication Task Force.
A native of Orange, N.J., Pride received a B.A. degree in business management and B.A. degree in economics from North Carolina State University and her M.A. degree in corporate and public communications from Seton Hall University. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in organizational leadership at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Pride has two sons, Turner Jr. and Todd.
“It is an honor to be selected as chief of staff for North Carolina A&T State University,” said Pride. “I look forward to the opportunities and further engagement with students, faculty, staff, alumni and our external stakeholders to fulfill the strategic mission of this university.” |
