DUBLIN — Dan Gerlach, recently named interim chancellor at East Carolina University, will be the featured speaker at both graduation ceremonies for Bladen Community College.
Curriculum commencement ceremonies are May 16 at 5:30 and 8 p.m. This is the first time the college has gone to two ceremonies, and it will allow students to net six tickets each for family and friends.
Gerlach was introduced to his newest position last week by Dr. Bill Roper, the interim president of the University of North Carolina System. Gerlach replaced Cecil Sutton, who announced March 18 he would resign effective May 5.
Gerlach is a former budget analyst at the state legislature and an adviser to former Gov. Mike Easley.
He most recently held the position of president of the Golden LEAF Foundation, a nonprofit which works to increase economic opportunity in North Carolina’s rural and tobacco-dependent communities. He has served on more than a dozen commissions on budget, tax, agriculture and economic development at the state and national level.
At the time of his appointment at ECU, he was serving for Roper on a transition committee. He’s also on the boards for MyFutureNC Commission and the N.C. Early Childhood Foundation.
Gerlach earned his undergrad from Notre Dame and master’s at Syracuse.