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Shelton Leadership Center, Poole College Announce Chris Hitch as New Director

Dr. Chris Hitch has been selected as director of the General H. Hugh Shelton Leadership Center at North Carolina State University and program director in the NC State Poole College of Management’s Executive
Programs office. He begins in his new role on September 14, 2012.

The joint appointment, announced today by Dr. Warwick A. Arden, NC State provost, and Dr. Ira R. Weiss, Poole College dean, reflects the university’s commitment to the strategic priorities of enhancing organizational excellence through collaboration and enhancing local and global engagement through focused strategic partnerships.

The Shelton Leadership Center was founded at NC State in 2002 by Gen. Shelton, an NC State alumnus, following his retirement as the 14th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as a means of “giving back” to his alma mater and to assist in the development of the next generation of values-based leaders.

The Center, now based in NC State’s Office of the Provost, presents the annual Shelton Leadership Forum and leadership development programs for emerging youth leaders, students, faculty and community leaders. Dr. Mike Davis, founding director of the Center, will assume a role as coordinator of scholarships and strategic partnerships.

“As director of the Center, Dr. Hitch will help to assure that the foundational principles upon which Gen. Shelton established this Center a decade ago will continue to help transform lives through its outreach programs,” Arden said.

This includes collaborating with Poole College’s Executive Programs to create and deliver strategic leadership, management and workforce development programs, such as the three-day workshop for civilian staff members in the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) presented in spring 2012.

Poole’s Executive Programs and the Shelton Leadership Center were selected to deliver this program in a highly competitive bid process, based on the university’s strong history in support of the military and the leading faculty and capabilities at Poole College. NC State has Army, Air Force, Marines and Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) programs on campus. Poole College’s focus on management education for a technology driven workforce is closely aligned with military workforce development needs.

“At Poole College, we look forward to continuing to build on the collaborative relationship that has evolved with the Shelton Leadership Center,” Weiss said. As part of his joint appointment, Hitch will work with Poole College’s Executive Programs Director Dan McGurrin in the ongoing development and delivery of programs for the federal sector.

Hitch has more than 25 years’ experience in strategic leadership and management development roles, working in federal government, defense, biotechnology and other industries. Previously, he was a program director in Executive Development at the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School.

He received his Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Austin College. He received a Certificate of Excellence in Strategic and General Management from Kenan-Flagler, and is an Interaction Associates certified facilitator. Hitch has several articles and white papers published on the topics of trust in organizations, decision making and leadership. He and his wife live in Cary, N.C., and have two adult children.

About the Shelton Leadership Center

The Gen. Hugh Shelton Leadership Center operates within the Office of the Provost as a university-wide resource for integrating the concepts and practices of values-based leadership development. Center programs focus on administering leadership scholarships and internships, Shelton Challenge leadership development institutes, leadership forums, and executive education delivered jointly with the NC State Poole College of Management’s Executive Programs.

About NC State University Poole College of Management and Executive Programs

The NC State University Poole College of Management focuses on management education for a technology driven global marketplace. It offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in accounting, business administration and economics. Poole College’s accounting and business programs are accredited by AACSB International. Custom and open enrollment executive programs and developmental experiences, offered through the college’s Executive Programs, LLC, emphasize action-learning methods and applied projects, include tools and exercises developed by Poole College’s centers and initiatives, and provide thought leaders and expert facilitators/coaches. Core topics include finance, innovation, leadership, product marketing, strategy and risk management, and supply chain operations.