John B. Buxton — a longtime leader of public education in North Carolina — has been named the fifth president of Durham Tech.

Buxton replaces longtime president Bill Ingram, who announced his retirement last year after leading the college since 2008.

The appointment of Buxton following a nationwide search was approved Friday by the North Carolina Board of Community Colleges. His selection followed a national search involving more than 140 candidates

“J.B. cares deeply about people and educational excellence,” said John F. Burness, the chair of Durham Tech’s board of trustees, in an email to the Durham Tech community. “We were impressed by his creative and collaborative approach to leadership, his record of commitment to social justice and appreciation of the unique role Durham Tech must play in helping ensure all Durham and Orange County residents can access an educational and workforce training ecosystem that enables them to maximize their human potential and quality of life.”

A longtime leader in North Carolina education, Buxton served as an adjunct assistant teaching professor in the public policy department at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He currently serves as an at-large member of the State Board of Education, where he works directly with the community college system on a range of education and workforce-related issues.

Buxton said community colleges in North Carolina “have long been drivers of individual opportunity and economic prosperity.

“I am excited to join an institution that values equity and inclusion, student success and innovation. As Durham and Orange counties confront the challenges of COVID-19, economic uncertainty and continuing racial discrimination, Durham Tech is positioned to be a force for progress.”

Buxton attended UNC-Chapel Hill on a Morehead Scholarship, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English. He received his master’s degree in public affairs from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University.

Buxton is expected to start at Durham Tech in mid-July.

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