Zach Barricklow

Dr. Zach Barricklow serves as Senior Advisor to the John M. Belk Endowment, where he supports Good Jobs WNC — a coalition of eleven Western North Carolina community colleges, regional employers, and philanthropic partners committed to connecting residents to good jobs in manufacturing, healthcare, and skilled trades. He brings over 25 years of leadership across public and private sectors, with deep expertise in rural economic development, community college strategy, and workforce innovation.

Prior to joining JMBE, Dr. Barricklow served in the Executive Division of the North Carolina Community College System Office, most recently as Interim Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Associate Vice President for Strategy and Rural Innovation. In those roles, he led the development and implementation of the statewide strategic plan for a system of 58 colleges serving 630,000+ students, 30,000+ employees, and 100 counties — with particular focus on the nearly 50 rural-serving institutions that anchor North Carolina’s workforce and economic mobility infrastructure. He also served concurrently as Liaison for Rural Engagement and Research at the Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research at NC State University. Before joining the System Office, he served on the senior leadership team at Wilkes Community College, where he co-led a five-year strategic plan that doubled graduation rates and helped secure over $18 million in public and private investment.

Earlier in his career, Dr. Barricklow co-founded Versado Training, a global learning and organizational change firm that designed and delivered 300+ strategic change programs for Fortune 500 clients in the life sciences and biotechnology industries, earning recognition from Inc. Magazine and Business North Carolina. He also served five years with the U.S. Peace Corps in Panama, rising to National Program Director for Community Economic Development.

Dr. Barricklow holds an Ed.D. in Organizational Change and Leadership from the University of Southern California, where his dissertation earned the 2024 Dissertation of Distinction Award. He earned his B.A. from Hope College summa cum laude and completed the Institute for Educational Management at Harvard University.

He serves on several boards, including the NC Rural Center for Economic Development, and other state and national advisory councils. Zach and his wife, Lauren, live in Wilkesboro with their three children, where they remain active in community development, education, and the arts.