Dr. Zach Barricklow serves as associate vice president for strategy and rural innovation at the North Carolina Community College System and liaison for rural engagement and research at the Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research at NC State University. His work focuses on advancing the statewide strategic plan that supports 58 community colleges, with a specific focus on serving and strengthening the state’s 40+ rural colleges. Dr. Barricklow comes to these roles with 25 years of private and public sector leadership, including higher education, community economic development, entrepreneurship, and corporate consulting. Dr. Barricklow is passionate about rural community development. He has served on numerous boards and initiatives related to downtown revitalization, economic development and creative placemaking, early childhood education, afterschool programs, housing, small business and entrepreneurial development, and educational attainment. Dr. Barricklow received his doctorate in education from the University of Southern California with a concentration in organizational change and leadership. His dissertation focused on leading innovation and change within rural-serving community colleges aligned with the future of work. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Hope College with a double major in management and philosophy. He recently completed the Institute for Educational Management at Harvard University.