FIRST DAY
New chancellor is ready to lead ECU
East Carolina University’s 11th chancellor, Dr. Cecil Staton, started his first day like most anyone else – ordering coffee.
He walked to Wright Plaza and chatted with students and staff as he waited in line at Starbucks. After taking his place in line behind nursing student Maggie Stewart, Staton introduced himself and they discussed their plans for the holiday weekend.
“I like to interact with students, particularly freshmen. There are lots of emotions going through them as they join the Pirate Nation,” said Staton.
Chancellor Cecil Staton talks with Maggie Stewart, a rising junior, while waiting in line at Starbucks.
ECU employees Chastidy Ridley and Ginger Grimes talked with Staton in Starbucks after he picked up his venti cappuccino. They welcomed him to campus and asked for a quick photo before they headed back to the biology department and Staton made his way to his office in Spilman Building.
The new chancellor was greeted with warm smiles and handshakes as he entered his new office. Having visited ECU several times in the past few weeks to prepare for the transition, Staton expected to have a quiet day moving into his office before the busy week that awaits him after the Fourth of July holiday.
The staff who had been anticipating his arrival for weeks had other plans. Staton entered the chancellor’s conference room where a table of coffee and pastries was flanked with a ‘Welcome Dr. Staton’ banner. As word spread that he was in the office, staff in Spilman trickled in to grab a cup of coffee and chat with the new chancellor before taking care of the business for the day. Conversations ranging from summer vacation plans to immediate business needs for ECU mingled in the room.
“It’s a brand new fresh start,” said Dr. Virginia Hardy, vice chancellor for student affairs, about having a new leader. “I am excited to see his vision for ECU – how he will build upon what is already here.”
“A change in leadership is exciting. It’s healthy for an organization to see itself through new eyes,” said Tim Wiseman, assistant vice chancellor for enterprise risk management and military programs.
Later Friday morning Staton sat down with a reporter from the East Carolinian for his first interview and sent a personal message to faculty, staff, students and alumni to mark his first day.
Dr. Virginia Hardy and Chancellor Cecil Staton share a laugh during his welcome breakfast Friday morning.
Staton and his wife, Catherine, moved into town last week and are staying in temporary university housing until the chancellor’s residence is ready for new occupants. They have spent their free time touring Greenville to get a feel for their new town. They attended Sunday in the Park at the Town Common, a Greenville tradition, and have ventured to Washington and Beaufort to get to know the community.
“We’ve spent time trying out local restaurants. It would be too soon to mention a favorite,” Staton said with a smile.
The Statons and their family are especially looking forward to the start of football season. “We are college sports fanatics and can’t wait for the first football game,” Staton said.
He will enjoy a relaxing holiday weekend celebrating his son William’s birthday with family before returning to campus ready to tackle a full schedule.
Next week he will continue meeting with faculty, staff and student leaders and participate in a new student orientation session. Staton said he will take advantage of the slower pace on campus in mid-summer to do his homework and get to know executive council.
“I will continue to meet people and learn as much as I can about ECU,” said Staton. He has enlisted the help of university staff to plan visits throughout campus and will travel around North Carolina to meet alumni.
After being named ECU’s chancellor in April, Staton told the UNC Board of Governors that he believes ECU is in the business of changing lives. As a first-generation college student, Staton knows first-hand how attending college can impact someone’s life.
“I feel like my life is a testimony… to the power of higher education,” Staton said in his introductory video for ECU.
Staton grew up in Greenville, South Carolina and attended Furman University. He went on to receive masters’ of theology and divinity degrees from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and a doctorate in Old Testament, Hebrew and ancient Near Eastern studies from the University of Oxford in England.
Most recently, Staton served as vice chancellor for extended education for the University System of Georgia which included a stint from 2015-2016 as the interim president of Valdosta State University. Additionally, he was associate provost at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia and served five terms as a Georgia state senator.