Patrena B. Elliott, who on Friday was named the next president of Halifax Community College by the board of trustees, said she is looking forward to her new job.

The Severn native said in a statement, “I am honored to have been chosen as Halifax Community College’s next president. I am grateful to the board of trustees and the entire HCC family for this opportunity.”

Elliott said, “I am excited to return home and serve an institution and community that is near and dear to my heart. I look forward to building upon the legacy of the leaders who have previously served, working hand in hand with the faculty and staff to grow enrollment and ensure student success, and partnering with community stakeholders to support continuing economic and workforce development efforts.”   

In a statement Friday sent out by the college, board Chair Mike Williams said, “Dr. Elliott is highly qualified for the position and has unique qualities that will serve her and the college well as we enter the next chapter of Halifax Community College’s history.”

Williams said through the president search process several significant goals for the next president emerged: Becoming an integral part of the community served by the college; strengthening connections between the college and its various stakeholders, and “increasing student enrollment by providing rigorous, relevant, programs of study and course offerings that meet the needs of citizens throughout the service area.”

Elliott is currently the vice president for instruction and student support services/chief academic and student affairs officer at Robeson Community College in Lumberton. 

She previously served as dean of academic affairs and operations at South University in High Point. 

Elliott earned a doctor of philosophy in leadership studies and a master of science in adult education from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro and a bachelor of arts in communication studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.