The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill this week announced that John Preyer, former chair of the UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees, has resigned from the board.
Preyer, who joined the board in 2019, was instrumental in founding the North Carolina Collaboratory. He also helped establish the university’s School of Civic Life & Leadership, which was touted by supporters as a model for restoring debate and critical thinking on campus. Faculty critics, however, called the new school a “blatant overreach” by the Board of Trustees and an effort to dictate a more conservative curriculum.
John Preyer served as chair of the Board of Trustees from 2023-2025. (Photo courtesy: Johnny Andrews/UNC-Chapel Hill)More recently, during his time as board chairman, Preyer was a key figure in helping the university hire former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick as the university’s head football coach. The team went 4-8 in Belichick’s first season.
Preyer’s term was set to end in 2027.
“I’ve never felt better about the University and its leadership, so now is the time for me to get back to my day job,” wrote Preyer in announcing his departure.
Preyer’s day job is serving as president of Raleigh-based Restoration Systems, an environmental permitting company that specializes in wetland and stream mitigation.
On Thursday, Senate President Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) praised Preyer’s impact.
“John’s tenure on the UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees was defined by incredible reforms,” said Berger on social media. “I’m thankful for his leadership and vision, especially his role in getting the School of Civic Life & Leadership up and running.”
Now it’s up to the UNC Board of Governors to select a replacement to complete Preyer’s term. The Board of Governors is wholly appointed by the Republican-controlled NC General Assembly, and it has been criticized as overly partisan and lacking in diversity.
Governor Josh Stein, a Democrat, said he hoped that partisan politics would not dictate who fills the opening.
“I think the way that the General Assembly has politicized the university system, has politicized the courts, has politicized the Board of Elections – all of this is bad,” said Stein.
Stein called partisan intervention by UNC Boards of Trustees or the Board of Governors “absolutely counterproductive.”
“I think that we would be better served if these were not partisan, but rather they represented the broad representation of the entirety of the state, which includes unaffiliated voters, which includes Democratic voters, which includes Republican voters, not exclusively one party,” said Stein.
There’s no timetable for announcing Preyer’s replacement. UNC-Chapel Hill’s Board of Trustees meets Jan. 21.
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