A Beaufort County native was recently named as Vice President of Continuing Education at Beaufort County Community College.

Stacey Gerard succeeds Chet Jarman, who retired earlier this year, and will oversee the different programs of the Continuing Education division of the college. The different programs include high school equivalency classes, truck driver training, Small Business Center workshops, BCCC College for Kids and knitting, cake decorating and other leisure pursuit classes, among others, according to a Beaufort County Community College press release. As a self-described “multi-tasker,” she will enjoy being involved in the division’s many activities, she said.

Prior to joining the college’s administration, Gerard served as Director of Career and Technical Education and Coordinator of the K-12 Instructional Technology Program with Beaufort County Schools. She oversaw programs including Agriculture, Business, Health Science, Marketing, Technology, Engineering and Design and Trade and Industrial Education, according to the release.

Gerard’s family roots are deep in education in the community: her brother, Dale Cole, is principal at Southside High School; her mother, Paulette Cole, is a bookkeeper at Chocowinity Middle School; and her cousin, Ben Cole, is an instructor at BCCC, according to the release.

Gerard has 15 years experience as an educator also. She served as a teacher — at D.H. Conley, Southside High School and Pitt Community College — and as a school administrator — serving as an assistant principal at SHS, the release said.

“I want the Continuing Education Division to be a shining star on our campus and in the state,” Gerard said. “I enjoyed my time working with K-12 education, but I look forward to a new challenge and continuing to have a positive impact on the community. I want to continue to lead a great group of directors in expanding the program so we can offer more classes and training in our service areas.”

Through inspiration from her business teacher at Chocowinity High School, Judy McRoy, Gerard started her career in education at ECU, entering as a North Carolina Teaching Fellow, she said. After questioning her career choice, her parents encouraged her to stick with it and today, she is glad she did, she said.

“Mrs. McRoy was my high school business teacher and I loved her classes, and I loved all the information I learned,” Gerard said. “When I got accepted as a North Carolina Teaching Fellow, I had to pick an area of concentration I was interested in, so I chose business. I am excited to be able to continue to work with industry and I plan to continue to work with my team of directors to provide students with services and skillsets necessary for industry.”

Gerard graduated from Chocowinity High School in 1995 and earned a bachelor’s degree in business education from ECU, graduating Magna Cum Laude, the release said. She also holds master’s degrees in vocational education and school administration, and she has applied to enter the educational leadership doctoral program at ECU.