Dr. Catherine Edmonds
Interim Chancellor Catherine Edmonds was named the interim chief executive officer and chancellor of Elizabeth City State University on July 1, 2024. Prior to her appointment, Edmonds served as chief of staff at North Carolina Central University since 2022.
Edmonds is a career educator with deep roots in northeastern North Carolina, having served as superintendent of Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public Schools from 2019-21, and superintendent of the Bertie County Schools from 2018-19.
She has worked at the state level to improve public schools and student success across North Carolina.
Edmonds previously served as deputy state superintendent in the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction in 2021-22, and previously served the department for seven years as a district transformation coach and district portfolio manager. She was state director of the North Carolina Principal Fellows Program and director of educational leadership and development in the UNC System from 2016-18. She began her career as a high school teacher and later served as a principal in the Granville County Schools.
A first-generation college graduate, Edmonds is a proud product of HBCUs in the UNC System. She holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics education from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and began her graduate work at North Carolina Central University. She ultimately earned a master’s degree in educational leadership and a Doctor of Education degree in educational administration, both at NC State University.
Her son, a Coast Guard veteran, is a student at ECSU, majoring in interdisciplinary studies with a focus on emergency management.