Fennebresque steps down from UNC Board of Governors

John Fennebresque, the chairperson of the UNC-system Board of Governors, has announced his resignation, effective immediately, according to a news release sent out today.

John Fennebresque has resigned from his post as Chair of the UNC Board of Governors.

Last year, he oversaw a controversial review of UNC academic centers that a few called politically motivated.

The announcement comes just days after the Board named Margaret Spellings the new president of the 17 campus system.

Fennebresque in January engineered the early removal of university system President Tom Ross. Several board members had written scathing emails in the past couple of weeks, calling for him to resign. That began a search process that eventually drew intense criticism from fellow Republicans on the Board and in the General Assembly. “I want to thank the Board of Governors, my family and friends, my law firm and my many supporters who have rallied around me throughout the hard process of change and the great promise of opportunity for the University of North Carolina system”. After the final unanimous vote, Fennebresque was clearly emotional. The board meets in its regular session Friday.

“I am delighted we could bring in a nationally proven and accomplished leader to serve as the next president of this great university system”, he said.

“The recent mismanagement of the executive office of the university, from the firing of Thomas Ross, to the hiring of the new president, is but the most egregious in a long train of problematic governance actions”, it said.

Current BOG vice chairman Lou Bissette Jr. will assume the chairmanship until the board can elect a new leader, according to the release, which will come after a required 30-day waiting period.