Board of Trustees
Robert “Rob” Sidney Boyette Jr.
Rob Boyette is a native of Wilson County in the Rock Ridge Community. He is a graduate of East Carolina University with a BS in History, minor in Political Science; MA in History – Thesis entitled “The North Carolina Farmers’ Alliance Legislature of 1891: Harvest time for the Farmer”.
He is a retiree of the North Carolina Division of State Historic Sites, Office of Archives and History, North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources. His most recent position was Director of Operations for 24 historic sites and museums, statewide. Other positions held during his 32-year career included Programs Coordinator at Bentonville Battlefield, Chief of Interpretation for State Historic Sites, Director of the North Carolina Transportation Museum, and Section Chief for the Southeast Section of State Historic Sites. Mr. Boyette’s professional leadership includes service as President of the North Carolina Museums Council 1992-94 and State Director for the Southeastern Museums Conference, 1994-96.
Mr. Boyette is the recipient of numerous awards including the Administrator’s Award, North Carolina Historic Sites, 1986; Most Outstanding N. C. Public Manager Project, 1990; Governor’s Award for Excellence Nominee, 1997; Professional Service Award, North Carolina Museums Council, 2001 and the Order of the Long Leaf Pine Award, 2012
He has served the county of Wilson on many committees such as the Wilson County Youth Athletic Association coach (1990s), the Ridge Youth Athletic Association coach and board member (1990s), Hunt High School Parent Teacher Organization President and Fundraising Chair (ca.2003-2007), Swamp OFWB Church: Service includes the Deacon Board, Building Committee Chairman, Sunday School teacher, and choir member. He has served on the Wilson 20/20 Board of Advisors, Tobacco Farm Life Museum Board, Rock Ridge Volunteer Fire Department Board Member, Wilson County Partnership for Children Board, and Wilson County 4-H Youth Advisory Council.
Mr. Boyette is presently serving on the Wilson County Board of Commissioners, Chairman 2018-present, Wilson County Tourism Development Authority Board, Eastpointe Mental Health Board (Managed Care Organization), Eastern North Carolina School for the Deaf Board of Trustees, Board Member, Friends of Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site, Wilson Community College Board of Trustees, Board Member, Wilson Chamber of Commerce, the Turning Point Workforce Development Consortium, Chairman and is currently a member of the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners, the American Battlefield Trust, the Wilson Chamber of Commerce, and the Rotary Club of Greater Wilson.
Dr. David Dolman
Dr. David Dolman earned a master’s degree in deaf education from Northwestern University and a PhD. in educational psychology from Loyola University Chicago. He taught deaf students in Maryland and Illinois before working for two years as a teacher educator at Mico College in Kingston, Jamaica. For over 30 years, he served as coordinator of the Education of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program at Barton College, including stints as department chair and dean of the School of Education. During that time, he also spent a semester as a Fulbright Scholar at Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia.
Gary Wilson Farmer
Mr. Farmer was born and raised in Eastern North Carolina. He is a retired educator of 50 plus years. He is married to his wife of 54 years, Brenda with two sons. A community lead and recipient of the Order of the Long Leaf Pine Award.
Gary is a former teacher, coach, athletic director, dean of students, transportation coordinator, and the ropes course designer and facilitator. Mr. Famer has served the deaf, multi-impaired, and blind as well as the hearing. He has served on the Wilson County Board of Education for 12 years, the All-State Board of Education for 2 years, and The Wilson Community College Board as well as many other local boards.
Mr. Farmer has multiple master’s degrees in education and is certified in thirteen areas with the State Board of Education. He is fluent in American Sign Language, a former deacon at the First Baptist Church in Wilson, North Carolina and a member of five Athletic Halls of Fame.
Gary is a major advocate for the Deaf.
Melissa Hargrove
Melissa Hargrove brings a deep commitment to educational development in her role. Currently serving as an Educational Development Assistant at the Eastern North Carolina School for the Deaf, Melissa's expertise lies at the intersection of education and technology.
A proud alumna of ENCSD, Melissa has dedicated her career to advancing educational opportunities for students. Holding an associate in arts in General Studies from Austin Community College and an associate in science in Information Technology from Wilson Community College, she combines her passion for learning with a solid foundation in technologies.
Melissa's connection to ENCSD goes beyond her professional responsibilities. She proudly serves as the President of the ENCSD Alumni Association, where her leadership is instrumental in fostering a strong and supportive network among former students. Melissa enjoys the outdoors and is a devoted cat mom to her feline companion, Bay.
Melissa's dedication to the well-being and success of both students and the institution is evident in her years of contributions to the ENCSD community.
Ken Jones, Chairman
Ken Jones is a native of Virginia, he, and his wife Wanda, have three adult children and two grandchildren. Ken attended Corning Community College in Corning, NY and then at the encouragement of his physics teacher he went on to Syracuse University for undergraduate and graduate studies completing his BS and MBA. He worked for United Technologies in Syracuse, NY and then Bristol Myers Squibb in Evansville, IN and then in Princeton, NJ. He accepted a position with Merck Pharmaceutical in New Jersey and later in Pennsylvania and then came to Wilson as the Plant Manager at Merck -Wilson ultimately retiring in 2011 and making Wilson their new home.
Mr. Jones has served in the Wilson community and has been active in leadership positions in various community organizations, such as on the Barton College Board of Trustees, chair of the Wilson Chamber of Commerce, board member and chair of Diversified Opportunities Inc., chair of Wilson 20/20, now called Wilson Forward. He has served on the board of Wilson Community College the Board Chair and currently serving as chair of the Building and Grounds committee. He served on the Board of Habitat for Humanity and served as Chair of the Construction committee. He is also on the board of Healthcare Foundation of Wilson, and the Freeman Roundhouse African American Museum. Mr. Jones previously served on the board of OIC of Wilson, the Whirligig Park and Museum, the Wilson Rotary Club, the Preservation of Wilson and as a member of the Industrial Manufacturing Council. He currently volunteers for Meals on Wheels, the Community Soup Kitchen, and the CHEW program.
Ken Jones served as Chairman of the Evansville Association for the Blind in Evansville, Indiana. He also co-chaired the committee in Wilson to support and successfully preserved the ENCSD.
Ken says, “My purpose in life is to help others and to bring people together to create a stronger, more cohesive, and sustainable community for all.”
Sharon J. Lott
Sharon Lott has an M.S., M.A., ASLTA certification: Professional, SLPI: Superior Plus. She is retired from ASL Training and Evaluation Coordinator at NTID/RIT. She currently works with NTID, Bridge Oregon, and several other organizations.
Ms. Lott is a national SLPI: ASL trainer and rater with experience in providing training as far as Ghana and Kenya, Africa. Locally, she has taught at Central Piedmont Community College, Lenior-Rhyne College, Western Piedmont Community College, Gardner Webb University, Appalachian University, and Eastern Kentucky University.
Ms. Lott was a Staff Development Specialist at North Carolina School for the Deaf (NCSD) and Eastern North Carolina School for the Deaf (ENCSD). She coordinated and taught ASL, Deaf Culture, Linguistics and a variety of other sign related topics at both schools. She possesses Professional Level ASL certification from the American Sign Language Teacher Association (ASLTA) and continues to serve as an ASLTA evaluator.
She has 3 children, Leslie, Kristina, and James, and is a proud grandmother to Lathan.
Dr. Patrick C. Miller
Dr. Patrick C. Miller is the executive director of the Central Carolina Regional Education Service Alliance (CCRESA). Prior to his appointment at CCRESA, he served as superintendent of Greene County Schools for 14 years, retiring June 30, 2022.
In addition to his responsibilities with CCRESA, Dr. Miller works with STEM East, an initiative of the NC East Alliance, and Nash County Public Schools as a District Leadership Coach.
He serves as a consultant/advisor for Moseley Architects and HES Facilities Management. He also serves as an executive coach for new superintendents in eastern North Carolina.
After graduating from UNC-Chapel Hill in 1993, Dr. Miller taught choral music/theater arts at Greene Central High School for 10 years before accepting the NC Principal Fellows scholarship/loan. He graduated twice from ECU - once in 2005 with a Master of School Administration and again in 2011 with a Doctor of Education.
Dr. Miller is still very active in professional organizations at the state and national levels, and he participated in numerous leadership programs while serving Greene County Schools. He is a frequent presenter at conferences at both the state and national levels.
He serves on numerous Boards of Directors, commissions, and committees at the local, state, and national levels. In 2017, he was appointed to and elected chair of the North Carolina Professional Educator Preparation and Standards Commission (PEPSC). Miller’s third term on PEPSC ended on August 31, 2022. Dr. Miller was also appointed to the Governor’s Commission on Access to Sound Basic Education in the fall of 2017.
Dr. Miller was named North Carolina’s Central Region Superintendent of the Year for 2014-15 and again in 2018-19. In November 2018, he was named the 2019 A. Craig Phillips North Carolina Superintendent of the Year. Miller was inducted into the East Carolina University Educators Hall of Fame in October 2015. He received the Friday Medal for Educational Innovation from NC State’s Friday Institute in November 2017. In the spring of 2018, Miller was named “Citizen of the Year” by the Greene County Chamber of Commerce. Miller received the inaugural Administrator of the Year Award from Conn-Selmer Education in Mishawaka, IN in June 2019. He was also recognized by the UNC School of Education with the Alumni Achievement Award in October 2019. He received the 2020 Raymond Sarbaugh Leadership Award from the NC Association of School Administrators. In June 2022, Dr. Miller was awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine by Governor Roy Cooper.
Dr. Miller lives in Snow Hill with his wife of 30 years, Becky, and their children. The oldest, Paul, graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2022. He lives and works in Charlotte. James is a Department of Defense SMART Scholar & Chancellor’s Fellow in the Honors College at East Carolina University where he studies engineering. His daughter, Mary Amantha, is in 1st grade at Snow Hill Primary School!