Leading Blue Ridge with Purpose and Heart
/The mountains of Swain County rise steep and green, their valleys stitched together by narrow roads and close-knit communities. It was here, in a landscape both beautiful and isolating, that Laura Leatherwood learned the values that would guide her life: hard work, perseverance, and the strength of neighbors who look out for one another.
Opportunities in such a place can be scarce, and when they come, they often arrive in the form of education — the surest bridge to something more. For Laura, that bridge began at her local community college and later extended to Western Carolina University. Working her way through school and never taking opportunities for granted, she came to understand education not just as a personal achievement but as a force that could change the trajectory of entire families.
Dr. Laura Leatherwood, President, Blue Ridge Community College
Today, Dr. Laura Leatherwood lives in Flat Rock with her husband Ron and has just begun her 9th year as president of Blue Ridge Community College. It only takes a few minutes with her to discern the degree of conviction and determination that has allowed her to successfully lead BRCC through economic uncertainty, a pandemic, and natural disasters - while championing the vital role community colleges play in shaping lives and communities.
Roots in the Smoky Mountains
Laura grew up near Whittier and Ela in Swain County, a small community not far from the Qualla Boundary and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Her father ran a restaurant in Cherokee and, along with her mother, raised Laura and her brother to value their strong ties to family and community.
Her childhood dream was to be a ballet dancer. But when it came time for college, practical realities steered her in a different direction. “It was a combination of finances, my mother’s health challenges, and a deep love for the mountains that led me to Southwestern Community College,” she explains.
Community college gave her a solid start and became a springboard to Western Carolina University. At WCU, she earned her bachelor’s in business law in 1993. An internship with a local attorney, however, convinced her that the legal profession was not for her. “I quickly learned that was not the path for me,” she admits with a smile. “But what I did learn in business law has been invaluable.”
Instead, Laura pursued a master’s in human resource development (1996) and later a doctorate in university and community college leadership (2007) at WCU.
Laura and her husband Ron at a WCU Football game
Her years at WCU were not the typical college experience. She worked her way through school, never living in a dormitory, juggling jobs and classes. “I was a nontraditional student,” she says. “That’s why I relate so strongly to our community college students who are often balancing families, jobs, and education all at once.”
One advisor in particular made a difference, helping her navigate schedules and requirements. “You don’t know what you don’t know,” she says. “Having someone walk alongside you, that’s what made the difference. And that’s what we try to do here at Blue Ridge. We embrace everybody who walks through our door.”
A Career Found by Chance
Laura’s path to education administration wasn’t planned. After finishing her master’s, she followed her passion for fitness and worked as an aerobics instructor. When Haywood Regional Medical Center built a wellness center, she was hired as membership coordinator. For four years, she helped launch the facility, build membership, and implement policies and procedures.
The community connections she made there caught the attention of Haywood Community College, which recruited her to be its foundation’s first full-time director. “They wanted me to bring those relationships I had established,” she remembers.
Over the next 18 years, she moved through multiple roles at Haywood: advancement, workforce development, student services, and curriculum liaison. She worked under five different presidents, earning a panoramic view of how community colleges function. It was also during this time that she earned her doctorate.
Although it had not been her vision when she started at Haywood, Laura was on a path to an even more significant role in the North Carolina Community College system.
When Blue Ridge Community College launched its presidential search in 2017, Laura Leatherwood saw a natural fit. “I had always admired the work Blue Ridge was doing,” she says. Each stage of the process confirmed that impression. “It felt good when I walked away from every interview.”
After a six-month nationwide search with more than sixty applicants, the Board of Trustees unanimously chose her as the college’s fourth president. Her long career in the community college system, her deep ties to Western North Carolina, and her ability to connect with the business and manufacturing community during her years at Haywood all impressed the board. She officially began her tenure on July 1, 2017.
Her first challenge was reversing a steady decline in enrollment. Within two years, she and her team had turned the tide through aggressive outreach to area public schools, businesses looking to strengthen their workforce, and individuals seeking new credentials to advance their careers. “We went into companies and said, ‘What do you need? How can we help?’” she recalls.
Less than three years later, Laura and her team faced a crisis they never could have imagined: the COVID-19 pandemic. “One of the greatest accomplishments, I think, is that we kept people engaged with the college regardless of the health situation,” she says. “It was awful. A three-year slog.”
Yet BRCC not only endured but emerged stronger. Enrollment rebounded, new partnerships flourished, and the college expanded its reputation as a first-choice destination. “During COVID, universities were sending students home, and people started asking why they should pay university tuition when they could take the same classes here,” she recalls. “That was a turning point for us.”
Mother Nature, however, was not finished testing BRCC. In the fall of 2024, Hurricane Helene caused massive regional disruption, followed just months later by wildfires that threatened Henderson County. Then, as if to punctuate the run of crises, a small earthquake rattled the college’s 2025 spring commencement ceremony. “You have to be kidding me,” she remembers thinking.
Another source of pride for Laura has been the college’s central role in workforce development. From her earliest days at Blue Ridge, she worked to align programs with the most urgent needs of the region. Local hospitals needed more nurses, advanced manufacturers required engineers and welders, and nearly every sector was looking for HVAC technicians and skilled tradespeople. Blue Ridge responded by tailoring curricula, investing in equipment, and forging partnerships with industry. “Everybody started looking to the college to help solve their workforce problems,” she says, recalling how employers came to see BRCC not just as a school, but as a vital partner in keeping the economy moving.
Equally important has been the shift in the image of community colleges. For years, they were often viewed as a fallback option, a second choice after four-year universities. That perception changed dramatically during the pandemic. The shift has endured, with more families now recognizing community colleges as a smart, strategic first step rather than a consolation prize.
Recognition and Reach
BRCC today is more than a school; it is an engine for the regional economy. “Our specialty is engineering,” Laura explains. “We have four engineering programs — mechanical, electrical, civil, and environmental — and we’re the only college west of Charlotte with that breadth.” Healthcare programs serve three major hospitals. Skilled trades programs are booming.
Eighty percent of BRCC graduates stay in the region, filling critical workforce needs. And tuition remains a fraction of university costs — about $3,000 per year. “You just can’t beat the return on investment,” she says.
She points out that most people in Western North Carolina encounter community college graduates every day. “There’s a good chance throughout your day that you’ve been cared for, served by, or worked with someone who trained at a community college,” she says. “The college is really an economic engine,” she emphasizes. “Sometimes the general public doesn’t realize the role we play. But we’re shaping the workforce and the future of this region.”
Her leadership has not gone unnoticed. In 2022, she was named President of the Year by the North Carolina Community College System, selected from 58 leaders statewide. “This is not about me,” she insists. “It’s about the collective work of our faculty, staff, trustees, and community partners.”
Looking Ahead
The future holds both promise and responsibility. Blue Ridge is developing a master facilities plan that includes a new student center, expanded public safety and fire/rescue training, and replacement of flood-damaged infrastructure.
Laura also sees Blue Ridge as central to regional recovery after Hurricane Helene, which left a trail of damage across Western North Carolina. “We’ve probably got a 10-year rebuild ahead of us — roads, houses, businesses, infrastructure,” she says. “The decisions we made early in my tenure about skilled trades, engineering, and healthcare were the right ones. Now we need to accelerate.”
And then there is the challenge of integrating artificial intelligence into higher education. “If the community expects us to train the next generation in every sector that incorporates AI, then we need to figure out how it’s going to impact each field,” she says.
Laura on an Honor Flight taking Veterans to Washington, DC
For all the demands of leadership, Laura finds balance in Flat Rock, where she and her husband, Ron, have lived for nearly a decade. They hike Glassy Mountain, stroll to the bakery, and take in Playhouse shows. She describes Flat Rock as “a little piece of heaven.” She is also active in Honor Flights to Washington, D.C., traveling with veterans to visit their memorials.
Travel abroad has become another outlet, with recent journeys to South Africa and Spain. Still, the mountains always call her home. “I love experiencing four seasons,” she says. “I love winter, spring, summer, and fall.”
A Legacy of Opportunity
When asked about her legacy, Laura does not talk about buildings or titles. She talks about families. “If I just helped one family and that next generation didn’t live in poverty as a result of the education they received, then I’ve done my job,” she says.
She is especially passionate about first-generation students. “If you didn’t see your parents go to college, it’s not on your radar,” she explains. “But if we can get to that first generation, the next generation and the one after that will be college-going families.”
Her board chair, Chip Gould, once summed it up this way: “Under her leadership, Blue Ridge has defied enrollment trends, cultivated a highly trained workforce, and remained a trusted partner.”
Laura participates in fall 2021 commencement ceremonies at Blue Ridge Community College.
From Swain County to Flat Rock, from a first-generation community college student to statewide President of the Year, Laura Leatherwood embodies the promise of opportunity. She leads with empathy shaped by her own experiences, pragmatism sharpened by her business background, and vision rooted in the belief that education changes lives.
Her story is about more than a career. It is about the role of community colleges, and their power to lift families, to strengthen economies, and to anchor communities. And it is about the conviction that in places like Blue Ridge, nestled in the mountains of Western North Carolina, education remains the surest path forward.
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