Kathy Higgins Named Leadership North Carolina President & CEO
RALEIGH, N.C. – The Leadership North Carolina (LNC) Board of Directors is pleased to announce Kathy Higgins as President and CEO effective Aug. 3, 2026. In this role Higgins will provide visionary leadership to advance LNC’s standing as the state’s top leadership program.
“We are honored to have Kathy as our new leader and have every confidence she will lead LNC through its next era of growth and innovation,” said Jaz Tunnell, Chair of the LNC Board of Directors. “Kathy brings a wealth of experience in nonprofit management and relationship building, which is core to what we do at LNC.”
Higgins is an alumna of the LNC program (Class 10), the former CEO of the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, and a national expert on health care and philanthropy. She spent more than 30 years at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, where her roles spanned leading public health engagement, corporate communications, community relations, and corporate affairs. In 2000, Higgins led the launch of the Blue Cross NC Foundation.
“As an LNC alumna, nothing makes me prouder than to join this team and advance its mission of developing and engaging dedicated leaders who will help carry North Carolina forward. With more than 1,500 alumni across all 100 counties and decades of impact behind us, LNC is poised for its strongest chapter yet. I believe our corporate and foundation partners are ready to invest boldly in this work — and I know our alumni will answer the call to stay engaged as we move into this next era together,” said Higgins. Higgins replaces Brian Etheridge who held the role for nearly two decades. Her full bio can be found here.
About Leadership North Carolina
Through hands-on programming, Leadership North Carolina’s mission is to inform, develop, and engage committed leaders by broadening their understanding of and involvement in issues and opportunities facing the state. The LNC Core Program brings together approximately 55 leaders annually for an intensive year-long experience, including an orientation retreat and six two-day sessions exploring critical state issues, including government, economic development, health and human services, education, environment, and inclusive leadership. Through presentations, site visits, experiential learning, and facilitated dialogue, participants gain a deep understanding of North Carolina’s challenges and opportunities while building lasting professional networks.
For more information about Leadership North Carolina, visit www.leadershipnc.org.
