By Ray Gronberg
N.C. House members are scheduled to make their six appointments to the UNC Board of Governors this week, but one incumbent has taken part of that decision out of their hands.
BOG member Jim Holmes who heads the board’s budget and finance committee, turned in his resignation on Friday, effective immediately. His term runs through June 30.
“I did so because we’re entering appointments and I have so much going on in my company, and I’ve been doing this for 11 years, and we’ve been doing a whole bunch of stuff,” Holmes says. “I’ve been doing this for a long time and with the appointment season coming up, it seemed like the appropriate time to step back and clear the slate.”
Holmes has been on the 24-member board since 2015 and was eligible for another four-year term. He chaired its Budget and Finance Committee.
He is the founder and managing partner of Sentinel, a Raleigh firm with risk-management, consulting, surety and other businesses. The Johnston County native is a graduate of N.C. State University.
Holmes says he had put in his name for reappointment for another term, but had “been doing a lot of soul-searching” and came to the conclusion it was time to step down.
“It’s time for other people to move up,” he says. “I’m not going to chair anything. I’ve got other priorities, my firm is booming, I’m busy.”
It’s likely BOG member Lee Roberts, the vice chair of the budget and finance committee, will replace him as the panel’s chair, Holmes says. Roberts is a former state budget director under former Gov. Pat McCrory, and now leads a Raleigh investment firm.
“Why sit through two meetings and not let people begin to forge their path?” Holmes says, explaining why he opted to leave early instead of serving out his term. “I’m not a guy who wants to sit around and occupy space. Lee will carry the ball.”
Holmes also said he hadn’t talked with House Speaker Tim Moore.
“He texted me, he said he wants to chat,” Holmes says. “He had no idea I was going to do this. I haven’t talked to Tim, but I will today.”
Other House-appointed BOG seats available in this year’s cycle are held by Pearl Burris-Floyd, Philip Byers, Terry Hutchens, Alex Mitchell and David Powers. Hutchens has served one term, Burris-Floyd, Byers and Mitchell have each served two and Powers has served three.