WINDSOR – He calls himself a ‘multiplier’ because he likes to build up people and programs.

And it’s in that spirit that newly named Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) Chancellor Dr. Thomas Conway is touring the 21 counties of northeastern North Carolina that his institution serves.

One of his latest stops was Bertie County last week where members of the Bertie County ECSU Alumni Chapter sponsored an informal breakfast gathering in Windsor before the county’s business, civic and political leadership. Conway attended, along with his wife Mychelle, and talked to the gathering about the goals he has set for the university.

Conway was appointed to the chancellor’s position in early January and confirmed by the University Of North Carolina Board Of Trustees Jan. 25 to replace former chancellor Dr. Stacey Franklin Jones, who abruptly resigned in December. Conway is familiar with the post thanks to roughly 40 years as a career administrator serving the UNC system at schools as diverse as N.C. State, and more recently, Fayetteville State University.

“This is the job I wanted, because we have much work to do,” the chancellor said. “I want to get out and talk to county commissioners, school superintendents, educators, and boards of education because the benefits of the work we do today is not for us, but for those to come.”

Conway is well aware that ECSU faces financial as well as enrollment challenges. The school reported roughly 1,600 students enrolled for the fall 2015 semester, down from 2,300 just a few short years ago. With a large student population from the counties in northeastern North Carolina, he says the school must focus itself on being a regional institution for this part of the state.

“We must identify our needs,” he acknowledged. “We must engage our faculty. The issues that matter to young people are understood by the ECSU faculty.”

Many have called it a sound strategy to have a visible presence in the smaller, rural counties that are going to continue to be a prime source of students for Elizabeth City State. Conway also believes in entrepreneurship and talks about the development of an entrepreneurship lab and the need to prepare students not only to step in the good jobs that are available, but also to become job creators themselves.

“I enjoy betting on people that other people wouldn’t take a chance on,” he noted. “Northeastern North Carolina has a culture of independence, of working out solutions to our problems on our own.”

Conway says the lifeblood of this area is that the region survives on small business and education.

“It’s now about more than just getting jobs, but creating the next set of jobs,” he intoned. “We must be creative, we must trust, and we must work together and we must be engaged.”

Conway wants ECSU to be the region’s university, so that when students think of a university education, they won’t just think East Carolina, but also Elizabeth City State.

“The new curriculum we need our students to focus on needs to be aligned with where they want to go,” he said. “When we align our goals with other efforts we can grow the economy of Northeastern North Carolina.”

Conway indicated he planned to be in conversation with economic development leaders in the region about how the university can do more to boost the region’s economy.

“Education is not just big business, but the best investment for economic growth in your community,” Conway said.

The chancellor acknowledged ECSU’s role in producing quality educators, not just in the region, but also throughout the state and even the world.

“We must continue to work with the schools because I believe we produce some very, very good teachers,” Conway stated. “Our environment is better suited for this because we are playing to one of our strengths.”

Conway closed his remarks by inviting the alums and others to participate in what he called ‘Mentor Homecoming’. This would involve, in addition to the university’s usual homecoming celebrations, a chance for students to intermingle with civic and business leaders – whether alumni or not – on campus for an exchange of ideas and to talk about purpose.

Following a brief question-and-answer period, Conway requested involvement from all the sectors of Bertie society.

“We are your university,” he concluded.

Now there are just 20 more northeastern counties to go.