Appalachian State has a new chancellor. She’s already led the school through Helene
Heather Norris, who has spent more than two decades on the faculty and in leadership at Appalachian State University and most recently led the campus through the devastation of Helene, will be the university’s next chancellor.
The UNC System Board of Governors on Thursday approved system President Peter Hans’ recommendation to hire Norris for the job, which she has held on an interim basis since last April. She succeeds former App State Chancellor Sheri Everts, who resigned last year after a decade in the role, citing health issues.
“Today it is my honor to nominate someone who knows this university from top to bottom, someone who loves the mountains, cherishes App State’s service to the region, someone with the patience and the steady temperament to build relationships and unite the App community behind an ambitious vision for one of the country’s most inviting public universities,” Hans said when nominating Norris for consideration to the board.
Norris first came to App State in 2003 to join the faculty in the Walker College of Business, with a focus on finance. She rose through the ranks in the college, serving in a variety of leadership roles before becoming its first female dean in 2016.
At a campus event to welcome the new chancellor to her role on Thursday, Norris said she was first drawn to the university because of its “stated mission of academic excellence and student success,” which “aligned perfectly” with her own passion of supporting students in and out of classrooms.
“When I arrived on campus, I saw that stated mission to be true,” Norris said. “I am proud that providing access to high-quality education and support for student success remain our focus today.”
Norris became the university’s interim provost in 2020 before being named to the post permanently in 2021. In that role, she oversaw the university’s academic affairs, guided students and faculty through the COVID-19 pandemic and led the creation of the university’s 2022-27 strategic plan. She also ushered in multiple new academic programs, including a bachelor’s in health science and a master’s in occupational therapy.
Throughout all of the roles she has held on campus, Norris said, she has “maintained a relentless focus on student success” — something Hans said has “benefited a generation of Mountaineer grads.”
Leading through Helene
Most recently, during her time as interim chancellor, Norris led App State through Helene, which hit much of Western North Carolina, including Boone. The university canceled classes for roughly three weeks due to the storm’s impacts.
Hans praised Norris’ work as the university’s interim leader, saying she has been “exemplary.” During the aftermath of Helene, Hans said, Norris provided a “steady and healing presence through the very difficult months.”
“Every time I’ve visited Boone since the storm struck, I’ve heard about her reassuring approach to working with the community and welcoming involvement from across campus,” Hans said. “That confident approach to leadership is exactly what this moment demands.”
Norris has made concerted efforts to “bolster relationships” with the university community since taking the helm of the university 10 months ago, she said Thursday. Regarding Helene, she used her remarks to thank the members of her leadership team who “helped ensure our institution was, literally, a beacon in the storm.”
According to a news release from the UNC System, the search that resulted in Norris’ hiring garnered more than 40 candidates from across the country. Search committee chair Deanna Ballard, a former Republican state senator who represented Watauga County, said Norris stood out for her “deep-rooted connection to the institution, her ability to foster stability on and off campus during critical times, and her sincere dedication to our community.”
Nearly all of Norris’ academic career has been spent in rural Appalachia. Prior to coming to Boone, she was on the faculty at Bowling Green State University, Pennsylvania State University and West Virginia University. She holds her bachelor’s degree in finance from James Madison University, and her master’s and doctoral degrees in finance from Penn State.
Once a regional school for teachers in the North Carolina mountains, App State now boasts nearly 22,000 students. The university earlier this month was recognized for the first time as an “R2” university in the Carnegie Classification system, recognizing its high research activity and production of doctoral degree recipients.
The university opened a second campus, in Hickory, in 2023. Last year, the university celebrated its 125th anniversary, having been founded in 1899.
“It is my great honor to continue to serve, building upon the excellence that was established by our founders 125 years ago,” Norris said. “It’s always great to be a Mountaineer.”
This story was originally published February 27, 2025 at 12:28 PM with the headline "Appalachian State has a new chancellor. She’s already led the school through Helene."
