John P. Preyer elected chair of UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees
The 1990 alumnus has served Carolina in multiple roles, including as a member of the Board of Visitors for both the University and the UNC Institute for the Environment.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Board of Trustees on Thursday, Sept. 7, elected John Preyer of Chapel Hill to serve as the next board chair.
Preyer ’90 has served on the board since 2019 and was the board’s vice chair during the 2021-23 term. The 13-member board serves to promote the sound development of the University, help it to perform at a high level of excellence, serve the people of North Carolina and advise the UNC System Board of Governors and Carolina’s chancellor about the University’s management.
“I thank my colleagues on the board for placing their trust in me and I look forward to working with Vice Chair Malcolm Turner, Secretary Ramsey White, and all our friends in the administration as we serve the University we all love,” Preyer said.
Preyer is the co-founder and president of Raleigh-based Restoration Systems, an environmental company specializing in wetland, stream, nutrient and habitat mitigation. Prior to that, he worked on several political campaigns and became legislative director for U.S. Sen. Lauch Faircloth, tackling several environmental issues. Preyer has a degree in political science from Carolina and has served on the board of visitors for both the University and for the UNC Institute of the Environment.
Preyer replaces attorney David Boliek Jr. of Fayetteville, who has served as chair since 2019. Boliek will continue to serve on the board as he was recently reappointed to another term.
This summer, three new trustees, Patrick Ballantine, James Blaine and Jennifer Halsey, were also sworn in for their four-year terms. New trustees are appointed by the UNC Board of Governors and the North Carolina General Assembly.
John Preyer (Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)
Patrick Ballantine
Ballantine ’87 is a former North Carolina state senator who served from 1994-2004. Ballantine is an attorney licensed to practice in state and federal court as well as the U.S. Supreme Court. He founded Ballantine Company, Inc., a public affairs firm specializing in government relations.
Ballantine has been active in Rotary, Jaycees, United Way, Special Olympics, UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Visitors and other local organizations in his home of Wilmington.
Ballantine graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill with a bachelor’s degree in political science. He received his law degree from the University of Dayton.
Patrick Ballantine (Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)
James C.D. Blaine, II
Blaine ’00 is a third generation Tar Heel. He has over 20 years of experience working in state government, the North Carolina General Assembly, and in politics and policy.
From 2011 to 2018, Blaine served as chief of staff for Senate Leader Phil Berger when Berger was Senate president pro tempore. Prior to joining Berger’s staff, Blaine was the Republican Senate caucus director for several election cycles.
Currently, Blaine is a partner at the strategic and public affairs firm The Differentiators and lives in Raleigh with his wife and four daughters. He is a former member of the UNC Board of Visitors.
James Blaine (submitted photo)
Jennifer Halsey Evans
Evans ’94 has served high-growth medical technology companies for 25 years as an investor, advisor and senior executive in strategy and finance. She served as chair of the Morehead-Cain Scholarship Fund, chair of UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Visitors and co-chair of Carolina’s $5 billion Campaign for Carolina. She also served as professor of the practice in Carolina’s economics department, where she led an undergraduate honors seminar on entrepreneurship in Silicon Valley.
Evans began her career in healthcare investment banking at Goldman Sachs after graduating from UNC-Chapel Hill with highest honors and distinction as a Morehead Scholar.
She co-founded and led Asante Partners — a strategic advisory firm focused on medical technology mergers — for 16 years. She then served as senior vice president of strategy and business development for NYSE-listed Varian Medical Systems, the $16 billion global leader in cancer therapy.
Jennifer Halsey Evans (Jon Gardiner/UNC-Chapel Hill)
