On May 25, 2023, the UNC System Board of Governors approved three new members to the NC State University Board of Trustees including Derick S. Close (Alpha Omega–North Carolina State ’79), and reappointed one trustee to another full term.
NC State Chancellor Randy Woodson greeted the news with enthusiasm. “We are fortunate to have this breadth of experience and diverse insight on the board,” Chancellor Woodson said. “I look forward to welcoming them at their first Board of Trustees meeting in July.”
Derick S. Close is chairman and CEO of Springs Creative, a diversified private textile and creative service business in South Carolina. Close serves as the chairman of Springsteen Capital and the Kappa Alpha Order Educational Foundation. He also serves on the executive board of the Springs Companies, the Carolina Regional Business Authority, the Charlotte Regional YMCA Board, the UNC Global Board, the Executive Committee Palmetto Business Forum, the North Carolina Executive Leadership Group and the South Carolina Chamber. He is also the CEO of YPO Gold. Close formerly served on the NC State University Board of Trustees and the Johnson & Wales University Board of Trustees, and as a member of the UNC System Board of Governors. He was also a board member and past president of the North Carolina Textile Foundation. Close is a past partner in the Carolina Panthers (NFL football) and a current partner in the Winston-Salem Dash (AAA baseball). Close graduated with a B.S. in textile management from NC State and earned an MBA from UNC-Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business School.
Derick is a member of the Loyal Order, has been inducted into the Smith and Frampton Province Courts of Honor, and is a 10-year member of the Crimson & Gold Society. He was also a donor to the Kappa Alpha Order Educational Foundation’s “Honoring our Past, Securing our Future” campaign. In 2011, Derick was first elected to the KAOEF board, serving in numerous capacities including Chairman since 2019.
