Joe Rick serves as the Division’s Executive Director for Finance and Human Resources. 

A native of North Dakota, he holds a diverse range of degrees, including a bachelor's in Biology from the University of Jamestown, a master's in Counseling from Wake Forest University, a post-master’s Education Specialist degree in Higher Education Administration from Appalachian State University, and an MBA from UNC Greensboro.

With 16 years of experience in higher education, Joe’s career includes roles as the Director of Academic Budget at UNC Charlotte, the Assistant Dean of Students at UNC School of the Arts, and a Student Life Instructor at the NC School of Science and Mathematics. He also spent four years as the Chief Experience Officer for a nonprofit in Winston-Salem before returning to higher education in 2023. His loves are family, college sports, broadway, traveling, and his dog Ozwald Dakota.