DR. JOSEPH W. WESCOTT II

Joseph W. Wescott II (Joe) is the Legislative Liaison in the office of the Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. He also serves as National Legislative Liaison of the National Association of State Approving Agencies (NASAA) and as the National Higher Education Consultant for the American Legion. Previously, he served two terms on the Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA) Advisory Committee on Education, and he has served as NASAA President, Vice President and Legislative Director. Wescott was Executive Director of the North Carolina State Approving Agency (NCSAA) for almost a decade, an agency he now supervises in his role as NCDMVA Legislative Liaison.

Prior to his service at the NCSAA, Wescott served in various leadership roles in higher education including federal relations analyst/government relations representative for Duke University, director of the office of Planning, Policy and Evaluation at Brunswick Community College and an adjunct instructor at several colleges and professional organizations.

Dr. Wescott is a veteran, having served on active duty as a combat arms officer in the US Army. Earlier, he attended Wake Forest University on a four-year Army ROTC scholarship, graduating with honors. He holds advanced degrees from Wake Forest University and North Carolina State University, including the doctorate in Higher Education Administration. In addition to other duties, Wescott serves as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Education Leadership, Policy, and Human Development (ELPHD). He also serves on several national boards including the Council on College and Military Educators (CCME), the George W. Bush National Task Force on Higher Education and the Wake Forest Decorated Deacs Advisory Council.

Dr. Wescott has written several articles and books on history and higher education topics including veterans’ employment and the history of the North Carolina Community College System. Most recently he coauthored two major reports on online learning and education oversight, which are being released by the American Legion.

In 2010, Dr. Wescott was elected to the North Caroliniana Society for service to his home state and in 2013 to the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels for service to the state of Kentucky.