Lucia Zapata Griffith, CEO and founding principal of Metro Landmarks Construction and Metro Landmarks Architecture; and Chris Paterson, president/CEO and board director of Carolina Complete Health, have been appointed to the Central Piedmont Community College Board of Trustees. Arthur Griffin Jr., community leader and retired senior vice president for McGraw-Hill Education, has been reappointed to the board.

Lucia Zapata Griffith was appointed by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) Board, with her four-year term running through June 2026. She founded and has led Metro Landmarks Construction and Metro Landmarks Architecture since 1996. Prior to then, she was a partner and principal architect with AR&D. She also is the co-founder and owner of Poplar, a restaurant located in the Morrison House, a historic landmark in downtown Charlotte. Her other community involvement includes serving as a member of the Charlotte Executive Leadership Council, and as a board member for Foundation for the Carolinas, Levine Museum of the New South, Circle de Luz, and as an advisory committee member for the Bechtler Museum.

Chris Paterson was appointed by North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, and his term also will run through June 2026. Paterson, who holds a Ph.D. in counseling psychology from Ohio State University, has worked for the Centene Corporation and its subsidiaries since 2009. Prior to his current leadership role with Carolina Complete Health, he served as community affairs officer and vice president. Before then he was the president, CEO and board director of Sunshine Health. His current service on other boards includes those of Carolina Complete Health Plan, the Association for Home and Hospice Care of North Carolina, and Care4Carolina Business Advisory Council.

Arthur Griffin was reappointed by the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners for another four-year term running through June 2026. Griffin has chaired the Black Political Caucus of Charlotte-Mecklenburg and served 17 years on the CMS Board. During this period, he served as a member of the National Assessment of Educational Progress Advisory Committee (NAEP); guest lecturer at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education; University of Virginia’s Partnership for Leaders in Education; and resident faculty member of the Texas Institute for School Board Members. He was a member with distinction on the Executive Committee of the Council of the Great City Schools and Steering Committee member of the Council of Urban Boards of Education.

“We are happy to welcome Lucia Zapata Griffith and Chris Paterson to Central Piedmont’s Board of Trustees. Both bring expertise and professional knowledge that will be invaluable to the board. As the college begins work on a new facilities master plan and continually evaluates its health careers programs for possible expansion, their contribution and counsel will be appreciated,” said Central Piedmont president Dr. Kandi Deitemeyer.

“We are delighted and fortunate to have Arthur Griffin for another term on the board. He understands well the college’s mission in the community and always champions our students and how the college might serve them better. He continues to encourage our efforts to serve as Charlotte-Mecklenburg’s primary workforce development partner,” Deitemeyer added.