Friends,
Guilford College lost a good friend and advocate for students with the passing of Ken Flynt of Greensboro on Monday. Ken was a benefactor of the College and founding member and chair of our Business Advisory Board, which is helping grow our relationship with Triad businesses.
Ken grew up in a Quaker family in the community of Oak Ridge in northwest Guilford County. He said his parents could not afford to send him to Guilford so he went to Western Carolina University, graduating in 1971 with a degree in Economics. He completed a master’s degree at N.C. State University and post-graduate training at MIT.
Ken had a long and successful banking career, building business and commerce in cities and towns from the mountains to the coast. He was Chief Economic Advisor to Governor Jim Hunt during his first term (1977-81). In 2017, he was appointed by Governor Roy Cooper to the State Banking Commission.
He had a deep and abiding commitment to education and a heart for college students. He returned to Western Carolina as Associate Dean of the College of Business and Finance professor from 2008-21. After moving to Greensboro in 2020, he was active in advisory roles at UNCG and Guilford.
Along with College trustees, faculty and associates in the business community, he helped establish our Business Advisory Board. In an interview prior to the inaugural board-sponsored Business Summit in April, he said, “My heart was always with Guilford … There’s nothing holding this College back, and once we get the word out on it, just watch.”
At Guilford, we cherish friends like Ken, who want the College to play a greater role in the surrounding community and who want to help provide students with meaningful experiences as they navigate their education journey and start a career.
This spring, Ken was awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine by Governor Cooper. The award is given to persons who have made significant contributions to the state and their communities through their exemplary service. That, in a nutshell, is Ken.
The family will greet friends Thursday, June 22, from 5-7 pm at Pierce-Jefferson Funeral Services in Kernersville, and a memorial service will be held Friday, June 23, at 11 am at Main Street United Methodist Church, with burial following.
Please hold Ken’s wife, Peggy, and other family members and friends in the Light during this time.
Warmly,
Kyle Farmbry
President