Durham Tech Foundation welcomes  3 new members to Board of Directors  

Durham Tech Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of Dale Pulczinski, Brandt Smith and Bill Stokes to its Board of Directors. 

“We are delighted that Dale, Brandt and Bill joined our board. Our outstanding board assists the College in expanding its resources and works to ensure our students have the necessary tools to achieve their goals,” said College Vice President and Chief Institutional Advancement Officer Roxanne Miller, who heads the Foundation. “Dale, Brandt and Bill bring strong community engagement skills, a wealth of experience and leadership to our team. They will be tremendous assets in continuing to move the Foundation forward in its mission.” 

Pulczinski, site vice president and general manager for Novo Nordisk’s Oral Solid Dosage manufacturing facility in Durham, earned his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from Arizona State University.  

He served in the U.S. Navy as a nuclear power officer on two submarines and spent two years as an assistant professor of Naval science at George Washington University, where he also earned a master’s degree in engineering management. He joined Novo Nordisk in 2002 and has held a variety of leadership positions, including an overseas assignment in Denmark.  

Pulczinski has served in numerous community roles, including as a member of the Johnston Memorial Hospital Foundation Board and as a Teaching Fellow at N.C. State’s Biomanufacturing Teaching and Education Center.  

“I am delighted to be a part of the Durham Tech Foundation Board of Directors. The good work they do to support students and the College ultimately benefits the entire community,” Pulczinski said. “The Foundation’s efforts help improve education benefits residents and employers, and it’s an honor to help contribute to this work.” 

Smith, a Durham native, is president and founder of SGS Contracting, LLC, a general contracting and construction management company based in Durham. A graduate of Hillside High, Smith went on to earn his finance degree from Hampton University and his master’s in construction management from Western Carolina University. In additional he is an LEED Accredited Professional, which only people with advanced knowledge in green building and expertise in LEED rating systems achieve. 

After a successful start with a smaller contractor, Smith grew his career, working in several large markets that included Washington, D.C., Las Vegas, and New York City. His desire to have an impact on the rising growth and construction in the Triangle led him to found SGS Contracting in 2014. 

With more than 19 years of construction management experience, Smith has worked with numerous industries, including K-12 schools, higher education, life sciences, hospitality, municipalities, mixed-use properties, and parking structures. He has led projects for their entire life cycle, working with budgets up to $30 million. 

He is a member of the United Minority Contractors of North Carolina and is chairman of the Durham City/County Appearance Commission through 2023. 

“The opportunity to help people in our community achieve their education goals through the work the Foundation does is something I am excited to be a part of,” Smith said. “Helping remove obstacles to success, whether it’s through helping provide supports for students or helping the College grow and expand in ways that will provide additional opportunities, is going to be very rewarding. I am looking forward to contributing to the impact the Board has.” 

Stokes, a native of North Carolina, has spent most of his life in Durham. He received his associate bachelor’s and MBA degrees from Duke University.  

After serving four years of active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps, Stokes went on to work in financial services for more than 40 years, most recently at Morgan Stanley, where he served for more than 40 years in financial services, a career from which he recently retired. He enjoys looking forward to bicycling on the American Tobacco Trail, as well as Peloton, doing artwork, traveling, and spending some time on Cape Cod in retirement. 

Stokes is an active member of Westminster Presbyterian Church, where he serves as a Deacon. He is also a longtime member of the Rotary Club of Durham. 

“As a Durham resident, I have seen Durham Tech grow over the years and the impact that the College has had. The Foundation’s mission is vital to helping the College continue to meet the needs of this community, and, in turn, the College meeting those needs is vital to the community,” he said. “It is an honor to be a part of an organization that has had such a deep impact on my longtime home.”