Zach Barricklow, VP of Strategy
Zach Barricklow, WCC VP of Strategy was recently named as a 2020 Trailblazer by Business North Carolina magazine. The award recognizes thriving business owners and professionals under the age of 40 who work in N.C. cities and towns that have fewer than 100,000 residents. Barricklow is one of 19 recipients from all over the state who are making a significant impact in sustaining their communities.
“We are so proud of Zach for getting this recognition,” said Dr. Jeff Cox, WCC President. “His work with Wilkes Community College over the last three years in strategic planning and strengthening our communities has been extremely impactful. He is a very talented guy with a real heart for helping lift up the communities we serve.”
Zach Barricklow, a graduate of Hope College in Holland, Michigan, spent almost five years with the Peace Corps in Panama before co-founding Versado Training, a training software company based in Raleigh, N.C. He began working with Wilkes Community College in 2018 to develop a five-year strategic plan, which then led to his current position of VP of Strategy. His lifelong passion is community development. This takes many forms, from empowering small businesses to strengthening institutions to designing smart cross-sectoral partnerships. In the community, he leads an initiative to expand telework opportunities in Ashe, Alleghany, and Wilkes counties; serves as a board member of the Alleghany County Community Foundation; and as a committee member of Alleghany County Economic Development Corp. Barricklow is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in organizational change from the University of Southern California. He and his wife Lauren, and their three children ages 10, 8, and 5 reside in Sparta, N.C.