Professional Staff
Melissa Jackson Holloway, Vice Chancellor and General Counsel, joined the Office of Legal Affairs in May 2019 as General Counsel and Vice Chancellor of Legal, Risk and Compliance. She came to North Carolina A&T State University from Ball State University, in Muncie Indiana, where she served as Deputy General Counsel. Melissa also served as General Counsel at North Carolina Central University and Chief Legal Affairs Officer at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.
Melissa is a 1996 honors graduate of the University of Wisconsin Law School. She earned a B.S. in Business Administration from Syracuse University in 1991. In 1993, Melissa earned as M.A. in Public Administration and from Binghamton University. Before her career in higher education, Melissa was an associate attorney with the firm of Foley & Lardner in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Melissa currently serves on the National Association of College and University Attorney’s (NACUA) Board of Directors, as Chair of the NACUA Committee on Membership and Member Services, and is a member of the NACUA Board Advisory Council on Diversity and Inclusivity.
Melissa’s email address is : mjholloway@ncat.edu
Sheena J. Cobrand, Deputy General Counsel, joined the Office of Legal Affairs as Deputy General Counsel in April 2020. Immediately before joining the office, Sheena was an attorney with the North Carolina Department of Commerce, Division of Employment Security (DES). Her representation included judicial review proceedings, injunction matters, employment grievances, discrimination claims, and confidentiality matters. As DES’s Rulemaking Coordinator, Sheena drafted and oversaw the adoption of more than 100 rules in the North Carolina Administrative Code. She also led a multi-work unit team that brought DES into compliance with the U.S. Department of Labor’s (USDOL) second-level appeal standards after more than 30 years of monthly noncompliance. The process changes implemented have allowed DES to remain compliant since 2014.
Sheena has litigated hundreds of cases including employment, unemployment insurance benefits and tax, dependency, termination of parental rights, and criminal matters. She also presided over and participated in hundreds of administrative hearings.
Sheena is a graduate of the Florida State University College of Law where she was a member and Articles and Notes Editor for the Journal of Land Use and Environmental Law. She also earned a journalism degree from Florida A&M University. Sheena is a North Carolina-certified public manager and is admitted to practice in all state and federal courts in North Carolina. She is also admitted to the Florida Bar and State Bar of Tennessee.
Sheena’s email address is : sjcobrand@ncat.edu
Breona M. Hayes, Title IX Coordinator, joined the Office of Legal Affairs in May 2021. A Jacksonville, FL native, Breona is a certified Title IX Administrator with additional certifications in Civil Rights Investigations, Hearing Officer and Decision-Maker and Campus Survivor and Victim Services. A lover of imparting knowledge, Breona has presented professionally nationally on the topic of Title IX compliance, Sexual Assault prevention and trauma-informed campuses. Breona has devoted her life to the passion of aiding communities of color and has a strong desire to create pathways to educational attainment through engagement and advocacy.
Breona completed her undergraduate studies at Florida A&M University with a Bachelor of Science in Health Science- Physical Therapy. She also obtained her Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling and a Master of Arts in School Counseling from Webster University. Breona is currently completing her Ph.D. in Urban Higher Education from Jackson State University.
She has served in several leadership capacities in her professional and social organizations to include BRIDGES Leadership for Women in Higher Education, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and a fellow in the Higher Education Leadership Foundation.
Breona's email address is : bmhayes1@ncat.edu
Kevin J. Thomas, Director Internal Audit, joined the Office of Internal Auditing at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical University in March 2023. Prior to becoming the Director of Internal Auditing, Kevin was an Investigative Audit Manager with the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor (OSA).
Kevin has 17 years of financial, compliance, and investigative audit experience. As an Investigative Audit Manager, Kevin led and conducted audits involving allegations of fraud, waste, and abuse. In 2016, Kevin was a member of the investigative audit team that received the National State Auditors Association’s “Excellence in Accountability Award” for their forensic report involving Medicaid fraud.
Kevin received a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from North Carolina State University and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Campbell University. He is a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE).
Kevin's email address is: kjthomas4@ncat.edu
Saundra D. Ross, Executive Assistant to the General Counsel, Office of Legal Affairs
Saundra D. Ross joined the Office of Legal Affairs as the Executive Assistant to the General Counsel in 2018. Prior to working in the Office of Legal Affairs, Saundra worked in the Student Center as an Administrative Specialist from 2015 to 2018. Before beginning a career in higher education, Saundra worked in the Healthcare industry for several years.
Saundra is a graduate of North Carolina A&T State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting. She is a member of the North Carolina A&T Staff Senate and serves on several advisory boards in the community.
Saundra's email address is : sdross1@ncat.edu
Contact Information:
The Office of Legal Affairs is located:
Dowdy Administration Building, Suite 422
1601 East Market Street
Greensboro, North Carolina 27411
Telephone: (336) 334-7592 Fax: (336) 334-7194
