Cobrand Appointed Interim General Counsel

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (April 9, 2026) — A longtime attorney with experience in corporate law and public service, including experience in higher education and at state agencies in North Carolina and Florida, has been appointed interim general counsel and vice chancellor for Legal Affairs, Risk and Compliance for North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, school leaders announced today.

Sheena J. Cobrand, who serves as deputy general counsel and associate vice chancellor for North Carolina A&T, assumes the new role immediately. She replaces interim general counsel Shawn Troxler, who is returning to his role as deputy general counsel for North Carolina State University.

Cobrand has been a leading attorney for A&T for the past six years, providing legal counsel and advice to senior executives, department leaders, faculty and professional staff. She also represents A&T often in matters before the U.S. Department of Education, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the U.S. Department of Labor, as well as the North Carolina Office of Administrative Hearings. Cobrand also serves as N.C. A&T’s attorney for Aggie Academy, a public, free laboratory school for third, fourth and fifth graders.

Prior to her work at A&T, she worked in employment law for the North Carolina Department of Commerce and served as administrative rulemaking coordinator. Cobrand has been successful in appellate cases before the North Carolina Court of appeals. Before moving to North Carolina, she also served as a senior attorney for the Florida Department of Children and Families.

Cobrand earned her law degree from the Florida State University College of Law and a B.S in journalism, cum laude, from Florida A&M University. She is a member of the National Association of College and University Attorneys and serves on the editorial board of its NACUANotes, which provides brief summaries of significant rulings and educational law developments for NACUA members.

Cobrand is also an author: Her acclaimed 2024 book, “It’s My Life: My Personal Record of Everything Important” (Onyx Noir Blanc), guides readers through documentation of critical information necessary for management of their personal affairs.

A national search is underway for a permanent general counsel.