Toyota’s Suggs Named to A&T Board of Trustees

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (Sept. 12, 2024) – Sean Suggs, president of Toyota Battery Manufacturing North Carolina (TBMNC), is the newest member of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University’s Board of Trustees. Suggs’ appointment was approved today by the University of North Carolina System Board of Governors during its September meeting.

Suggs replaces Simmons University President Lynn Perry Wooten and will serve the remainder of her term, which concludes in June 2025.  

“Sean brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to our Board, and a strong commitment to the economic vitality of our surrounding community,” said board chair Kimberly Bullock Gatling. “He is leading the charge in an industry where A&T is exceptional in producing top graduates who are prepared to join today’s advanced manufacturing workforce. I look forward to working with him and our colleagues to strengthen and enhance A&T’s excellence in teaching, learning and service.”

As president of TBMNC, Suggs directs Toyota’s newest plant in North America, overseeing construction and start of production of its $13.9 billion facility. The site is two miles square encompassing 1,800 acres. Plans include construction of seven buildings ranging from 500,000 to 1 million square feet on approximately 1,000 acres.

Under Suggs’ leadership, the plant will employ 5,100 North Carolinians and have 14 production lines delivering lithium-ion batteries for hybrid electric, plug-in hybrid electric and battery electric vehicles. Toyota has already hired 700 workers for its Randolph County site and its Liberty facility, scheduled to open in 2025, will be an essential hub as the industry transitions from gas-consumption vehicles to hybrid and electric options.

Suggs joined Toyota in 1998 as a team leader at its manufacturing plant in Princeton, Indiana, after serving in the Army for eight years. After a brief stint with Nissan North America, Suggs rejoined Toyota in 2014. Since then, he has served as president of Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Mississippi, and group vice president and chief social innovation officer for Toyota Motor North America.

Suggs serves on the board of Renasant Bank, Toyota U.S.A. Foundation and S&P Global Mobility Council. He earned an MBA from Auburn University and B.S. from Oakland City University.