Peace College President Laura Bingham today was honored with the Triangle Business Journal's eighth annual Women in Business Lifetime Achievement Award.

President Bingham was presented with the award at the 12th Annual Women in Business Awards luncheon in Research Triangle Park.

Twenty-six women from across the Triangle area were honored with Women in Business Awards in various categories, including alumnae Karen Sinclair ’80 and Cathy Ward ’73. Only one Lifetime Achievement Award recipient is selected each year. Past recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award include Coldwell Banker Commercial TradeMark Properties CEO Billie Redmond, Mulkey Engineers and Consultants Founder and Chair Barbara Mulkey and N.C. Secretary of State Elaine Marshall.

President Bingham has led Peace College since 1998, when she became the first alumna of Peace to lead the College.

Under her leadership, Peace has completed its transition into a baccalaureate college. During Bingham's tenure, Peace has added ten majors, launched new certificate and degree-completion programs and constructed a new academic classroom building, built a new residence hall on newly acquired property and has completed a $3.8 million renovation and expansion of the Lucy Cooper Finch Library.

Among her other accomplishments, Bingham led the College into the USA South Athletic Conference, becoming the first women's college to join the league.

President Bingham also plays active leadership roles in civic, business, educational and philanthropic endeavors, including The Fifty Group and the World President's Organization. She serves as a director for the North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities, Downtown Raleigh Alliance, Duke Raleigh Hospital, and in 2008 became the first woman president of Leadership North Carolina. She has served as president of Cooperating Raleigh Colleges and the Association of Presbyterian Colleges and Universities. Bingham serves as an independent trustee of BB&T Funds, a mutual fund complex with assets of $6 billion.

A native of Kings Mountain, she is married to Warren Bingham and resides in Raleigh.