RELEASE DATE: June 15, 2007
CONTACT: Audrey Bailey, (919) 807-6963
Chancy Kapp, (919) 807-6964
State Board of Community Colleges: Capital funds critical
Approves new president of Fayetteville Technical Community College
RALEIGH – “We are grateful for what the legislature has done for us and we need to remind them of that,” said State Board of Community Colleges Chair Hilda Pinnix Ragland to State Board members during their telephonic June meeting today that originated from the Caswell Building in Raleigh. “However,” she added, “we have to convince them that our needs are real.”
Pinnix-Ragland and System President Martin Lancaster encouraged the Board to contact members of the Conference Committee while they are home this weekend. The conferees are in deliberation over the differences between the House and Senate budget bills.
Lancaster reported that the conferees have already agreed to provide $5.6 million to the System for Allied Health programs, the amount in the Senate bill. The House had proposed $2 million. These programs, which include Nursing, are expensive to provide but educate workers that are in high demand. The conferees have agreed to reduce the $500,000 the Senate proposed for the NC Center for Viticulture and Enology at Surry Community College to $400,000. The conferees also agreed to provide $100,000 for the Hosiery Technology Center.
Kennon Briggs, vice president for Budget and Finance, urged the members to emphasize the System’s capital needs, adding this area has the most money at stake. The House proposed $10 million for equipment needs and $12.27 for facilities. The Senate proposed $10 million for advance planning for new facilities. Lancaster pointed out the planning funds would be particularly important in preparation for a future bond that might be called.
In
other action the Board approved Dr. Larry John Keen as the next
president of Fayetteville Technical Community College in
Fayetteville, NC. He succeeds Dr. Larry Norris who retires on August
1 after serving ten years as president of the college.
Keen is currently the vice president for Economic and Workforce Development for the North Carolina Community College System. This division leads coordination of the quality workforce training and services to business and industry across the state. He came to North Carolina in September of 2002 from Oklahoma where he was the business and industry development manager for the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education. Keen served in the Army and Army Reserve. His military background makes him a good fit for the area. Keen received his education at Oklahoma State University, Pittsburgh State University and Missouri Southern State College. He is a Master Trainer and is certified in a number of Corporate Training Programs.
The Board discussed the fact that eight community colleges are in various stages of a presidential search and their trustees will present candidates for the State Board to consider this year. The community colleges now looking for new leaders are: Asheville-Buncombe Technical (Asheville), Blue Ridge (Hendersonville), Cape Fear (Wilmington), Durham Technical (Durham) Richmond (Hamlet), Rowan-Cabarrus (Salisbury), Surry (Dobson), and Tri-County (Murphy).
In other action the Board reappointed Ted Smith, William “Billy” Ragsdale III and Fred Hunneke to a second two - year term on the Textile Center Advisory Board.
The North Carolina Community College System enrolls more than 800,000 students in 58 comprehensive community colleges. Internationally recognized for the scope and quality of its programs, the System is North Carolina's primary provider of workforce preparation and adult education. For details, visit www.nccommunitycolleges.edu .
Last modified:
Friday, June 15, 2007 12:56:53 PM
This page maintained by
Audrey Bailey.