Board approves new Wayne Community College president
By From staff reports
Published in News on July 28, 2016 1:46 PM
Full Size
Dr. Thomas Walker Jr.
The Wayne Community College board of trustees made it official Tuesday night, unanimously voting Dr. Thomas Walker Jr. to serve as the sixth president of the college.
The search to replace Dr. Kay Albertson, who officially retires July 30, had been narrowed down to six candidates, all interviewed by the board last month.
Walker emerged as the top choice June 17, with his name submitted to the state board of community colleges. He was approved at that board's July 15 meeting.
The trustees' action was the last step in the process of finding a successor to Mrs. Albertson, who had a 33-year career with the N.C. community college system. She spend 19 of those years at WCC, nine as the institution's president.
Dr. Gene Smith, WCC's vice president for academic and student services, was unanimously elected by the board to serve as the interim president of the college for the month of August.
Walker will take the reins on Sept. 1.
A native of Lumberton, he most recently worked in Nebraska, where he was the campus president of the Grand Island campus of Central Community College, a position he had held since 2014. Prior to that, he was the vice president for student and enrollment services for all locations of the college, which serves 25 counties.
He has also worked in higher education in Missouri, Tennessee and North Carolina.
In other business, Veda McNair was chosen to serve as chairperson for the board and David Jackson will be its vice chair for 2016.