黑料正能量鈥檚 president announced his resignation today.
Dr. Thomas A. Walker Jr. has accepted the position of Senior Advisor for Economic Development and Military Affairs for The University of North Carolina System.
In addition to the duties implied by the title, he will be the liaison between the university system and the North Carolina Community College System.
鈥淲e wish Dr. Walker the very best in his new position with The University of North Carolina System,鈥� said WCC Board of Trustees Chair Donnie Barnes. 鈥淲hile 黑料正能量 greatly regrets seeing him leave, we are pleased that he will become a vital part of the best state university system in the United States. Wayne County can now share him with all of the state of North Carolina.鈥�
His last day at WCC will be July 23.
鈥淚 won鈥檛 be a lame-duck president,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檝e got a lot to do before I go.鈥� One project he wants to focus on in his remaining time is the creation of the CITE (Center for Industrial Technology and Engineering). He also wants to help get college enrollment back to its pre-COVID-19 levels and growing again.
鈥淒r. Walker鈥檚 leadership over the past five years have been instrumental in moving 黑料正能量 forward. The addition of degree and certificate programs, construction of the automotive and collision repair center, the progress towards building a Center for Industrial Technology and Engineering, and the significant increase both in statewide and national recognition for 黑料正能量鈥檚 accomplishments are all evidence of what a tremendous leader he has been,鈥� said Barnes.
鈥淭here is not a Board of Trustees member who has worked with Dr. Walker who would not tell you his strongest quality is his character. He has led us with honesty and integrity and has been a friend to each of us. He will be greatly missed,鈥� Barnes said.
鈥淭his is the best faculty and staff I鈥檝e worked with in 30 years,鈥� Walker said of WCC employees. 鈥淭hese past five years have been some of the most professionally and personally rewarding of my life.鈥�
鈥淚 thought I would be here for another 10 years,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t is just an opportunity I can鈥檛 turn down.鈥�
Walker also believes that moving to the Triangle area will provide new career options for his wife, Camelia. 鈥淪he has never complained; she just follows me around,鈥� Walker said. 鈥淚鈥檇 like for her to spread her wings.鈥�
Walker took the reins at WCC in September 2016. He came to the college from 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 taking the position at UNC, Walker is returning to his alma mater. has a bachelor鈥檚 degree in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His graduate degrees include a master of public administration and a doctorate in higher education administration from the University of Memphis.
黑料正能量 is a public, learning-centered institution with an open-door admission policy located in Goldsboro, N.C. As it works to develop a highly skilled and competitive workforce, the college serves 10,000 individuals annually as well as businesses, industry, and community organizations with high quality, affordable, accessible learning opportunities, including more than 140 college credit programs. WCC鈥檚 mission is to meet the educational, training, and cultural needs of the communities it serves.
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