| Terry Bell (left), chairman of SCC’s board of trustees, stands beside fellow Southwestern trustees Gary Shields (center) and Jerry Sutton. |
 |
| Richard Lanning (left), chairman of Haywood Community College’s board of trustees, and fellow trustee Mary Ann Enloe recently attended a training session at SCC. |
 |
| Jan Lukens (right) a member of Tri-County Community College’s board of trustees, attended a recent training session at SCC and is shown here with Dr. Donna Tipton-Rogers (left) Tri-County president. |
From the moment Richard Lanning became a member of Haywood Community College’s board of trustees, one of his top goals has been to actively help students succeed.
A recent regional trustee training session at Southwestern Community College provided Lanning – along with his HCC colleagues and leaders from SCC and Tri County Community College – the insight and tools they need to do just that.
The six-hour seminar covered the role of the board of trustees in student success and was overseen by Dr. Donny L. Hunter, the president and CEO of the North Carolina Association of Community College Trustees.
“I’ve always wanted to engage our students,” Lanning said. “I want to help them and watch them succeed. … I’m a building contractor by trade, but earlier in my career I was a teacher (at Waynesville Junior High, Canton Junior High and Pisgah). I ultimately wanted to see my students succeed. I miss the education environment, so it’s great to be involved with the community college system.
“I’m happy we had this training session,” he added. “It’s always good to come to SCC. They have a beautiful campus, and (Dr.) Don Tomas (SCC’s president) is always very cordial. This workshop was a great one. Eight of our 12 trustees were able to come, and I felt real good about that.”
Among the representatives from Tri-County was Larry Kernea, chairman of TCCC’s board of trustees.
“I thought the program was great, and the presenter was well-prepared,” Kernea said. “The training gave us insights into the future direction that community colleges are trending. I’m confident that our trustees will be better able to support our students, faculty and staff.”
Terry Bell, SCC’s chairman, added: “I’m very proud that Southwestern has been on the cutting edge of making student success a top priority. This is the third year I’ve attend a national meeting where our representatives have made presentations about student success.
“This training session that Dr. Hunter gave at SCC will help us as we continue to look for ways to improve,” Bell added.
For more information about HCC, SCC and TCCC, visit their websites: www.haywood.edu; www.southwesterncc.edu;
www.tricountycc.edu.
