Three men and three women make up the six semi-finalists for the position of president of Craven Community College. All six semi-finalists have experience in leadership roles at community colleges. None of them have ties to Craven. The six semi-finalists were approved by the college's Board of Trustees at a special called meeting May 12.
Each candidate now will be invited to come to Craven one at a time for a series of interviews and tours, including a public meet-and-greet session. Trustees chose May 19, May 21, May 27, May 29, June 2 and June 3 as the interview dates.
The board also has approved an itinerary for each candidate's visit, and it has scheduled a session for Thursday, June 5, at 6 p.m. to discuss the six semi-finalists and choose three finalists to submit to the State Board of Community Colleges in Raleigh. The State Board, which meets on June 20, will provide comments on the three finalists to the trustees.
After receiving these comments, the board will officially select its new president from among the three. This action must be ratified by the State Board, which will probably occur at its July 18 meeting.
Craven is looking to replace Dr. R. Scott Ralls, who was selected last December to be the next president of the N.C. Community College System. Ralls, who had served as Craven's president since 2002, began his new job May 1.
Dr. Thomas E. "Tommy" Williams, former president at Mayland Community College in Spruce Pine, is serving as Craven's interim president. College leaders have said they hope to have a permanent replacement for Ralls on the job by Nov. 1.
The interview schedule and itinerary for the six semi-finalists is available HERE. Profiles of each of the six semi-finalists follow below:
Catherine Chew
Catherine Chew is vice president for academic affairs at Orange County Community College in Middletown, N.Y. Before taking that job in 2005, she was assistant dean in the College of Professional Studies at New Jersey City University in Jersey City, N.J., from 2004 to 2005.
Chew also has held a number of leadership positions at community colleges in Pennsylvania, Texas, Wisconsin and Virginia. She also has worked as a public school teacher and counselor in Virginia.
Chew holds a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Tennessee Tech University. She also has earned a master's degree in student personnel and an Ed.D in career education, both from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech).
Luba Chliwniak
Luba Chliwniak is vice president for instruction at Harford Community College in Bel Air, Md. Before taking that job in 2004, she served as vice president for academic affairs at Cleveland State Community College in Tennessee from 2002 to 2004.
Chliwniak also worked as executive director of workforce and institutional development at Cochise College in Arizona from 2001-02, and served as dean of career programs/technology there from 1999-2001.
She has earned multiple degrees from the University of Arizona, including a bachelor's degree in psychology with a minor in criminology, a master's degree in counseling and guidance and a Ph.D. in organization and administration in higher education.
Cleve H. Cox
Cleve H. Cox is president of Williamsburg Technical College in Kingstree, S.C. He has held the position since January 2004. Before becoming president at Williamsburg Tech, Cox served as vice president for instruction and student services at Wilson Technical Community College in Wilson from 1995-2003.
He also worked in a variety of jobs at the Wilson County college, including dean of student services, director of administrative services and administrative assistant/evening director.
Cox holds a bachelor's degree in history from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He earned a master's degree in counselor education from The Pennsylvania State University and an Ed.D. in adult and community college education from North Carolina State University.
Mark O. Kinlaw
Mark O. Kinlaw is vice president for instruction and support services at Robeson Community College in Lumberton. Before assuming his current role in January 2001, Kinlaw worked as chair of the college's early childhood and social sciences programs.
He also has worked as director of planning and research at RCC, where he led the college's reaffirmation process for accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).
He holds a bachelor's degree in history from Wake Forest University and a master's degree in educational administration and supervision from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. Kinlaw also has an Ed.D. in adult and community college education from North Carolina State University.
Linda Thomas-Glover
Linda Thomas-Glover has been provost and chief academic officer at Elizabethtown Community and Technical College in Elizabethtown, Ky., since 2004. Prior to that, Thomas-Glover held a number of leadership positions at Guilford Technical Community College in Jamestown, including vice president of instruction from 2002 to 2004 and chair of the science and mathematics division from 1998-2002.
Before going to GTCC, she was an assistant professor of chemistry at Bennett College in Greensboro.
Thomas-Glover earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry from South Carolina State College and a master's degree in medicinal chemistry from the State University of New York at Buffalo. She also holds a Ph.D. in chemistry from Temple University in Philadelphia.
Kerry L. Youngblood
Kerry L. Youngblood most recently served as vice president of community college affairs at Mesa State College in Grand Junction, Colo. In that role, he served as president and chief executive officer of Western Colorado Community College, which is a branch of Mesa State College.
Prior to that, Youngblood worked as executive director of the Grand Valley Board of Cooperative Education Services from 1992-2007. He also served as director/dean of Mesa State's College of Applied Technology from 1991-2004.
Youngblood earned a bachelor's degree in education and physiology from Oklahoma State University. He has a master's degree in educational administration and a Ph.D. in community college leadership, both from Colorado State University.
