LUMBERTON — A longtime Robeson County educator who is now a vice president at Robeson Community College is among the six finalists to replace the outgoing president of that institution.
Mark Kinlaw, a former teacher for the Public Schools of Robeson County, has held various faculty and administrative positions at RCC for the past 25 years. For the past 12 years he has served as the college’s vice president for instruction and support services/chief academic officer.
“I’m excited about the opportunity to be considered for the position, but I have no further comment,” said Kinlaw, who will be interviewed by RCC trustees next week.
According to George Regan, chairman of the board, trustees began interviewing the six candidates on Tuesday. He said one candidate will be interviewed on each of six days, with the last interview being Jan. 29, which is Tuesday, the day Kinlaw is scheduled to be queried by the trustees. The interviews, which begin at 3:30 p.m. each day, will be in closed session and are not open to the public.
“We are on schedule,” Regan said. “We will have our three recommendations in Raleigh before the State Board of Community Colleges holds its February meeting.”
The state board meets on Feb. 14 and Feb. 15, according to Megen Hoenk, a spokesman for the board.
Although the local board decides who will be the college’s next president, the state board must grant final approval of the local board’s decision. RCC’s list of selected candidates will be submitted to the state board for its approval by Scott Ralls, president of the North Carolina Community College System.
The other candidates scheduled to be personally interviewed by RCC trustees before the end of the month are: Ralph Soney, former president of Roanoke-Chowan Community College; Pamela Hilbert, vice president of academic affairs at Pitt Community College; Richard Gough, executive vice president at Sandhills Community College; Kristi Snuggs, vice president of instruction Edgecombe Community College; and Roslyn Artis, former executive vice president/chief academic officer at Mountain State University.
Originally there were 37 applicants for the president’s position, but 13 did not meet the minimum requirement for the job — a doctorate from an accredited institution, and at least of five years of senior-level community college leadership. Regan told The Robesonian last month that applications came from all across the country, even stretching into British Columbia, Canada.
Chrestman, who began work at the college on Jan. 1, 2003, had planned to retire on Dec. 31, but agreed to work until February to give the trustees time to get the new president in place.
This story makes it look like someone is really pushing for Kinlaw to get the job.
He may be the best candidate for the job but this story does not help him in my opinion!
All the candidates' names are in the story. The reason the story focuses on Kinlaw is because he is local. That is the only reason.
If the RCC trustees are doing their job, this story will have no impact one way or the other.
Donnie Douglas
Editor
The Robesonian
Why is this list of names relevant and newsworthy at this point?
Why does it matter that one of the finalist is local? it has no bearing on his qualifications and it steers some people to think that it is just an introduction of Kinlaw to the public so that an announcement later on will be accepted and possibly expected!
I certainly would not want my name published until I had a job offer.
If Kinlaw doesn't get the job then it could be embarrassing to him to have had this story come out with him as the focal point. If he does get the nod then it can be interpreted totally different!
I just feel that the Board could use the money spent on the search for something more useful than the appearance of an honest effort to find a suitable replacement.
If he's not selected, as I predicted he would be on the day Chrestman announced he was leaving, then I will have been proven wrong in my opinion of the Board.