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CCBO Leadership Academy Dean Dr. Ron Rhames Will Become MTC's Next President
The college's official press release can be found below. Congratulations, Dr. Rhames! MIDLANDS TECHNICAL COLLEGE APPOINTS NEW PRESIDENT
Dr. Ronald L. Rhames selected from three finalists after nationwide search
November 19, 2014
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Midlands Technical College Commission today announced the selection of Dr. Ronald L. Rhames as the incoming president of Midlands Technical College (MTC). The appointment comes after a fifteen-month search process that incorporated the feedback of MTC faculty, staff and students as well as community and business leaders. Rhames will begin his duties as president in March 2015 following the planned retirement of sitting president, Dr. Marshall "Sonny" White Jr. Currently serving as senior vice president at MTC, Rhames brings a comprehensive background in strategic planning, community engagement, financial management and campus development to the job of president. A member of the MTC senior management team since 1990, Rhames also possesses an intimate knowledge of the challenges and opportunities at the college. Rhames has also worked with business, industry and government leaders to promote economic development.
"Ron Rhames has been promoting the success and championing the improvement of Midlands Technical College for more than twenty years," said Randall "Mack" Jackson, chair of the Midlands Technical College Commission and member of the presidential search committee. "There’s a promise we make to our students at MTC: ‘You can get anywhere from here.’ To deliver on that promise requires passion, diligence and imagination. Our community saw those traits in Ron, and knew that he was the right person to serve as president."
The MTC community played a vital role in the search process, participating in listening sessions across MTC campuses. Sessions included faculty, staff, students, business leaders and community leaders and helped to shape the initial job description for the position of MTC president. A second set of open forums took place when each of the three finalists for the position visited the college in September.
"I am honored and humbled to be selected as the sixth president of Midlands Technical College," said Rhames. My commitment to the college and to the community is to always put our students first, and to ensure that they receive the best education and services available to meet their needs and the needs of our business and higher education partners. I look forward to continuing to serve MTC, and I am proud to be the next leader of my alma mater."
Rhames began his career in finance, serving as a branch manager and loan officer at Bankers Trust of South Carolina, before entering the field of higher education as vice president of fiscal affairs at Claflin University. After seven years managing the assets of Claflin University and supervising nine departments, Rhames accepted his current role at MTC.
Rhames also represents the campus and the community through his leadership role in national organizations such as the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO). The 2,500-member organization is dedicated to advancing the business practices of higher education institutions to help fulfill their academic missions. Rhames was selected this year as chair of the NACUBO board of directors. Under Rhames’ leadership, MTC has received the coveted Certificate of Achievement for Financial Reporting awarded by the Government Finance Officers Association of the U.S. and Canada for 18 consecutive years.
After earning his associate degree in business management from MTC, Rhames went on to study at Benedict College, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in economics. He earned his master’s degree in administration from Central Michigan University and doctorate in business administration from Nova Southeastern University. Rhames is a graduate of numerous professional programs including the Academy of State Management at the University of South Carolina, Leadership South Carolina and the College Business Management Institute at the University of Kentucky at Lexington.
Rhames will be the sixth president of MTC since the founding of the college in 1974.
About Midlands Technical College:
Midlands Technical College (MTC) is a comprehensive, multi-campus, public, two-year college serving Richland, Lexington and Fairfield counties of South Carolina. The fifth-largest provider of higher education in South Carolina and the largest provider of transfer students to four-year colleges and universities in the state, MTC enrolls approximately 18,000 credit students annually. The college’s Corporate and Continuing Education program, one of the largest and most comprehensive in the Southeast, annually has 30,000 enrollments and provides continuing education to hundreds of area businesses each year. www.midlandstech.edu
MEDIA INQUIRIES:
Todd Gavin
(803) 691-3685
gavint@midlandstech.edu |
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