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Davidson-Davie Bids Farewell to Longtime Trustees and Welcomes Returning and New Members

Davidson-Davie Bids Farewell to Longtime Trustees and Welcomes Returning and New Members

July 27, 2022Longtime Davidson-Davie trustees Dr. Barbara Leonard and Thom Hege bid farewell to their fellow Board members on July 12 as the Board also welcomed returning and new members Tonya Lanier, Neal Foster, Cathi Smith, and Dr. Kevin Speight.

Lanier is beginning her fifth year on the Board and Foster his sixteenth. Smith is a new appointee of the Davidson County Schools Board of Education and Speight has been appointed by the Davidson County Board of Commissioners.

Dr. Barbara Leonard and Thom Hege
Dr. Barbara Leonard and Thom Hege have a combined 52 years of experience as trustees.

“We are excited to have these returning and new members as part of our Board,” said Board Chair Kevin Firquin. “And we are also incredibly grateful to Barbara and Thom for the commitment and love they have for this college and its students, amounting to a combined 52 years of knowledge and experience.” Firquin noted that Leonard served on the Board for more than half of the college’s 59-year existence, and that Hege’s tenure included the opening of four buildings, three education centers, and early colleges on both campuses, as well as the relaunch of athletics and the start of a long-awaited road improvement project to improve safety and create access to new properties for future growth. 

New and returning Davidson-Davie trustees take oath of office
L-R, Tonya Lanier and Neal Foster return to the Board; Dr. Kevin Speight and Cathi Smith take the oath of office for the first time.

The Board of Trustees is made up of 15 members; 14 are appointed by the Governor, the four local school boards serving Davidson and Davie counties, or the boards of commissioners of the two counties, while the fifteenth member is the college’s elected student government association president.

“We have always been fortunate here at Davidson-Davie Community College to have a strong Board of Trustees that supports our mission to serve our students and community,” said Dr. Darrin Hartness, president of the college. “From our first Board of Trustees, sworn in by the Davidson County Clerk of Court 59 years ago, with Felix Gee elected chair and Doak Finch vice chair, this college has benefited from the wisdom and expertise of more than 100 trustees who have guided this institution to the success we enjoy today.”

About Davidson-Davie Community College

Davidson-Davie Community College (DavidsonDavie.edu), which incorporated Davie County into its name in 2021, is a fully accredited, multi-campus college where students of all ages and backgrounds pursue academic and career-focused education in order to build successful futures. As one of 58 institutions within the North Carolina Community College System, Davidson-Davie offers 125 pathways in over 40 career fields, as well as affordable college-credit coursework to students who plan to transfer to four-year schools. With a mission to serve the changing needs of students competing in a global environment, Davidson-Davie is committed to quality education, innovative and equitable learning experiences, training, and support across a wide range of 21st-century career fields.

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For More Information:

Jenny Varner
Vice President, External Affairs
336.224.4685
Jenny_Varner@DavidsonDavie.edu