Walker a 'good fit' for Wayne Community College
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on October 9, 2016 1:45 AM
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Newly appointed president of Wayne Community College Dr. Thomas Walker Jr. talks about his background and plans for his future at the college and in Wayne County.
When the Wayne Community College board of trustees set out to find a new president, there was one sentiment that kept popping up in the discussion -- they wanted the right "fit" for the institution, as well as the community it serves.
They found that in Dr. Thomas Walker Jr., narrowing down the field of six finalists over the summer and bringing him on board Sept. 1.
He felt the same kinship, said Walker, who grew up in Lumberton and graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill with a bachelor's degree in political science.
He also earned a master of public administration degree and a doctorate in higher education administration from the University of Memphis.
In addition to serving as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps, he worked at several community colleges, his most recent as president of the Grand Island campus of Central Community College in Nebraska.
"I think I had the right assemblage and kind of background experiences within the profession," he said. "I also think it was really important, and I can't speak for the board but just my sense from the board and the time I got to spend with the faculty and staff in the interviewing process, I thought it was important to understand the values of eastern North Carolina.
"I think it helped that I understood what it was like. Both my grandparents were farmers, so I understood concepts like taking the tops off of a tobacco field or hog killing time. I know the hard work that goes into that and most of our values in eastern North Carolina center around faith, family and work. That's important to people."
Walker said he considers himself an eastern North Carolinian. Professionally, he was in a good position where he was.
"But if I was going to move, it would certainly have to be either close to my or my wife's (Camelia) parents but also to an institution that had had stable leadership," he said.
In doing his homework, he said he felt a connection with the institution and the culture of the area.
"I grew up cropping tobacco and I was coming from an institution that also had agriculture, where the economy was dominated by agriculture," he said. "That was attractive to me and of course the locale was really intriguing, based on where we're located, the transportation infrastructure."
He liked the proximity of the college and its potential to be, to turn a phrase, "the straw that stirs the drink." He said he believes WCC stands to be a pivotal player in how Wayne County looks in the next 10 to 20 years.
From plans to complete the Advanced Manufacturing Center to the building of the Ag Center, there will be many opportunities for partnerships across the county, especially among business leaders, Walker said.
"Just to have some conversations around, are we delivering what they need, where are the areas for growth," he said. "Not only am I interested in developing programs at the college that will make WCC an attractive place for new business but I'm focused on the existing business and do we provide what they need to sustain themselves and if there's an opportunity for growth for them to do that."
The ultimate appeal of his new position, though, centers around one component -- the students.
"It's not the meetings that I'm attracted to but I'm attracted to spending time with students. There's a challenge as you move into senior management because you're often dealing with such big strategic issues," he said. "If you don't stay really connected to that population, and for us that's our students, there'd be no need for me, any of our faculty or staff to be there if we did not have students coming."
His initial weeks have been spent getting to know staff and faculty, and becoming familiar with the area.
"Wayne Community deserves a president they can trust," he said. "I think it's important that initially we get to know each other well and I truly become a part of the WCC family, because it's my full intention that Wayne County is my home. Whenever I check out of here, I'll be buried in Wayne County.
"It's the perfect size institution for me. Even though I sit here with a shirt and tie on, I'm a proud country boy who loves to hunt and fish and I'll never leave. What's most important is not that I'm viewed whenever my work is done, as president of WCC. I think it's more important that I be seen as a good neighbor, a good friend and a good citizen in our county."
His first impression of the campus was how beautiful it is, a reflection on those who often work behind the scenes. Those employees are just as valuable as the instructors students see on a daily basis.
He said he does not believe in "hierarchies" on campus and values every player who contributes to the success of the college. At the same time, he said he realized early on that he has inherited a stellar staff and faculty.
"In terms of my presence on campus, my goal is, I'd like to have a conversation with at least every one of our employees, a real conversation, within a year's time," he said. "Whether it be our most senior faculty member or the newest member of our housekeeping staff or facilities staff.
"I want to have a conversation with those folks because they often make a bigger impact on students than people think."
His leadership style, he says, is to develop people's talents.
"I really think my role is to put our faculty and staff in a position to succeed and constantly be leading the evaluation of, are we offering what our community needs in the county? Are we meeting their educational needs? Are we meeting the training needs?
"Equally important to that, are we meeting the cultural needs in the community?"
As time goes on, he said his hope is that all of Wayne County will feel that this is "their college" and have a desire to come on campus -- whether enrolling in a course or attending other events offered.
At 55, the new president is also willing to embrace social media.
"In my prior institution I actually started a Twitter account as campus president," he said. "I wish I could tell you that was an original idea but it wasn't. I had gone to an leadership development institute for new presidents and at the time the University of Cincinnati's president was there. He really had turned that university around and one of the things he most credited was his use of social media.
"Some people would be reticent to do that because you feel like you expose yourself. But actually I feel like in Wayne County it'll give me an opportunity for people to really get to know me."
When presented with data that said everyone 35 and older get 90 percent of their information from social media, he was sold on it.
"I'm sort of a traditionalist. I'm still the guy who gets up and has to have my morning medication. I've got to hear the local news. I don't want to be surprised by anything on the way to work. Or I read a hard copy of the News-Argus," he said. "But to see how powerful social media is, whether you've got an Instagram account or Twitter, I think it's going to be important that within the first few months I would establish a Twitter account and just give people a window into my first six months of working at the institution."