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• Bailey Elected to State Board of Community Colleges
• A-B Tech and Western Carolina University Partner to Increase Baccalaureate Nurses
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Bailey Elected to State Board of Community Colleges

K. Ray Bailey, A-B Tech President Emeritus

The N.C. House of Representatives has elected A-B Tech President Emeritus K. Ray Bailey to the State Board of Community Colleges. The 21 members of the board are appointed or elected by either the governor, the N.C. House, the N.C. Senate or serve as ex officio members by virtue of position: the Lieutenant Governor, the State Treasurer, and the President of the North Carolina Comprehensive Community College Student Government Association.

Bailey served as president of A-B Tech from 1990 until he retired in August 2007. He was elected as a Buncombe County Commissioner in November 2008.

Bailey was A-B Tech's longest-serving employee, having been hired in 1966 as the director of Adult Basic Education. Under his leadership, the College grew into a three-campus institution that enrolled more than 25,000 students each year in more than 50 curriculum programs and 1,200 Continuing Education courses.

Bailey served on the boards of numerous civic organizations and has been widely recognized for his community service. Among the honors he received are the title of 2005 President of the Year for the North Carolina Community College System, the 2005 Distinguished Service Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Asheville-Buncombe Community Relations Council, and the Rotary Centennial Service Award for Professional Excellence. In 2006, he received The Order of the Long Leaf Pine, one of the most prestigious awards presented by the Governor of North Carolina, for extraordinary service to the state.

Bailey also received the Spirit of the Civitan Award, a Professional Achievement Award from Western Carolina University, the Leadership Asheville Circle of Excellence Award, the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce Chairman's Award, the Buncombe County Partners in Education Volunteer of the Year Award, and a Special Contributor Award from Goodwill Industries of Northwest North Carolina.

In addition, he holds honorary doctorates from Western Carolina University and Mars Hill College in recognition of his efforts to improve the quality of education not only for A-B Tech students, but all of western North Carolina.

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