The Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College Board of Trustees convened a meeting on Monday, September 14, 2026, at 3:01 p.m., in The Brumit Center for Culinary Arts and Hospitality, Tillman Dining Room. Dr. Joe Barwick, Chair, presided.
In addition to Dr. Barwick, the following members of the Board participated: Theresa Banks, Michael Garrison, Matt Kern, Roger Kumpf, Judy Lewis, Anthony Penland, Frances Ramsey, Glenda Weinert, Drew West, and Robert Uhren, Ex-Officio. Andrew Nagle and Roger Reid were absent.
Others present for the meeting included: John Gossett, President; Deborah Bailey, Vice President, Economic & Workforce Strategy and Community Partnerships; Amanda Edwards, Executive Director, College Advancement; Kerri Glover, Executive Director, Community Relations and Marketing; Cris Harshman, Vice President of Operations/CIO; Fairley Patton, Vice President of Student Services; Beth Stewart, Vice President of Instructional Services; Ashley Leonard, College Attorney; and Carolyn Rice, Secretary to the Board.
Call to Order
At 3:01 p.m., Chair Barwick read the ethics statement. No conflicts were reported. Ms. Rice called the roll; a quorum was present.
Swearing In
SGA President Robert Uhren was sworn in to the Board.
Closed Session
At 3:04 p.m., Mr. Kern moved that the Board of Trustees go into closed session pursuant to G.S. § 143.318.11 for the following purposes: under subsection (a)(3) to discuss matters protected by the attorney-client privilege, and under subsection (a)(3-4) to discuss matters relating to the location or expansion of industries or other businesses in the area served by the College.
At 4:10 p.m., Mr. Kern moved to return to open session. Chief Penland seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.
Dr. Weinert moved to authorize Dr. Gossett to investigate and to continue the discussion regarding a potential land-lease opportunity at A-B Tech Enka. Chief Penland seconded the motion, which passed by majority vote. Dr. Banks, Mr. Kern, and Ms. Ramsey opposed.
Consent Agenda
At 4:11 p.m., Chair Barwick asked for a motion to approve the Consent Agenda.
Mr. West moved to approve Consent Agenda items: 3. A. August 3, 2026, Board Meeting Minutes; 3. B. Personnel Actions; and 3. C. Board Attendance Record 2026-2027. Chief Penland seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.
Resolution/Action Items
4. A. Dr. Stewart shared that due to North Carolina General Assembly Session Law 2026-21, Senate Bill 558, the College must remove the word “equity” from our Vision and Mission Statement. The word “equity” will be replaced with the word “everyone”. SACSCOC requires Board approval when changes are made to the College’s Vision and Mission Statement.
Mr. West moved to approve the revision to Policy 104: Vision and Mission. Mr. Garrison seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.
4. B. Dr. Stewart asked the Board to terminate the Associate in Engineering Degree (transfer only) effective fall of 2027. The College has struggled with enrollment since the program’s inception and has a hard time staffing the required courses of Statics and Dynamics. Termination of this program does not impact our Associate of Applied Science degree.
Chief Penland moved to terminate the Associate in Engineering Degree effective Fall of 2027. Mr. Kern seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.
4.C. Dr. Stewart then asked the Board to extend the termination of the Agribusiness Technology Program Degree being offered in Madison County to the fall of 2027, to allow current high school students to complete the program.
Dr. Weinert moved to extend the termination of the Agribusiness Technology Program Degree until fall of 2027. Mr. Kern seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.
4. D. Ms. Melissa Valko discussed the Negative Fund Balance Report with the Board and assured the Board that the College is using sound fiscal and management processes in the operation of the College’s business. A-B Tech has sufficient funds to cover all institutional obligations, and we continue to send student balances as debt set-off to the Department of Revenue.
Mr. Kern moved to accept the Negative Fund Balance Report as of June 30, 2026. Dr. Banks seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.
4. E. Ms. Beth Green informed the Board that the College needs approval for the acquisition of the property being donated to the College for the Futures Factory.
Mr. West moved to approve the NCCCS 3-1P Property Acquisition. Ms. Lewis seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.
Budget Information
5. A. Ms. Green updated the Board on the status of Article 46 Funded Repair and Renovation Projects. $18 million in repair and renovation projects approved by Buncombe County will start on campus this October. Work on the roof for the Chestnut building will begin this fall as well.
We are still seeking quotes for cabinets and countertops in the Vet Tech building, as well as for the emergency water valve connections for buildings on the A-B Tech Asheville main campus.
LS3P has been selected as the designer for the expansion of campus-wide security. This includes a generator in the Simpson Building where the Emergency Operations Center will be housed. McGill has been selected for the upgrades to the Welding and CNA Labs located at A-B Tech Madison.
The Dogwood Electrical Upgrades and upgrades to the culinary kitchen in the Magnolia building are moving forward and should begin in the spring.
Trustee Business
6. A. The Nominating Committee, Mr. Kern and Ms. Ramsey, presented the following nominations to the Board: Dr. Joe Barwick as Chair, Ms. Judy Lewis as Vice Chair, and Ms. Carolyn Rice as Board Secretary for 2026-2027. Dr. Barwick asked if there were any nominations from the floor, and there were none.
The Board approved the nominations as presented.
6. B. Mr. Kern and Ms. Ramsey each volunteered to remain on the Executive Committee. There were no nominations from the floor.
The Board approved the nominations as presented.
6. C. Mr. Kumpf shared that the NCACCT Leadership Seminar in Greensboro was a very valuable experience, and that he learned a lot about the community college system.
President’s Report
Dr. Gossett shared that the fall semester is off to a great start and that we are within 98 percent of our FTE goal. Registration is still open for the second eight-week mini-semester, which should help us reach our enrollment goal.
The Western Community College Presidents met last week, and most community colleges are seeing flat or only a slight increase in enrollment this fall. A committee will be formed to discuss the community college’s position on potentially offering a three-year credential.
The EDA Grant for the Futures Factory has been officially signed, and we are excited about moving forward. Nothing official can happen until we have a kick-off meeting with the EDA, which is scheduled for the end of September.
Mr. Ben Teague has been appointed to the North Carolina Economic Development Partnership Board in addition to the NC Innovation Board, which unfortunately makes him ineligible to serve on our Board. We will continue to work closely with Mr. Teague on several projects.
We are hosting the Credit for Prior Learning Week on campus, which is how we can move students from where they are to where they want to be as quickly and officially as possible. Credit will be given for life experiences so that students don’t have to take classes in subjects they are already proficient in.
Dr. Gossett, Dr. Leatherwood, and Dr. White spoke about leading in crisis during the NCACCT meeting in Greensboro. Helene, COVID, and what Presidents go through to protect their colleges and communities were the main focus of the discussion.
The Western Community College Leadership Academy kicked off last Friday, where employees from seven community colleges collaborated and learned to grow as leaders. Sandra Brown, Lisa Richman, Jason Robinson, Brad Scott, and Rachel Vickers represent A-B Tech this year.
Dr. Gossett spoke at the Hunt Institute regarding Early Childhood Workforce and its need for employees.
A meeting was held with the developer of Project Voyager. Project Voyager is offering the College a land lease to build a building at the Asheville Airport. We will continue to look at options on how to get our Aviation program located closer to the airport.
The Asheville Media Group has awarded A-B Tech gold medals for being the best College/University and the best Vocational school in our area!
The Executive Leadership Team has been working through our policy and procedure manual and is leaning towards purchasing a policy manual from Campbell Shatley that offers policies and procedures that are consistent across all North Carolina community colleges.
Sadly, Ms. Melissa Valko has decided to take her talents elsewhere. She has been an excellent CFO for the College, well liked and trusted. Ms. Valko will be very missed, and Dr. Gossett personally thanked her for all of the work she has done to make A-B Tech successful.
SGA Report
SGA President Robert Uhren shared the following with the Board:
The SGA has hit the ground running; we’ve already held three meetings, rechartered several clubs and societies, and are preparing for the Fall Festival.
We are adding a History Society to our selection of clubs.
The Fall Festival takes place tomorrow from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. and includes information booths, food, and craft stations for students.
The SGA has held popsicle giveaways, vision boarding, tie-dyeing events, yard game tournaments, and other events to get the semester off to a fun start.
Elections for new officers take place on September 23, and we hope to get a new SGA Vice President.
Informational Items
The 2025-2026 Student Success Scorecard and Divisional Updates are included in the Board packet.
The next Board meeting will be on Monday, October 5, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. at the A-B Tech Asheville main campus.
Adjourn
Upon a properly made motion, the meeting adjourned at 5:10 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Carolyn H. Rice
Board Secretary