The Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College Board of Trustees convened a meeting on Monday, June 2, 2025, at 3:00 p.m., in The Brumit Center for Culinary Arts and Hospitality, Tillman Dining Room. Dr. Theresa Banks, Chair, presided.
In addition to Dr. Banks, the following members of the Board participated: Joe Barwick, Michael Garrison, Tommy Justus, Matt Kern, David King, Judy Lewis, Roger Metcalf, John Parham, Anthony Penland, Frances Ramsey, and Glenda Weinert. Himanshu Karvir, Libby Kyles, and Roger Reid were absent.
Others present for the meeting included: John Gossett, President; Deborah Bailey, Vice President, Economic and Workforce Development and Continuing Education; Amanda Edwards, Executive Director, College Advancement; Cris Harshman, Vice President of Operations/CIO; Fairley Patton, Vice President of Student Services; Darryl Rhymes, Director, Employment & Employee Relations; Beth Stewart, Vice President of Instructional Services; Ashley Leonard, College Attorney; and Carolyn Rice, Secretary to the Board.
Call to Order
At 3:00 p.m., Chair Banks read the ethics statement. Chief Penland notified the Board that he had a conflict of interest with Consent Agenda Item 1. C. 2026-2026 Annual Appointments and Reappointments.
Ms. Rice called the roll; a quorum was present.
Presentation of Plaques of Appreciation
Dr. Gossett presented Dr. Tommy Justus, Mr. David King, and Dr. John Parham plaques of appreciation for their service to the College. All have been excellent Board members and will be truly missed.
Consent Agenda
At 3:10 p.m., Chair Banks asked for a motion to approve the Consent Agenda.
Dr. Parham moved to approve Consent Agenda items: 1. A. May 5, 2025, Board Meeting Minutes; 1. B. Personnel Actions; 1. C. 2025-2026 Annual Appointments and Reappointments; and 1. D. Blanket Travel Authorization and Excess Approval. Mr. Kern seconded the motion, which passed by majority vote. Chief Penland abstained.
Resolution/Action Items
2. A. Ms. Beth Green informed the Board that the College is requesting an additional $150,000 of its General Assembly allocated State Capital and Infrastructure Funds (SCIF) to upfit and install door access controls on the exterior of the remaining 14 buildings on the Asheville Campus, as well as nine doors at A-B Tech Enka that do not have access controls.
Ms. Green then reviewed a chart of the remaining SCIF Funds with the Board.
Mr. Kern moved to approve the Building Access Control Updates. Chief Penland seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.
2. B. Ms. Melissa Valko shared that the Audit Committee (Ms. Frances Ramsey and Dr. Glenda Weinert) met with the College’s Auditor to review the Financial Statements and Audit for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2024. The financial statements presented fairly and showed no inconsistencies. No deficiencies were identified during the audit.
Ms. Ramsey shared her appreciation for all of the hard work done, and Dr. Barwick congratulated Ms. Valko on a clean audit!
Dr. Justus moved to approve the Financial Statements and Audit for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2024. Dr. Barwick seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.
Budget Update
3. A. Ms. Melissa Valko discussed the State and County Budgets as of April 30, 2025, with the Board. We are on track with our budget for the remainder of the year.
3. B. Ms. Beth Green gave an overview of Article 46-funded projects to the Board as of May 13, 2025.
Repair and replacement projects for 2023, 2024, and 2025 will be discussed with the County this week. Most projects address HVAC needs, roof replacements, lighting, and remodeling restrooms to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Trustee Business
4. A. Dr. Banks nominated Dr. Metcalf, Ms. Ramsey, and herself to serve on the Committee who will present their nominations for Chair, Vice Chair, and Board Secretary for 2025-2026 at the August 4, 2025, meeting.
President’s Report
Dr. Gossett shared the following with the Board:
- Dr. Gossett thanked all of the Board members who attended Commencement. Never underestimate the influence you have on a student, regardless of how little you think it is.
- We have attended numerous capstones.
- Chief Penland was the keynote speaker for our Fire Academy Graduation.
- Several students graduated with a degree in Electrical Systems at the Craggy Men’s Correctional facility.
- We have several Open Houses scheduled. Craft Brewing, Vet Tech, and the debut of the Mobile Skills Lab are just a few. The Trailblazer Express Bus was on hand at each open house to register students on the spot!
- North Carolina’s Attorney General joined our BLET students and instructors at Woodfin for some early morning physical training.
- The College hosted a Buncombe County Attainment Summit this week. The Hunt Institute, MyFutureNC, and the P-20 Council convened to discuss credential attainment.
- Dr. Gossett attended the Madison County Early College Graduation and was pleased to see so many students getting a head start on their college careers. Buncombe County Early College graduates this evening.
- Due to a miscommunication, we worked with the Buncombe County manager and the Asheville City manager to keep training for the Asheville Fire Department in Woodfin. The College has worked hard to create an excellent Fire Training program in Woodfin, whose headcount earns the College an additional $500,000 a year as a satellite campus.
Staff Presentation
Ms. Sandra Brown, Director of Enrollment Services, and Ms. Becky Garland, Coordinator of High School Recruitment, presented the “Trailblazer Express: A-B Tech’s Mobile Enrollment Lab” to the Board. The following information was shared:
- The vision for the project came from listening sessions in Madison County through the Rural Educators Academy Capstone project.
- We took a passenger van, wrapped it, and redesigned the interior. Laptops, iPads, and iPad stands were purchased and upfitted into the Bus. Security measures are in place.
- The Bus represents A-B Tech’s strong commitment to expanding access and fostering innovation. Our goal is to increase enrollment among rural and underserved student populations by taking the Bus to high-need locations such as marginalized urban neighborhoods, community and cultural centers, public housing communities, and shelters.
- We can now offer the following support services on-site:
- Admissions and Residency Applications
- FAFSA Completion Support
- Advising Appointment Scheduling
- A-B Tech Account Setup
- Course Registration Assistance
- The Bus removes structural barriers by bringing enrollment services to the student, fosters trust by showing up where our students are, connects A-B Tech staff with community realities, and builds long-term bridges with rural and marginalized populations.
- Our next step is to equip the bus with a Satellite Internet System, identify priority communities, develop an outreach and event calendar, and have bilingual staff present to support our ELA communities. Ms. Brown concluded by saying that we cannot wait for students to come to us. We must go to them. The Board thanked Ms. Brown and Ms. Garland for their persistence in getting the Trailblazer Express up and running and offered to help both financially and with needed equipment. The Board then went outside and toured the bus.
Closed Session
At 3:41 p.m., Mr. Kern moved that the Trustees enter into closed session pursuant to G.S. 143-318.11 (a) (1) and (3) to discuss confidential personnel matters pursuant to G.S. 115D-27-29 and to discuss matters protected by the attorney-client privilege.” Dr. Justus seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.
At 5:15 p.m., Dr. Parham moved to adjourn the closed session. The motion was seconded by Mr. Kern and unanimously approved.
Open Session
Board members expressed their gratitude towards the Trustees who are rotating off the Board.
Informational Items
The 2024-2025 Student Success Scorecard and Divisional Updates are included in the Board packet. The next Board meeting will be on Monday, August 4, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. in The Brumit Center for Culinary Arts and Hospitality on the A-B Tech Asheville main campus.
Adjourn
At 5:16 p.m., Mr. Garrison moved to adjourn the meeting, which was seconded by Mr. Kern and unanimously approved.
Respectfully submitted,
Carolyn H. Rice
Board Secretary