Dr. Thomas A. Walker Jr. officially will be approved as the sixth president of Wayne Community College on Tuesday in a meeting of the Goldsboro, N.C., school’s board of trustees, according to a statement released by the college Monday. Walker, nominated by the board on June 17, has been approved by the State Board of Community Colleges.
Walker, originally from Lumberton, N.C., has been president of the Grand Island campus of Central Community College in Nebraska since 2014. He will take over at Wayne Community College on Sept. 1, replacing Dr. Kay H. Albertson who will retire July 30. Albertson has served in the North Carolina’s Community College System for 33 years, including nine years as WCC’s president.
Walker has a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His graduate degrees include a master of public administration and a doctorate in higher education administration from the University of Memphis.
Dr. Gene Smith, WCC’s vice-president for academic and student services, is expected to serve as the interim president of the college throughout August.
