A publication for employees, students, and friends of Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College
Vol. 15 Issue 5May 2009
 
"It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are."
E.E. Cummings

Headlines

Ralls Shares Thoughts on Presidential Search

Scott Ralls

Scott Ralls, NCCCS President

North Carolina Community College System President Scott Ralls shared five characteristics of a leader with members of the A-B Tech Presidential Search Committee and the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees April 9 as a prelude to the search for the College's fifth president.

Dr. Ralls told the committees he feels a special connection to Asheville and A-B Tech because his father served as pastor at Central United Methodist, he attended Roberson High School, and his mother-in-law, Eileen Rowe, served on the College's nursing faculty before retiring in 1988.

Pointing to tremendous community support and a "remarkable faculty and staff," Dr. Ralls said A-B Tech is one of the best community colleges in the country and he expects the presidency to generate widespread interest among prospective applicants.

Dr. Ralls said his own experience as president of Craven Community College in New Bern and lessons learned in Jim Collins' book, Good to Great, shaped his belief that leaders share five characteristics:

Dr. Ralls encouraged the committees to have confidence in the selection process despite going through a presidential search only two years earlier. Calling the unexpected transition "a bump in the road," Ralls told members he appreciates their work. "This is the most important job you'll do as a board and for this community."

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A-B Tech Culinary Team Wins Regional Competition, Headed for Nationals

Hot Food Team

A-B Tech's Hot Food Team won first place in the American Culinary Federation's Student Team Southeast Regional Competition. Pictured in the front row are team members Anna McClintock and Shannon Ginn. Back row, from left, are coaches Charles deVries, Michelle Kelley and John Hofland; team members Travis McCloud, Michael Aanonsen and Steven Goff.

A-B Tech's Hot Food team won first place in the American Culinary Federation's Student Team Southeast Regional Competition in Charlotte, securing their place in national competition for third time in the past four years.

The team competed against five other teams in the Southeast, including a team from Georgia coached by Chef Tim Thomas, a 1988 A-B Tech Culinary graduate.

The A-B Tech Hot Food Team menu consisted of a classic fish dish, Paupiettes de sole a la Trouvillaise. The salad entry was mixed greens with pine nut encrusted Brie; the entrée, roast pork tenderloin with potatoes and Swiss chard with apple brandy demi-glace; and dessert, hazelnut cream in a chocolate shell with raspberry sauce.

The garde manger platter, a selection of cold food, was popular with the judges according to Chef Charles deVries, Hospitality Education instructor. "The judges really loved the aroma and could smell it before they even walked in the room," he said. "This is a very cohesive group and they have become much closer the past few weeks. They realized what the pressure was like to take this on and they stepped up."

Team members are Michael Aanonsen, Shannon Ginn, Steven Goff, Anna McClintock and Travis McCloud. deVries serves as coach with Chefs John Hofland and Michelle Kelley.

A team from A-B Tech won the national title in 2007. Last year, the A-B Tech team took second place at the regional level. "Four of the five team members competed last year when we lost by .06 points. It was a real Cinderella story to see them come back to take first place," Hofland said. "The food reflected a level of expertise that you would not generally see in a student venue. They made their coaches very proud."

"I had the opportunity to speak with some of the spectators who viewed the event and the general consensus was the team looked well-prepared and professional and the plates showed finesse and elegance," Kelley said.

Four regional teams will meet in Orlando, FL., in July to compete for top national honors by preparing and serving 24 plates of four courses within four hours.

Culinary Technology Program

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Bailey Elected to State Board of Community Colleges

K. Ray Bailey

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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A-B Tech and Western Carolina University Partner to Increase Baccalaureate Nurses »

 

Tech Talk is published by the Communications Office for employees and friends of Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College.
Editor: Mona Cornwell, Writer: Martha Ball, Designers: Justin Page, April Sides
Send submissions to: Mona Cornwell, Director of Communications, at mcornwell@abtech.edu
Publication of the next issue is scheduled for June 1. Deadline for submissions is May 15.