Walters State Community College presidential search committee appointed. First public forum set for April 22.

The Search Advisory Committee leading the Tennessee Board of Regents' search for the next president of Walters State Community College has been appointed, and a public forum on the search will be held April 22.

Board of Regents Member Miles Burdine is chair of the 16-member committee. Board Members Cayden Keltgen, Ross Roberts and Danni Varlan also are serving as committee members, along with representatives of the college’s faculty, staff, students and alumni, and business and civic leaders from the community. The full membership is listed below.

The public forum will provide the public and campus community an overview of the search process and an opportunity to voice their views on the aspirations and needs of the college in the selection of the next president. The forum will be held virtually by Zoom teleconferencing, starting at 10 a.m. ET, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. To join the Zoom forum at that time, click here [https://academic-search.zoom.us/j/85824265235?pwd=7EPuIs286sWjRDzceLAZJpJbhqxqC3.1&from=addon] and enter the meeting ID and passcode below:

Meeting ID: 858 2426 5235
Passcode: 281975

Full details – including the presidential criteria, how to apply, information about the college, and the public forum access information – are posted on the Tennessee Board of Regents website at https://www.tbr.edu/hr/executivesearches/president-walter-state-community-college.

More information on the forum and other opportunities to share feedback are also available on the Walters State website here: https://ws.edu/news/2025/presidential_search_begins_with_open_forum.aspx. Anyone needing assistance may contact Mary Ann Hammonds, Executive Assistant to the Chancellor, at maryann.hammonds@tbr.edu or 615-366-4403.

Materials received by June 10, 2025, can be assured full consideration by the search committee. The search committee will review applicants and nominees and recommend finalists for the presidency. The finalists will be announced and introduced to the community in campus public forums to be scheduled later. TBR Chancellor Flora W. Tydings will then conduct final interviews and review input from the campus community and the public to select one candidate for recommendation to the Board of Regents, which will appoint the president.

The next president will succeed Dr. Tony Miksa, who is resigning effective June 30 to become the president of Johnson County Community College in Kansas. The goal is for the next Walters State president to be appointed by Sept. 1.

Academic Search Inc. is assisting the Board of Regents and the committee in the search.

Members of the search advisory committee:

Regent Miles A. Burdine

Board of Regents

Search Committee Chair

Regent Ross Roberts

Board of Regents

Regent Danni Varlan

Board of Regents

Regent Cayden Keltgen

Board of Regents &

Walters State Student

Kelsey Solomon

Faculty Senate President

Faculty Representative

Dr. Amy Ross

Faculty Representative

Eviee Dalton

Student Representative

Dr. Kim Bolton

Administrative Staff Representative

Brandy Pait

Support Staff Representative

Alumni, Business & Community Representatives

Dr. Steve Barnett

Niswonger Foundation

Justin Cook

First Horizon Bank & Member of

Walters State Foundation

Susanne Cox

Tennessee College of Applied Technology Morristown

Mike Fishman

Lakeway Publishers Inc.

Marshall Ramsey

Morristown Area Chamber of Commerce

Daphne Reyes

Girls, Inc. of Hamblen County &

Alumna

Emily Wood

City of Morristown