Finalists selected for next president of Tennessee College of Applied Technology Elizabethton. Campus interviews May 3.

The search committee assisting with the search for the next president of the Tennessee College of Applied Technology Elizabethton has selected two finalists for the position, both of whom will participate in public interviews at the college’s main campus May 3, the next step in the selection process.

The finalists are: 

• David J. Hicks, currently Superintendent of Bremen City Schools in Bremen, Ga., and adjunct professor at Piedmont University in Demorest, Ga.
• Daniel Ray O’Quinn, currently Vice President of TCAT Elizabethton.

The finalists’ resumes and other information about the search are available for review on the TBR website at https://www.tbr.edu/hr/executivesearches/president-tcat-elizabethton. 

The May 3 campus interviews with the finalists are open to the public and scheduled to start at 9 a.m. ET with O’Quinn, followed by Hicks at 10:15 a.m.  The interviews will be held in the auditorium of the college’s main campus at 426 TN Highway 91 North, Elizabethton. The interviews will be recorded and posted for public review on the webpage above. Members of the public and campus community may submit comments and other feedback via a survey link that will be available on the search webpage at the time of the interviews. To observe the interviews live online, contact TBR Associate Vice Chancellor for Human Resources April Preston at april.preston@tbr.edu or 615-366-4404 for a video link.

The next president will succeed President Dean Blevins, who is retiring in June after nearly 13 years of service as TCAT Elizabethton’s sixth chief executive officer in the college’s 57-year history. Blevins began his career at the college 35 years ago as an instructor of industrial electricity and electronics.

After the campus forums, Tennessee Board of Regents Chancellor Flora W. Tydings will review input from the campus community and public, conduct interviews with the two finalists and then make a recommendation to the Board of Regents for a single candidate. The Board will consider the chancellor’s recommendation and appointment of the next president at a meeting to be announced.

The board approved criteria for the next president during a special called meeting Jan. 31.  The complete criteria, job description and other information about the search and the college are posted on the search webpage above.

After the board meeting, the 14-member search committee was appointed. Chaired by Regent Miles Burdine, the committee also included Regents Wanda Reid and Danni Varlan and representatives of the college’s faculty, staff, students, alumni, community and business leaders.

The committee reviewed application materials from 15 applicants with a broad spectrum of experiences and backgrounds, conducted interviews with the candidates, and advanced the two finalists to the campus interviews. 

TCAT Elizabethton is one of the public community and technical colleges comprising The College System of Tennessee, governed by the Tennessee Board of Regents.

More information about the college is available at tcatelizabethton.edu