Former Lexington 1 superintendent Little to be next Midlands Tech president

Gregory D. Little will be Midlands Technical College’s seventh president.

The Midlands Technical College Commission made the selection after four finalists, including Vicky Wood, Washington State College of Ohio president; Forest E. Mahan, Aiken Technical College president; Barrie Kirk, Midlands Technical College provost; and Little visited campuses and participated in open forums in late March.

Years of Experience and Education

Little was most recently the acting executive director and president of the S.C. Commission on Higher Education, according to a release from MTC, but before that, he held roles as vice president for strategic partnerships and innovation for the S.C. Technical College System, and was also superintendent for Mount Airy City Schools in North Carolina and was well-known to Lexington locals as superintendent of Lexington County School District One.

Little has almost three decades’ worth of experience in education across North and South Carolina and holds an undergraduate degree in English from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and a master’s degree and doctorate in curriculum and instruction from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Search and Selection Process

“Faculty, staff, and stakeholders in the MTC community provided generous and valuable feedback to commissioners,” MTC Commission Chair Sandra Jackson said in the release. “That input was instrumental in our decision to hire Dr. Little, and we are confident that he will guide the college in future success.”

The Association of Community College Trustees helped the MTC Commission in the search and hiring process and according to the release, there were 58 candidates to start with from across 30 states and another country.

Upcoming Transition

Little will replace current MTC president Ronald Rhames on July 1. Rhames announced his 2024 retirement in August 2023, according to a release from the college. Rhames has been a part of MTC for over 35 years with two years as a student and 33 years as an employee, which includes eight years as the MTC president.

Continued Changes in Education Leadership

These changes are happening at the same time as Lexington One undergoes the search for its new superintendent. According to former reporting from the Chronicle, Lexington County School District One Board of Trustees has selected three finalists, all of them current school district superintendents around the country, for the position of superintendent/superintendent-elect. The final round of interviews has already taken place but a selection has not been announced as of the morning of April 17.

Conclusion:

The educational landscape in the Midlands region is undergoing significant changes with the appointment of Gregory D. Little as the next president of Midlands Technical College, bringing a wealth of experience and expertise to the role. As the transition takes place, all eyes are on the future developments and directions that will shape the collegiate and academic environment in the coming years.

Source: Lexington County Chronicle