FTCC Names New President  

Originally published on Wednesday, June 06, 2007 in Fayetteville Observer

FTCC Names New President
The state board must still give its final approval.

By April Johnston
Staff writer
The trustees of Fayetteville Technical Community College picked a new president Tuesday.

Dr. Larry Keen, the vice president for economic and work force development for the North Carolina Community College System, must be approved by the state board before his presidency becomes official.

The board meets June 15.

But Keen is already looking ahead to life in Fayetteville.

“I’m delighted to be a part of the tradition,” he said when reached by phone Tuesday afternoon. “I see a lot of bright things in store for the college.”

The board had narrowed its list of presidential candidates to six in May, but board Chairman Marye Jeffries said Keen quickly leaped to the top of the list.

It took board members little more than 30 minutes to approve him Tuesday at their lunch meeting.

“He has military and economic development experience,” Jeffries said. “That’s experience none of the other candidates had, and it’s a good fit for this area.”

Keen is a retired Army Reserve officer who spent 21 years in the military. His sons also served; one in the Navy and one in the Army Reserves.

“I understand deployments and I appreciate the tremendous resource of military (servicemen and women),” he said. “They have an understanding of the world that enriches the educational environment.”

He believes FTCC will benefit from the Base Realignment and Closure that will bring thousands of people to the area in the next five years.

He also believes economic development opportunities will abound simply because of Fayetteville’s location in growing southeastern North Carolina.

“The location alone portends great things,” he said.

Should the state board approve Keen’s presidency on the 15th, the FTCC board plans to make its official job offer quickly. The current president, Larry Norris, retires Aug. 1.

Accepting the position would fulfill what Keen says is his life-long dream. For most of his career, he aimed to be a community college president, but timing and circumstances have prevented it until now.

“Community college is so relevant in this country,” Keen said. “It operates where the people live. It’s a grand opportunity to serve.”

Staff writer April Johnston can be reached at johnstona@fayobserver.com or 323-4848, ext. 384.