SMITHFIELD – Dr. David Johnson, President of Johnston Community College announced his resignation Friday.
“After serving as JCC’s president for the last 13 years, it is with mixed emotions that I announce I will be stepping down from my position May 15, 2022. While I am excited to pursue new opportunities ahead, I am able to look back with satisfaction on the work we have done together to chart a pathway to success for the thousands of students who have benefited from JCC’s educational programs.”
“TOGETHER, we implemented the One College model, our institutional commitment and philosophy for student success. TOGETHER, we renovated and completed new campus facilities, including the Health Building, Learning Resource Building, and Student Success Center. TOGETHER, we have added new program offerings, including Supply Chain Management, LPN, Digital Media, Cybersecurity, and Entrepreneurship. TOGETHER, JCC was selected as the winner of the 2018 Bellwether Award, in recognition of our outstanding and innovative programs and practices that are leading community colleges into the future. TOGETHER, we have increased the JCC Foundation’s endowment to an amount over $10 million. TOGETHER, we have implemented programs to enhance belonging at JCC and a renewed spirit of diversity and inclusion within our community. TOGETHER, we are in the process of building a state-of-the-art Engineering building. And TOGETHER, we weathered the uncertainties and difficulties—often in both our personal and professional lives—brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. I am grateful that TOGETHER we have maneuvered through the last 2+ years with fortitude and resilience. JCC is stronger now than ever before.”
“This good work we have done together has made a difference in so many lives across Johnston County. With hope and certainty, I look forward to the future of JCC and its continued impact on the students it serves. It has been my honor to lead JCC,” Dr. Johnson stated.
Following Dr. Johnson’s public announcement, Lyn Austin, Chair of the JCC Board of Trustees, released the following statement: “The Board appreciates Dr. Johnson’s leadership over the last 13 years. His leadership moved the college forward in many areas, and we wish him the best as he pursues other opportunities. As we look ahead, our Board will be moving forward in an efficient manner to begin the steps to find our new President. To that end, and to facilitate a smooth transition into a new administration, we will be putting in place an Interim President to serve until such time as our new President is chosen.”
“The most important work a Board of Trustees undertakes is hiring a president. We will be seeking input from our faculty, staff, students, business stakeholders, and community to find just the right person for this wonderful college. We will cast a wide net in and outside NC to get the best possible candidate. Johnston County has experienced significant growth over the last several years, and we are expecting even more growth in the future. The College is committed to meeting the needs of our students as well as business and industry and county to provide a well educated, highly skilled, and trained workforce. During this transition period the dedicated excellent faculty and staff at the College will continue to deliver a fist class education to our students.”
“We have had great successes and accomplishments in the past but Community Colleges never rest on their laurels they always look ahead. This Board will work hard to find the leader that the College needs and deserves,” Austin said.
In August 2021, an audit and separate independent investigation was requested by the JCC Board of Trustees following allegations one or more JCC administrators failed to follow written policy and procedures, including the promotion process. An email tip sent to The Johnston County Report last year alleged a “culture” of mismanagement and “incompetent administrators” who were protected even after complaints were made by lower-level staff. We could not verify the allegations. The report findings were not made public.
JCC officials would not say if Dr. Johnson’s resignation had any connection to the audit or independent investigation.
This is probably a combination of the first investigation and the current EEOC investigation. The Board of Trustees are just as guilty in all the issues with leadership. The harassment this leadership allows is disgusting.
BOT has absolutely no idea what really goes on at the school. There’s been a lot of major personnel issues that have been swept under the rug over the years.
If an external investigation were to take place, Johnston County would be shocked to learn how many of the board members know what has been going on.
DON’T FORGET, JOHNSTON COUNTY WILL ALWAYS BE JOHNSTON COUNTY! SAME SH*T, DIFFERENT FLYS!
What’s good for the goose is good for the gander… A little Karma for all of those geese you had killed.
I know this is the best for the college. I encourage the trustees to open a line of communication with faculty and staff since college policy prevents them from initiating communication with you ( a policy that came about under outgoing administration). Seek their input and please be careful in selecting an interim. I have deep roots at JCC and had a wonderful career there, but surviving my last years under the out going administration was tough.
It still amazes me all this stuff is going on with so many “community leaders” serving on the board of trustees.
The Board of Trustees is guilty of dereliction of duty in allowing this administration to turn JCC into a hostile, toxic, woke workplace. Hiring based on demographics and obvious patronage has been going on since 2010. Petty power hungry, micromanaging, hyper critical, and often incompetent AND inexperienced people put in supervisory positions. What a shame this administration actively managed the decline of what Dr. Tart and Dr. Reichard built.
Lynn Austin is solely responsible for allowing this as she has been on the board for decades and has had the opportunity to listen to staff and faculty in the trenches point out abuses, but she refused to address them. She should resign her position as well.
I don’t understand how Lyn has knowingly allowed these issues to happen and no one has questioned her. And she’s going to help appoint the new interim? This community deserve answers.
And why is no one wondering about the departure of the human resources vice president, and didn’t Linda (vice president of instruction) announce she’s leaving too??
…..rats jumping from a sinking ship!!
Shouldn’t someone question all these departures? This doesn’t seem normal.
The entire administration needs to go. No real leadership. No care for their employees unless you are faculty. Toxic **** spewing from the top down and the ones at the bottom are suffering from the overwork, stress, and incompetence.
I totally agree the ENTIRE administration needs to resign OR be non-renewed…….just like they have non-renewed dozens of competent, loyal, decent, and good staff and faculty since the initial re-organization in 2010. Any moral, ethical President coming in should completely and objectively learn about the abysmal treatment of all employees (except the favored abusers of power) and completely clean the administrative house. I’d be glad to volunteer to summarize the history AND identify those who need to go AND I wouldn’t charge a consultation fee!!!!
To see the contrast of these comments to the facebook comments is very interesting.
Is this because of the investigation? Seems fishy to me, where there’s smoke there’s fire
Who is Lyn going to put as interim VP and interim president when linda and johnson leaves? I’m interested in knowing….
I’m curious, does that $10k gold Chain of Office & Sceptre worn by the President at graduation go home with the President? And, why is the audit not public record? Is there just too much dishonesty and irresponsible spending to reveal to the public? Why is the auditorium still not open? That’s certainly is fishy! Perhaps the State Auditor needs to make a formal inquiry. More info on the EEOC issue? Is it racial, prejudicial, or good old boys & girls covering each other’s blaring ignorance of their jobs? I’m surprised WRAL, News and Observer, and other local media outlets haven’t picked up this story.
And just wait til the interims are announced…
I made the statement just a short while back, and I still stand by it, that I honestly can’t think of a single positive decision the administration has made dating back to 2009…….and there is an extensive list!!! Sad to say, but I really don’t have very much hope that significant positive changes will be forthcoming. If a committee was formed to contact every former employee that left (voluntarily, was non- renewed or retired) since 2009 and interviewed them to investigate the reason for departure, the product would reflect what I have called “the process of institutional suicide.”
And the winner is … Dr. Boham from Caldwell Community College.
Glad he’s leaving lost a ton of respect for that one and the sidekick 10 years ago and a few more need to go along with him but never will because they are the protected ones. Shameful that it has lasted this long. There will never be a better legacy left than the one Dr. Tart built. Dr. Tart was a good person with good intentions. Completely destroyed the CMS shows after 21 years of good service.