NEWTON, NC – The K-64 Education Board held its inaugural meeting Tuesday, May 30 at 6:00 p.m. at Catawba Valley Community College (CVCC). The Board elected Larry Aiello, Jr., retired President & CEO of Corning Cable Systems LLC, to serve as Board Chair and Tony Rose, CEO of Catawba Valley Medical Center, to serve as Board Vice Chair. Catawba County Clerk Barbara Morris was appointed to fill the role of Secretary.
The Board established a four-member committee to conduct a search for a K-64 Chief Executive Officer, who will be employed by CVCC. That committee consists of Graystone Eye CEO Sheree Watson, CommScope Senior VP of Human Resources Robyn Mingle, and Catawba County Schools Superintendent Matt Stover and will be chaired by CVCC President Garrett Hinshaw, who will coordinate the job posting and hiring processes on behalf of CVCC.
In addition to establishing organizational roles, the Board heard presentations related to each K-12 public school system’s technology and staff training needs and requested written summaries of those needs for review prior to the Board’s next meeting.
The Board’s finances, which are managed through the CVCC Foundation, include $2.6 million in start-up funding over two years from the Catawba County Board of Commissioners and more than $600,000 in private investment commitments. The Board approved a $4,500 expenditure for a local performance analysis of the Leader in Me program, which has been implemented in some Catawba County and Newton-Conover City schools, and a $5,000 expenditure for BoardEffects board management software.
The Board voted to meet monthly, with its next meeting taking place Thursday, June 29 at 12:00 p.m. in the Sipe Board Room at CVCC. Beginning in August, the Board will meet in the same location on the first Thursday of each month at 12:00 p.m.
K-64 is an education and economic development initiative that prepares students from kindergarten (K) through retirement (64) to compete in the global economy and creates a highly qualified talent pipeline to support local workforce and economic growth. K-64 focuses on six priority areas: 1-to-world technology, character development, tech-savvy educators, work-based learning, employer engagement, and career adaptability. The initiative builds on what’s already working in Catawba County by expanding and implementing model programs throughout the local education system in collaboration with local employers and community partners. K-64 is governed by a 12-member board of directors comprised of both private and public sector representatives and is managed by Catawba Valley Community College.
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Media Contact:
Amy McCauley, Catawba County Marketing & Communications Director
(828) 465-8464 amccauley@catawbacountync.gov