Presidential Profile

After 20 years of exceptional leadership, Dr. Charles Gould, president of Florence-Darlington Technical College (FDTC) has announced his retirement. The Florence-Darlington Technical College Commissioners invite nominations and applications for the position of President.

Florence-Darlington's Technical College serves over 6,000 students on its 250 acre campus and through five additional sites across the region. Recently acknowledged as one of the fastest growing institution of higher education in South Carolina, FDTC seeks to maximize student success through exceptional academic programs and excellent customer service. With the recent construction of the Southeastern Institute of Manufacturing and Technology (SIMT), FDTC is leading the region as the preferred provider of continuing and workforce education. The Commissioners seek a visionary and energetic leader with a strong academic and manufacturing foundation to foster the growth of FDTC as it continues to meet the evolving technical education needs of its students and the communities it serves.

Opportunities and Challenges

The President of Florence-Darlington Technical College will be an energetic, enthusiastic and visionary leader committed to addressing the following opportunities and challenges:

To continue the implementation plans for the newly constructed state-of-the-art Southeastern Institute of Manufacturing and Technology (SIMT) and achieve self-sustainability through contracts, partnerships and alliances.
To secure additional and new financial resources by advocating and working in partnership with local, State and Federal stakeholders, as well as business and industry, and foundations, on behalf of the College.
To build partnerships and promote key alliances with colleges and universities, local schools, and the community at large to ensure quality higher education opportunities for all citizens.

Leadership Qualities and Characteristics

Florence-Darlington Technical College seeks a vibrant student- and community- oriented leader who embraces the technical college mission and is:

A visionary leader who understands trends in higher education and manufacturing and is responsive to those trends in order to provide graduates with the skills business and industry require.
An effective communicator, with strong public speaking abilities, who is also an active listener with consistent decision-making abilities and follow-through.
An individual who can articulate a common vision, support innovation, and has the ability to see the big picture.
Demonstrated success as an advocate for communities the institution serves.
A fiscal steward who has experience working with large and complex budgets.
A proven administrator able to work effectively with governing boards.
A politically astute leader with strong community involvement.
A leader who has a proven track record in fundraising and identifying new sources of revenue.
A people-person with the skills necessary to work within the college including faculty, staff, students, and board members, and externally with state and local representatives, local school districts, and business and industry.
An inclusive leader with a demonstrated commitment to diversity, who understands the needs of non-traditional students.
An individual who possesses knowledge of the accreditation process, and of the South Carolina Technical College System.
An educational partner who seeks to strengthen relationships with the local K-12 schools.

Preferred Characteristics

An earned doctorate from a regionally accredited institution.