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The following was reported by The Daily Herald, a multimedia company serving the Roanoke Valley and Lake Gaston.

The Halifax Community College Board of Trustees announced Tuesday it has selected three finalists for the presidency of HCC.

“We would like to thank the entire college community for your continued interest and support in the process to identify our next president,” said Chairman Michael Williams in a press release received Tuesday. “I would also like to take this opportunity to thank each member of the Presidential Search Committee for their exceptional insight, work and effort.”

The HCC presidential finalists are listed in alphabetical order:

• Patrena Benton Elliott, Ph.D., is vice president for instruction and student support services/chief academic and student affairs officer at Robeson Community College in Lumberton. She previously served as dean of academic affairs and operations at South University in High Point. Elliott earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Leadership Studies and a Master of Science in Adult Education from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro; and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Chapel Hill.

• Pamela Monaco, Ph.D., is vice president of academic and student affairs at Wilbur Wright College in Chicago. She previously served as dean of instruction at Wilbur Wright College in Chicago. Monaco earned a Doctor of Philosophy in English and a Master of Arts in English from Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.; and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

• Carmen Nunalee, Ed.D. J.D., is vice president of strategy and performance and Dean of the Crutchfield Campus at Stanly Community College in Albemarle. She previously served as vice president of strategic planning and compliance at SCC. Nunalee earned a Doctor of Education in Adult and Community College Education from North Carolina State University in Raleigh; a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia; a Master of Science in Microbiology-Immunology from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois; and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Meredith College in Raleigh.

Public forums will take place next week and each candidate will participate in a one-hour forum. The public is invited and encouraged to participate in the open forums. Forums will be open to all faculty, administrators, staff, students and the general public. There will be a brief introduction of each candidate, followed by a question-and-answer session.

Forums will be conducted in-person in room 108 of the Dr. Phillip W. Taylor Complex on the campus of Halifax Community College in Weldon. Doors will open at 2:30 p.m. and the forum will begin at 3 p.m.

Open forum schedule:

• Monday — Patrena Benton Elliott;

• Tuesday — Carmen Nunalee; and

• Wednesday — Pamela Monaco.

“We are looking forward to a successful completion of the presidential search process,” Williams said.

For more information, contact ACCT Search Consultant Kennon Briggs at kennondb@gmail.com or 919-621-7988 or Williams at michael_williams@halifaxcc.edu or 252-532-7222.

“We are proud Dr. Nunalee is a finalist for the presidency at Halifax Community College,” SCC President Dr. John Enamait told The Stanly News & Press in an email. “She has worked diligently to prepare herself for continued professional growth and this is a logical progression for her.

“At Stanly Community College, we encourage our employees to grow as professionals,” Enamait said. “In fact, employee success is so important to us that it serves as one of three core pillars in our strategic plan. Dr. Nunalee’s being a finalist is a fine example of our desire to see our employees continue to grow.”