Governance

The official governing body of Gaston College is the Board of Trustees of Gaston College, which consists of 15 members appointed by various agencies and government positions including the Gaston County Board of Education; the Gaston County Board of Commissioners; the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners; and the Governor of the State of North Carolina. The president of the College’s Student Government Association is also a member. Regular board members serve a term of four years commencing on July 1. Standing Board Committees include the Finance and Facilities Committees and the Campus Affairs Committee. The Board of Trustees generally meets monthly, but not less than quarterly. Meetings are typically held in the Myers Center Board Room located on the Dallas Campus.

The current members of the Board of Trustees of Gaston College are as follows:

MR. JOHN DANCOFF
Chair

Lincoln County Commissioners (Term: 2018 – 2022)

A resident of Lincoln County and a Gaston College graduate, he is currently Existing Business Manager for the Lincoln Economic Development Association (LEDA). John is actively involved in the community, serving as Chair of the Lincolnton Relay For Life and on the Lincoln County Coalition Against Child Abuse Board.

MS. JENNIFER DAVIS
Vice Chair

Gaston County Board of Education (Term: 2018 – 2022)

A Gastonia native, she served on the Gaston County School Board for 12 years. Retired from IBM, she is currently employed as the Director of Discipleship Ministry for the Western North Carolina Conference of the UMC. She is also the sole proprietor of Jennifer P. Davis and Associates, a Human Resources Consulting business.

SHERIFF ALAN CLONINGER
Secretary

Governor (Term: 2018 – 2022)

A lifelong resident of Gaston County, he received an AS degree from Gaston College, a BS degree from University of North Carolina-Charlotte in Criminal Justice, and a JD from Campbell University School of Law. He currently serves as sheriff of Gaston County.

JUDGE JESSE CALDWELL, III

Governor (Term: 2021 – 2025)

A resident of Gastonia, Judge Jesse Caldwell, III, has a B.A. in Political Science and Government from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and is a Juris Doctor of the University of North Carolina School of Law. Recently retired, he served in private practice as the Chief Public Defender, as Superior Court Judge since 1993, and as Senior Resident Superior Court Judge for Gaston County since 1995. Judge Caldwell is very involved with the community serving as a member on various committees. He has also taught classes at Gaston College, Gardner-Webb University, and was an Adjunct Faculty Member at the Charlotte School of Law.

MR. JONATHAN FLETCHER

Gaston County Board of Education (Term: 2021 – 2025)

A resident of Gastonia, he has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Software and Information Systems (and a minor in history) from UNC Charlotte. Currently, he serves on the Gaston County Animal Care and Enforcement Advisory Board, the Gaston County Industrial Facilities and Pollution Control Financing Authority, and other civic-minded organizations. Currently, he is the Regional Manager for Associated Equipment Distributors, an international trade association for heavy equipment dealers.

MR. STEVE HALL

Gaston County Board of Commissioners (Term: 2020-2024)

A resident of Bessemer City and a Gaston College graduate, he also retired from Gaston College after a 22-year career in the facilities area. In 2007, he formed High Caliber Athletics Inc., a locally recognized non-profit to help kids in the community that wanted to be involved in sports. He worked with students from all walks of life to challenge them and maximize their talents and abilities.

MS. IRIS HOPPER

Governor (Term: 2019 – 2023)

A resident of Gaston County, she is a graduate of Belmont Abbey College with a BA in Business Management and a Minor in Theology. Currently, she is a Project Manager for Duke Energy, where she has 18 years of experience in Energy Operations.

MS. RESA HOYLE

Governor (Term: 2020-2024)

A resident of Dallas and a Gaston College graduate, she went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from Lenoir-Rhyne College and a Master of Arts in School Administration from Gardner-Webb University. Currently, she is a Beginning Teacher Support Coordinator for Gaston County Schools. She serves on the Leadership Gaston Advisory Board, various committees within St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, and the North Gaston High School Athletic Booster Club.

MR. STEVE HUFFSTETLER

Gaston County Board of Education (Term: 2019 – 2023)

A resident of Gaston County, he is a graduate of Belmont Abbey College with a BA in Business Administration, and the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University, where he received a certificate in Banking and Finance. He is currently employed with Alliance Bank and Trust of Gastonia as a Senior VP in Commercial Lending/Gaston County Market President. He also is a community activist serving on many local Boards and Committees.

MR. TOM KEIGHER

Gaston County Board of Commissioners (Term: 2018 – 2022)

Born and raised in New Jersey, he received a BA from Belmont Abbey College, and currently is a partner with a local financial group. He serves as a member of the Gaston County Commissioners and on several local boards and civic groups, for example, the CaroMont Health/Gaston Memorial Hospital Board, the Economic Development Commission, and the Transportation Advisory Board.

MS. JANIE PEAK

Gaston County Board of Commissioners (Term: 2019 – 2023)

Ms. Peak is a resident of Gaston County and a lifelong educator. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Secondary Education and a Masters of Arts degree in Education from Lenoir Rhyne University. She also has a Masters of Arts degree from the University of North Carolina Charlotte. She taught high school English in Gaston County Schools for 38 years and has served on numerous local professional and civic boards and committees.

MR. TIM SMITH

Lincoln County Board of Commissioners (Term: 2020-2024)

A resident of Lincoln County, he received his BS in Business Administration from The Citadel: The Military College of South Carolina. He is the owner and manager of Tim Smith, CPA, an experienced tax filing specialty company in Lincolnton.

MS. JULIE STROUPE

Gaston County Board of Education (Term: 2020-2024)

A resident of Cherryville and a Gaston College graduate, she also has a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Gardner-Webb University. She has been with BB&T, now Truist Financial, since 1998, advancing through various positions and is now a Teammate Banking Specialist. She is an active member of Mount Beulah Baptist Church where she is the organist/pianist, a Sunday School teacher, and Churchwide Missions Educator. She is also active with the Cherryville Little Theater.

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MR. JAMES “RANDY” VINSON

Gaston County Board of Commissioners (Term: 2021 – 2025)

Born and raised in Statesville, NC, he is a graduate of NC State University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He retired after careers in telecommunications, sales, and marketing.

MR. JOSEPH WITTMER

Student Government Association (Term: 2021-2022)

A resident of Mount Holly, Mr. Wittmer is a student at the Gaston Early College High School. He previously served as the Vice President of the Student Government Association. He is passionate about serving and leading within the community. He plans to graduate from Gaston College with an Associate in Science degree and transfer to a four-year university to study chemistry.

Board Meeting Schedule 2021-2022

Board Minutes

2021 Board Minutes

2020 Board Minutes

2019 Board Minutes

Resources

Board of Trustees of Gaston College