Governance
The current members of the Board of Trustees of Gaston College are as follows:
DR. JIM R. WATSON
Chair
Lincoln County Commissioners (Term: 2016 – 2020)
Born in North Wilkesboro, NC, he received his Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, retired as superintendent of Lincoln County Schools, and is currently employed as a college professor at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte.
DR. JAMES “JIM” RAGAN
Vice Chair
Gaston County Board of Education (Term: 2015 – 2019)
Raised in Lynchburg, VA, he received a BA from the University of Virginia, a JD from the University of South Carolina, and an MBA and Ph.D. from the University of Houston. Besides careers in teaching and consulting in business management, he recently retired after 40 years of practicing law.
MR. STEPHEN D. CAMPBELL
Secretary
Gaston County Commissioners (Term: 2016 – 2020)
A native of Roanoke, VA, he received his BS degree in Economics from the University of Richmond, and MBA from Vanderbilt University. He is currently employed with Park Sterling Bank as Vice President – Investment Consultant.
SHERIFF ALAN CLONINGER
Governor (Term: 2014 – 2018)
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 CRAIG COLLINS
Governor (Term: 2015 – 2019)
A resident of Gastonia, NC, since 1998, he received a BA from the University of Pittsburgh in Political Science and a JD from Villanova University School of Law. Currently, he District Court Judge in Gastonia.
MR. JOHN DANCOFF
Lincoln County Commissioners (Term: 2014 – 2018)
A resident of Lincoln County and a Gaston College graduate, he is currently Existing Business Manager for the Lincoln Economic Development Association (LEDA). He also serves on the Lincoln County Planning Board and on the Executive Committee of the Lincoln County Industrial Managers Association.
MS. JENNIFER DAVIS
Gaston County Board of Education (Term: 2014 – 2018)
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.
MR. DAVID RONALD “RON” HOVIS
Gaston County Commissioners (Term: 2015 – 2019)
A resident of Cherryville, NC, he worked at Carolina Freight as an Account Representative until retirement. He served on the Gaston County Board of Education for eight years.
MR. BRADLEY OVERCASH
Governor (Term: 2016 – 2020)
A resident of Belmont, he received his BS from the University of NC at Chapel Hill and his Juris Doctorate, cum laude, from the University of Mississippi. He is admitted to practice in all state and federal courts in NC and Mississippi, the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Fourth and Fifth Circuits, and the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation. He is a practicing attorney in Charlotte.
MR. TRACY PHILBECK
Gaston County Board of Commissioners (Term: 2016 – 2018)
A lifelong resident of Gaston County, he lives in Dallas with his wife Rebecca and two children. He is a graduate of Gaston College and completed a BS degree in Government Pre Law at Campbell University. He is the president of Treescape, Inc. and serves as a member of the Gaston County Board of Commissioners.
MS. SUZANNE RILEY
Gaston County Board of Education (Term: 2017 – 2021)
A resident of Gaston County, she received her BA and Master in Education from the University of North Carolina Greensboro, and her Master in Curriculum and Supervision from UNC Charlotte. Previously she has taught AP Chemistry, Chemistry, and Physics at Cherryville High School. She has been actively involved with the Schiele Museum, the Community Foundation’s “Run for the Money,” the Boys and Girls Club, and several other community and civic organizations.
MR. JAMES SMITH
Gaston County Board of Education (Term: 2016 – 2020)
Born and raised in Gastonia, NC, he graduated with the first class at Gaston College and received a BS in Accounting from the University of North Carolina-Charlotte.
MS. NATALIE TINDOL
The Governor (Term: 2017 – 2021)
A resident of Gaston County, she received her BA from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. She is very involved with many civic, business, and professional organizations. A few of those include the CaroMont Health Institute, the Boy and Girl Scouts of America, the YMCA, Gastonia East Rotary, and the Community Foundation. As President and Owner of Earl Tindol Ford, Inc., Tindol Subaru, LLC, and Tindol Roush, she is active in the Automobile Associations in the Greater Charlotte area, North Carolina, and nationwide.
MR. JAMES “RANDY” VINSON
Gaston County Commissioners (Term: 2017 – 2021)
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.
MS. RACHEL BELLFLOWERS
Student Government Association (Term: 2017 – 2018)
A resident of Bessemer City, NC, she is a Career and College Promise Student. Ms. Bellfowers was selected to participate in the 2017-2018 Student Leadership Development Program sponsored by the North Carolina Community College System. She is passionate about volunteering and leadership; she looks forward to the opportunity to serve the Student Government Association as president. Ms. Bellflowers is working on obtaining an Associate in Science at Gaston College and plans to transfer to a four-year university to study Psychology.
Board Scheduled Meetings 2017-2018
Board Minutes
2017 Board Minutes
- February 3, 2017 (Retreat)
- March 8, 2017 (Called Board Meeting)
- March 27, 2017
- May 8, 2017
- June 26, 2017
- August 28, 2017
- September 18, 2017
- November 13, 2017
2016 Board Minutes
- February 19, 2016 (Retreat)
- February 19, 2016 (Called Board Meeting)
- March 21, 2016
- May 9, 2016
- June 27, 2016
- August 29, 2016
- September 26, 2016
- November 14, 2016
2015 Board Minutes
- February 6, 2015 (Called Board Meeting)
- February 6, 2015 (Retreat)
- March 23, 2015
- May 11, 2015
- June 22, 2015
- August 31, 2015
- November 16, 2015