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State Board Names Dr. Mark Poarch Next President of Caldwell Community College

The North Carolina Community College System State Board of Community Colleges has unanimously approved Dr. Mark Poarch as the new president of Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute. The Board of Trustees of CCC&TI will elect to fix the terms and conditions of employment. Poarch will officially take office in July following the retirement of current CCC&TI President Dr. Kenneth Boham, who has been served as president since 1995.Mark Poarch

Poarch, a Caldwell County native, will be the fourth president in the college’s 52-year history. He has 24 years of community college experience beginning with work in student services and athletics at nearby Catawba Valley Community College in Hickory. Poarch was named Associate Vice President of Student Services at CCC&TI in January 2006 and was named Vice President of Student Services in July of that same year. Most recently, Poarch has served as CCC&TI’s Executive Vice President as the No. 2 ranking administrator behind Boham.

Since taking on the role of Executive Vice President in 2012, Poarch has served as the Chief Operating and Academic officer for the institution, managing all internal operations of the multi-campus institution including the strategic plan, instructional programming, student services, information technology, facilities, institutional effectiveness, grant activities, budget, enrollment trends and the accreditation process.

During his tenure, the college has added several new academic programs such as Medical Assisting Technology and Hospitality Management, and expanded many others including Truck Driver Training and Culinary Arts. In addition, Poarch helped develop and bring to fruition the Watauga Innovative High School, which allows Watauga County students to earn free college credit while still in high school. Poarch has also helped lead several construction and facility renovation projects including the Public Safety Building at the college’s TAPS Center in Hudson and a new multipurpose building on the Watauga Campus in Boone. Poarch has also been key in several global learning initiatives with institutions in Brazil and Denmark.

Poarch earned his Doctor of Education and Education Specialist degrees at Appalachian State University and both a Master of Arts in Education and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration at Western Carolina University. He is a graduate of West Caldwell High School where he was also a baseball and football standout. Poarch was inducted into the Caldwell County Sports Hall of Fame in 2012 for his high school and college athletic achievements.

Poarch is also active in the local community and serves on the Caldwell County Communities in Schools Board and the Caldwell People Board. He has coached for Hudson Optimist Athletics and served on the Caldwell County Teacher of the Year Committee. He is an active member of Meadowbrook Baptist Church in Lenoir.

Poarch and wife, Tracy, reside in Hudson with their three children, Dylan, Bailey and Carly.