News

July 26, 2007
Trustees Elect Felton as Chair, Long Named Vice Chair

Jonathan Felton is chair of the Board of Trustees.

James Long is vice chair of the Board of Trustees.

by Jamica Ashley
Staff Writer
The Daily Southerner

Edgecombe Community College has a new Board of Trustees chair and vice chair in Jonathan Felton and James Long, respectively.

Felton and Long were chosen during a board meeting Tuesday night.

Felton replaces Dr. Tom Fleming, who passed away July 4. Fleming, a retired dentist, was appointed to the board in 1971 and was later elected to the position of chairman in 1978.

"I feel honored and humbled," Felton said. "I'm trying to fill some awful big shoes. Dr. Fleming was a good man, and he was also a friend of mine. I assisted him in every way I could.

"I am honored that the other trustees felt I'd be able to carry on now that he's gone," he continued.

Felton, 70, has served on the ECC Board of Trustees since 1970 and said that it has been one of the highlights of his public service career. He is a member of the Edgecombe County Board of Commissioners.

"I've enjoyed it immensely," he said. "I take great, great honor in it. It's been one of the highlights of my public service life. I've seen the school grow and go from just a little place where people rode by and didn't notice to what it is now. It's been a tremendous experience for me."

Felton is a retired financial investment broker.

Long, 73, replaces Felton who served as vice chair for "a long time." Long has served on the board since 1979 and said that he is sure things will continue to run smoothly.

"I think we've got a good chair, and we're going to do just fine," Long said. "I think it's going to be business as usual."

Long said that he hadn't planned on assuming any position when he went to the meeting, but said that he is ready to fulfill his obligations as vice chair.

"It's nice to know that someone is behind you," he added.

Long is the retired president of Long Agribusiness, which is now FarmTrac.

Felton said that becoming chair is a new challenge for him, one that he is ready and willing to undertake.

"I consider it a challenge," he said. "Things are changing all the time. We're going to start soon on the allied health building on the Rocky Mount campus, and our challenge with that is securing funding. But every time there's a challenge there's a possibility, and that's the way we're going to approach this."

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