Tonitta Sauls hopes that her ties to Covington County and Lurleen B. Wallace Community College will work in her favor as she hopes to become the next president at LBWCC. She was one of 50 who submitted an application for the open position.

Sauls, economic and community development executive director with the Opp & Covington County Area Chamber of Commerce, worked for 21 years at LBWCC prior to taking her current position. Her most recent title at the college was assistant dean of adult education and skills training.

“I worked (at the college) for 21 years and left only because I wanted to get some experience outside of the college arena,” Sauls said. “Being in economic development has offered me some useful opportunities I believe I could bring back to LBWCC.”

The Alabama Department of Postsecondary Education took applications for the job up until the deadline of Sat., Sept. 20. Also on the list of applicants is Dr. Joyce “Joree” Jones, a former employee of LBWCC who is currently serving as the director of development at Andrew College in Cuthbert, Ga. Attempts to reach Jones for comment were unsuccessful.

Sauls is a native of Covington County who graduated from Florala High School and MacArthur Technical College.

“I have ties to this community,” she said. “The community college is my home away from home and I would love to be able to lead the college into the 21st Century. I would be a life-long candidate for the position.”

An 11-member search committee will now be responsible for vetting the 50 candidates down to five semifinalists and two alternates, and the public will have the opportunity to meet those candidates in October. The state board hopes to have a new president in place at LBWCC by Jan. 1, 2009.

Wayne Bennett was named interim president of LBWCC in May following Dr. Ed Meadows’s move to Pensacola Junior College, where he was named president earlier this year.

The following is a complete list of the 50 applicants received by the Alabama Department of Postsecondary Education, for the open position of LBWCC president, as of Wed., Sept. 24.

Dr. Kynesha L. Adams, Montgomery, Alabama- Law Clerk, Beasly, Allen Crow

Dr. Patricia K. Adkins, Westerville, Ohio- Provost, Columbus State Community College

Dr. Thad J. Anglin, Stephenville, Texas-Assistant Vice President for Student Life Studies, Tarleton State University

Dr. Stacy Aspinwall, Waycross, Georgia- Vice President of Enrollment &Student Services, Waycross College

Ms. Dina V. Avery, Birmingham, Alabama

Mr. Joe Banker, Leesburg, Georgia- Vice President for Academic Affairs, Albany Technical College

Mr. Marvin D. Bausman, Beloit, Wisconsin- Faculty Member, Blackhawk Technical College

Dr. Cornelius L. Bell, Beaufort, South Carolina- Associate Chancellor, University of South Carolina Beaufort

Dr. Clay Brown, Monticello, Arkansas- Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs University of Arkansas at Monticello

Dr. Susan Brown, Southside, Alabama –Assistant to the Dean of Instructional Services, Chair, Gadsden State Community College

Ms. Susan Burrow, Hamilton, Alabama – Campus Associate Dean, Bevill State Community College

Dr. Jeffrey A. Cantor, Pensacola, Florida- Provost, Pensacola Junior College

Dr. Roger Coomer, Malvern, Arkansas- Vice President of Finance and Administration, Ouachita Technical College

Dr. Raymond V. Cummiskey, Harrisburg, Illinois- President, Southeastern Illinois College (2 year College)

Dr. Charles J. Cunning, Gaffney, South Carolina-Special Assistant to the President, Limestone College

Dr. Thomas P. Dooley, Vestavia Hills, Alabama- Chief Sciences Officer, MediQuest Therapeuetics, Inc.

Dr. Michael A. Elam, Port Orange, Florida- Vice President for Student Development, Daytona State College

Dr. Ralph L. Ford, North Plainfield, New Jersey- Vice President of Student Services, Union County College

Dr. Jeffery Foshee, Bowling Green, Kentucky- Interim Provost, Bowling Green Technical College

Dr. Melissa Frank-Alston, Evans, Georgia- Vice President for Student Affairs, Augusta Technical College

Dr. Johnny Green, Auburn Alabama- VP of Student Affairs and Dean of Students, Auburn University

Dr. Larry D. Griffin, Memphis, Tennessee

Dr. Robert E. Gunter, Marion, Arkansas- Vice President for Workforce Technology, Mid-South Community College

Mr. Perry W. Gwin, Jr., East Gadsden, Alabama- Medical Account Collection, Medical Data Systems, Inc.

Dr. Monita G. Hara, Scranton, Pennsylvania- Superintendent, Scantron State School for the Deaf

Dr. Karen B. Hill, Climax, Georgia- Church Administrator, Faith Presbyterian Church and Preschool

Dr. Rickey Huffstutler, Phenix City, Alabama- Vice President of Special Populations, Ingram State Technical College

Mr. Fred Hughes, Mobile, Alabama- Director, Faulkner University

Dr. Christopher Jefferies, Talladega, AL- Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs and Professor of Economics , Talladega College

Ms. Bonita Jenkins, Martinez, Georgia – Director of Marketing & Public Relations, Augusta Technical College

Mr. George A. Jones, Dover, Kentucky- College Chief Finance and Facilities Officer- Maysville Community and Technical College

Dr. Joyce Jones, Eufaula, Alabama, Director of Development, Andrew College

Dr. Warren Jones, Chicago, Illinois

Dr. Susan E. Karr, Little Rock, Arkansas- Vice President of Instruction, Ouachita Technical College

Dr. Roxanne Kelly, Topeka, Kansas- Director of Academic Services, Kansas Board of Regents

Mr. Travis Lee, Elmore, Alabama- CEO, Starting Over Recovery

Dr. William P. Leonard, Palos Park, Illinois

Dr. William E. Lusain, Birmingham, Alabama

Dr. Anne S. McNutt, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina President, Technical College of the Low Country

Mr. Jeffrey Moore, Lawrenceville, Georgia- President, Devry University/Keller Graduate School

Dr. Dan A. Opalewski, Columbia, Tennessee- Vice President for Student Services and Enrollment Management , Columbia State Community College

Mr. Edward J. Orum, Decatur, Alabama- Homebound Special Education Teacher, Huntsville City Schools

Dr. John Osborn, Birmingham, Alabama- Associate Provost, University of Alabama in Birmingham

Dr. Alan G. Phillips, Bloomington, Illinois- Executive Director of the Spoon River College, Spoon River College

Mr. Williams M. Plahn, Newburgh, Indiana- Vice President of Administration, Trelleborg Automotive International

Dr. Sammie W. Potts, Concord, North Carolina- Consultant

Dr. Herbert H. J. Riedel, Pittsburg, Texas- Vice President for Instruction and Student Development, Northeast Texas Community College

Ms. Tonitta W. Sauls, Opp, Alabama

Dr. Stanley M. Sidor, Palm Coast, Florida- Associate Vice President, College of Engineering, Daytona State College

Dr. Randy Smith, Altus, Oklahoma, Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs, Western Oklahoma State College

Dr. Lavinia Sparkman, Decatur, Mississippi- Vice President for Instruction, East Central Community College

Dr. Gary Stretcher, Port Neches, Texas- Vice President for Academic Affairs, Lamar State College

Dr. Raymond W. Staats, Montgomery, Alabama- Lieutenant Col. United States Air Force

Ms. Sibyl St. Clair, Detroit Michigan, Director, office of Research, Evaluation and Assessment, Detroit Public School System

Mr. Tony Summers, Richardson, Texas- Vice President for Student Development, Richland College

Dr. Brenda K. Taite, Claremont, New Hampshire- Acting Associate Director for EO/AA programs, Dartmouth College

Dr. Stephen M. Vacik, Steens, Mississippi- Vice President of Instruction, East Mississippi Community College

Dr. Sandra Vaughn, Memphis Tennessee- Associate Professor, Rust College

Dr. Harriet Westbrook (honorary), Dolomite, Alabama-Science Teacher, Bessemer Board of Education