Wilbanks is new Central Carolina Technical College president
BY BRUCE MILLS
bruce@theitem.com
The Central Carolina Technical College Area Commission has selected Jennifer Wilbanks as the college’s new president, according to a college news release on Tuesday.
A veteran of higher education with more than 22 years of experience, Wilbanks currently serves as executive vice president for academics and workforce development at Horry-Georgetown Technical College, based in Conway. She will begin her tenure at CCTC in mid-October.
“I am honored to be selected as the next president of Central Carolina Technical College,” Wilbanks said. “This is an exciting time for the college, and I look forward to working alongside our faculty, staff, students and community partners to build on the college’s strong foundation and advance its mission of serving our region.”
Central Carolina serves the four-county region of Sumter, Clarendon, Lee and Kershaw counties and has a current full-time enrollment this semester of 2,920 students.
Before joining Horry-Georgetown, Wilbanks held multiple leadership positions at Piedmont Technical College in Greenwood, including assistant vice president for academics, dean of county campuses, interim dean for engineering and industrial technology, director of dual enrollment, instructor, outreach counselor and career transition specialist, the release added.
A South Carolina native, Wilbanks earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of South Carolina, a master’s degree in education with an emphasis in counseling and a doctorate in educational leadership, higher education, from Clemson University.
The college interviewed four finalists for the leadership post last week.
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Wilbanks is also a graduate of the Future Presidents Institute through the American Association of Community Colleges and the South Carolina Technical College System Leadership Academy.
Throughout her career, Wilbanks has earned experience in accreditation by serving on several Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges accreditation committees, according to the release.
Additionally, she is active in her community, serving on the McLeod Loris Seacoast Hospital Board, the Horry County Schools Business Cabinet and the Commission on Higher Education’s dual enrollment subcommittee.
Wilbanks was the 2024-25 chair of the statewide Chief Academic Officers and was named Educator of the Year in the administrative category by the South Carolina Technical Education Association in 2023, the release added.
On Aug. 5, Central Carolina unveiled its new Academic Student Services Building on the main campus on Guignard Drive in Sumter. The facility is 58,000 square feet and three stories and cost $39 million to complete.
The college’s last president was Kevin Pollock, who officially retired on June 30.
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