OTC spends $20,000 on presidential search consultant

The OTC Board of Trustees on Monday hired Don Hunter of North Carolina-based Hockaday-Hunter & Associates for a consulting fee of $19,875.

Cindy Hinds, director of public relations at OTC, could not detail the board’s reasons for choosing Hunter, except to say his proposal was the favorite of the five that were returned.

The process for finding a replacement seems to be running on track, Hinds said, and committee members hope to name a new president by April. Myers has said he will retire by June 20.

“We did an online survey asking the community what traits they wanted to see, and that data is being compiled right now and will be given to the search committee to look at as they put together the qualifications,” Hinds said.

Hunter is president and a principal partner with the firm, which has assisted at least 50 presidential searches at community colleges across the country. He also is the executive director of Future Presidents Institute and Future Community Colleges Administrators Institute at the University of North Carolina.