Walter Dalton has been selected as the next president of Isothermal Community College.

The Isothermal Board of Trustees made the announcement following a brief special meeting on Friday morning.

During the special meeting, the board publicly approved the hiring of Dalton and his contract unanimously after a short closed session. Dalton’s appointment is pending approval by the North Carolina Board of Community Colleges.

The announcement was attended by approximately 175 people – mostly college employees — in the college’s library auditorium.

“We believe Walter Dalton will bring exceptional leadership to the college,” said Grady Franklin, chairman of the Isothermal Board of Trustees. “He has served the residents of Rutherford County, Polk County and the state of North Carolina well for many years and we look forward to seeing the great things he will do here. The trustees saw the chance to hire Dalton as a unique opportunity, because, after all, it’s not often that two governors – one from each party – and the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff recommend a candidate for a job.”

Dalton will replace Dr. Myra Johnson, who is retiring after nearly six years in the position and a 33-year career in the community college system.

“I look forward to being a part of an institution that stands out in the best community college system in the nation,” said Dalton. “I am glad the college puts so much focus on learning, because I have a lot of learning to do.

“I am very honored and privileged to accept this position. And I look forward to working with each and every one of you — the faculty, staff, the community, the business community — to make sure Isothermal is meeting the needs of our students, meeting the needs of our future economy. And, working together, we will move forward.”

Dalton was North Carolina’s lieutenant governor until recently. In the November 2012 election, he was the state’s Democratic candidate for governor.

Currently, he is teaching at Gardner-Webb University and serves as special assistant to GWU’s president. Dalton is an attorney who served in the North Carolina Senate from 1996 to 2007.

He has served on the State Board of Education, the State Board of Community Colleges and the North Carolina Economic Development Board. He chaired the Senate Education and Appropriations committees. He is a former chair of the Isothermal Community College Board of Trustees. He earned his Juris Doctorate and a B.S. in Business Administration from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  He lives in Rutherfordton.