The sixth and final candidate for the job of Bainbridge College president will be on the main campus Thursday and in Early County on Friday.

Tonya Strickland, chair of the BC presidential search committee, said this weekend will be the last time the public may comment on each candidate. Vorting may be done by going to the committee’s Web site, http://fsweb.bainbridge.edu/presidentialsearch/.

The final candidate is Gary Barnette, who has 23 years of faculty and administrative experience in higher education.

He currently serves as vice president for student affairs and interim vice president for academic affairs at Darton College, and for the past 13 years, has taught graduate courses in counseling and education for Troy University.

Barnette has served during a transformative period for Darton, including major capital improvements and record enrollment growth, the information supplied to the search committee states.

By assuming key responsibilities for strategic planning, campus master planning, and institutional budget development, he had a major role in planning and securing funding for capital improvements, including renovation and expansion of the Student Center and addition of athletic and intramural fields.

Enrollment has increased 119 percent since Barnette has been responsible for enrollment management, which not only required addition of physical space, but also placed more demands on academic and student success programs. Barnette has been a leader in easing the growing pains by keeping the lines of communication open between faculty, staff, students and administration, and by identifying creative solutions to ensure the needs of students are met.

His experience of beginning his college education at a two-year institution in South Georgia had a very positive impact on Barnette and has guided his educational philosophy throughout his career. He is a staunch supporter of the missions of access institutions and technical programs, both of which include the goal of meeting the educational needs of students with diverse academic abilities and career goals, while providing the community with a well-trained workforce.