Gaston’s Eighth President: Dr. Patricia Skinner
In 1994, Dr. Patricia Skinner became Gaston College’s first female president. Upon her retirement in March 2020, she became the longest-tenured president in the school’s history.
Skinner led Gaston College through significant technological advancements during her time at Gaston. “That’s the biggest change,” Skinner told the N.C. Community College ednc.org website just before her retirement. “It’s just continual communication. And anyone can communicate with you.
“When I came in 1994, we didn’t even have the internet. We met with people personally and we had the telephone. But we didn’t have computers the way we have today. And one of the things is you’re inundated 24 hours a day. You’re never off. And not just technology as far as communication but just in general. All of our programs have changed as far as technology.”
Under Skinner’s leadership, Gaston College experienced growth in student enrollment and campus facilities. The graduation class increased from 347 students in May 1995 to a record 1,455 in 2018. The college expanded its instructional and administrative space from 371,294 to 793,264 square feet, adding 11 buildings.
New facilities constructed during Skinner’s tenure include:
- Morris Library and Media Center (1996)
- Pearson Life Skills Building (1996)
- Rauch Science and Fine Arts Building (2000)
- Kimbrell Classroom Building (2003)
- Albright Public Safety Building (2004)
- Bernard Dalton Defensive Driving Track (2008)
- Jerry W. Cochrane Science and Technology Building on Lincoln Campus (2008)
- David Belk Cannon Health Education Institute (2009)
- Robinson Classroom Building (2010)
- BLET/Criminal Justice Firing Range Classroom Building (2012)
- Center for Advanced Manufacturing (2017)
Before joining Gaston College, Skinner worked as an administrator for the Ohio Board of Regents and as vice president of academic and student affairs at Clark State Community College in Springfield, Ohio. She began her career teaching business, office administration, and management at colleges in Michigan, Massachusetts, and Ohio.
Skinner’s educational journey started at Lake Michigan Community College. She then earned her Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Specialist of Art degrees from Western Michigan University, followed by a Ph.D. from Ohio State University.