May 14, 2008
For Immediate Release

RCCC Hosts Reception to Honor Brownell

          SALISBURY, N.C. — Rowan-Cabarrus Community College invites the community to a reception to celebrate and honor the career of President Richard Brownell. The reception will be May 20 from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., at RCCC's North Campus in Salisbury, Building 200, room 251.

           Brownell is retiring June 1 after leading the college as president for more than 30 years. His record of leadership, however, extends over 55 years.

           Prior to his career in education, Brownell served 20 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, beginning with two combat tours during the Korean War and ending after serving a year on the commander general's staff during the Vietnam War. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1970. During his military career, Brownell commanded every size Marine unit from squad to battalion.
Following retirement, Brownell earned his doctorate in higher education administration at Duke University and has been an educational and community leader ever since.

           Brownell is the longest serving community college president in North Carolina history. In 1977, he assumed the presidency of Rowan Tech, which was then a small technical institute in Salisbury. During the past 30years, his leadership transformed the institution through a period of enrollment and facilities growth into what is now Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, the first regional, multi-campus community college in North Carolina.

          The May 20 reception is a drop-in event. The community is welcome.

           Rowan-Cabarrus Community College is a comprehensive, community-based institution of higher learning, serving the citizens of Rowan and Cabarrus Counties. RCCC offers approximately 40 programs of study in business, health and human services and engineering technologies at multiple campus locations. RCCC annually provides more than 2,000 course offerings, serving an enrollment of approximately 20,000 adult students. RCCC programs include an associate degree in arts and sciences, an associate degree in applied science, and diploma and certificate programs focusing on workforce training, continuing education and basic skills education.

           In addition, RCCC provides the education and job-training programs needed to meet many of the workforce demands of the North Carolina Research Campus, under construction in Kannapolis, N.C.

           For complete details, see the RCCC website at www.rowancabarrus.edu.