Two finalists selected for presidency of Tennessee College of Applied Technology Pulaski

Susan Hatto & Mike Whitehead

A Search Advisory Committee has selected two finalists for the next president of the Tennessee College of Applied Technology at Pulaski. The candidates will visit the campus March 1 and March 4 to meet with faculty, staff and students – the next step in the selection process.

The finalists are:

  • Susan L. Hatto, dean for industrial education and workforce training at Montcalm Community College in Sidney, Michigan, who will visit the campus March 1.
  • Mike Whitehead, vice president of the Tennessee College of Applied Technology Pulaski, who will visit March 4.

After the campus visits, Tennessee Board of Regents Chancellor Flora W. Tydings will gather input from the campus community to select one for nomination to the full Board of Regents, which appoints presidents of all the colleges in the System.

The finalists’ complete resumes and other information about the presidency and the search process are available on the Presidential/Executive Searches section of the Tennessee Board of Regents website at https://www.tbr.edu/hr/executivesearches/president-tennessee-college-applied-technology-pulaski.

The president is the college's chief executive officer. Former President Tony Creecy retired Jan. 2 after more than six years as president and a total of 33 years of service at TCAT Pulaski. Dr. Lynn Goodman, special assistant to Chancellor Tydings, is serving as interim president. 

The Board of Regents approved criteria for the position in November. The Search Advisory Committee is chaired by Regent Joey Hatch and includes as members Regent Emily Reynolds and representatives of the TCAT Pulaski faculty, staff and students, and community and business leaders. The committee reviewed and interviewed applicants before submitting the two finalists to the chancellor.  

TCAT Pulaski served over 1,400 students during the last academic year, including about 450 dual-enrollment high school students. The college offers 17 technical career programs.

The College System of Tennessee is the state’s largest public higher education system, with 13 community colleges, 24 colleges of applied technology and the online TN eCampus serving approximately 140,000 students. The system is governed by the Tennessee Board of Regents.