Board of Regents appoints Dr. Saul Reyes President of Walters State Community College

In a special called meeting Aug. 6, 2025, the Tennessee Board of Regents appointed Dr. Saul Reyes as the next president of Walters State Community College. He will assume office as the college’s fifth president effective Sept. 8.

Dr. Reyes is currently vice president for enrollment management and student affairs at the College of Central Florida in Ocala, where he has served in senior leadership roles since January 2015. He has more than 35 years of professional experience in higher education, including service as an instructor, counselor, advisor, and in several leadership positions.

The board’s vote was unanimous for his appointment, following his recommendation for the presidency by TBR Chancellor Flora W. Tydings. “Dr. Reyes is an accomplished leader with the experience and skills necessary to build upon Walters State’s strong foundation and to guide the college toward an even more successful future,” she said.

“I’m incredibly honored and grateful to the Tennessee Board of Regents and Chancellor Tydings for placing their trust in me. Walters State holds a special place in the heart of the community, and I’m excited to join its talented faculty and staff in the meaningful work of empowering students,” Dr. Reyes said. “Together, we’ll continue to transform lives through education and workforce training, creating opportunities that uplift individuals, families, and the region we serve.”

He told the board that he and his wife visited Morristown and the East Tennessee region served by the college just prior to campus interviews and forums for presidential finalists last month. “We walked on each of the campuses and talked in the communities to people and asked them about their perspectives on the college,” and learned the special place the college holds in their hearts, he said.

Dr. Reyes earned an Ed.D. in higher education leadership at the University of South Florida, a master of arts in counseling at West Virginia University, and a bachelor of science in youth ministries and biblical studies at Gordon College. He began his career in 1986 as an assistant chaplain, career advisor and adjunct instructor at Bethany College in West Virginia. He has also served at the University of Connecticut, Centre College in Kentucky, Jacksonville University in Florida, Florida Southern College, the University of South Florida, and Polk State College in Florida prior to joining the College of Central Florida as vice president for student affairs in 2015. His complete resume is available on the WSCC presidential search webpage at https://www.tbr.edu/hr/executivesearches/president-walters-state-community-college.

He will succeed Dr. Tony Miksa, who served as president for nine years until his resignation this summer to serve as president of a community college in Kansas.  Dr. Tom Sewell is serving as interim president. The president is the college’s chief executive officer.

Reyes was one of three finalists selected by a 16-member search advisory committee composed of four Board of Regents members, representatives of the college’s students, faculty, staff and alumni, and civic and business leaders from the community. The finalists participated in public forums on the Morristown campus July 21-23. After the forums, Tydings reviewed input from the public and the campus community, conducted further interviews with the candidates, and consulted with the search committee to select one candidate for recommendation to the board.

Regent Miles Burdine described the search process, which included the open forums with the finalists and an open forum on campus April 22 providing the public and campus community an opportunity to voice their views on the aspirations and needs of the college in the selection of its next president. “It was my privilege to serve on the committee as the chair, along with many others who were very focused and very enthusiastic about the process… The involvement of Walters State’s faculty, staff, students, community members and industry leaders in the presidential search process was truly commendable,” he said.

Board Vice Chair Emily Reynolds and the chancellor joined Regent Burdine in thanking the search committee members. “This process is one of the most important things that we as a board do and we take it very seriously. We have a process that works, and it does engage people from the community. It’s so critical to get to the right decision in these searches. So, thanks to everyone who gave so generously of their time,” Regent Reynolds said.

Walters State is a public community college established in 1970 and primarily serving Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger, Greene, Hamblen, Hancock, Hawkins, Jefferson, Sevier and Union counties. In addition to its main campus in Morristown, the college has the Niswonger Campus in Greeneville, the Sevier County Campus, the Claiborne County Campus, and the Newport Center. For more information, visit the college's website at https://ws.edu/

In other action, the board received an additional notice of proposed changes to TBR Bylaws scheduled to be voted on during its next regular quarterly meeting Sept. 18-19.  An original draft of the proposed amendments was presented for the first of two required readings at the board’s June meeting.

The only substantial change in the new draft presented today relates to the size of a quorum required for board action during its meetings, as a result of the state legislature’s approval of a statute expanding the size of the Board of Regents by two members. The new draft would change the quorum to be “a simple majority of the voting members actually serving at the time of the meeting.”

In addition to quorum size, the proposed revisions would update the board’s responsibilities and make stylistic revisions to increase consistency and clarity. All the proposed amendments are available in the board materials posted at the meeting link below.

Wednesday’s meeting was livestreamed and is archived for viewing anytime on the TBR website at https://www.tbr.edu/board/august-6-2025-special-called-board-meeting. Board materials detailing the two agenda items are posted at the same meeting link.