CityView Magazine

CityViewNC.com | 19 says. "We are now increasing our pass rate, decreasing our withdrawal rate, increasing our term-to-term persistence and our fall-to-fall retention." • Making sure education and workforce programs are closely aligned to employers' needs and economic opportunities. • Partnerships: "COVID kind of made things go dormant for a while," he says. "So I really intend on re-establishing those partnerships in the business community with Fort Bragg as well as community partners." • Developing and continuing to advance an inclusive culture on campus. • Being a good steward of the financial resources "that we've been entrusted with by our county and our state." Founded in 1961, Fayetteville Tech is the state's third-largest community college with more than 28,000 students enrolled annually. As president, Sorrells will oversee a staff of more than 1,300. He says the faculty is paid about 54% of what faculty members in the university system make. "We're working hard to create more parity to that," he says. e college is "not on par" with schools in South Carolina and Virginia in terms of faculty pay, he says. "So, that's where our legislative focus is this year — bring us up to par with those surrounding states and get us a bit more comparable. It would be only at a 66% or 67% rate to what the universities are. at's an important piece." When he joined the staff at FTCC, Sorrells says, the school ranked 17th in the state in terms of faculty pay. "We're No. 1 now," he says. Keen, FTCC's outgoing president, says he is confident Sorrells will lead the college to greater success. "I think Mark, even prior to his arrival here, demonstrated extensive programs that reflected quality when he worked with the Golden LEAF Foundation, with all the public school systems, community colleges and universities," Keen says. "Connecting all those things to what we do here and his experience the last four or five years demonstrated that he was a powerful contender. "He has the ability to take this college to a higher level than I took it." Five to watch in 2023 New leaders will have important roles in several fields in Fayetteville and Cumberland County as a new year gets underway. Here are five to keep an eye on: ◼ Clarence Grier, 57, will become the new Cumberland County manager in March, succeeding the retiring Amy Cannon. Grier brings 34 years of local government experience, including in Guilford County and Roanoke, Virginia. Among the issues that he and county leaders will face are homelessness, planning for the new downtown events center, and access to clean water for all residents. ◼ Kemberle 'Kim' Braden, 49, will succeed the retiring Gina Hawkins as Fayetteville's police chief. City Manager Doug Hewett announced the selection on Dec. 28. Braden and fellow finalist James Nolette have both served as assistant chiefs in the department. Braden has been the field operations commander supervising patrol operations and investigations. He has worked with the department for 27 years, starting as a patrol officer in the Murchison Road area. Among the issues facing the new chief are hiring and retaining officers in competition with other agencies; implementation of the ShotSpotter gunshot detection technology; and continued community outreach to boost public confidence in the police force. ◼ Mario Benavente, 32, is one of four new members of the Fayetteville City Council elected in July. Since taking the oath of office, Benavente has been active in council discussions about the ShotSpotter gunshot detection technology and other public safety issues. A lawyer and community activist, he has said he wants to be an advocate for under-resourced residents and neighborhoods. Other newcomers on the nine-member council are Deno Hondros, Brenda McNair and Derrick Thompson. ◼ Toni Dixon, 60, is the interim president and CEO of the Greater Fayetteville Chamber, where she has worked since 2008. A permanent CEO is expected to be named by February. Besides continuing work on economic development and support for local businesses, the chamber will be tasked with moving its offices from downtown to Bronco Midtown, the renamed business center across from Fayetteville State University on the Murchison Road corridor. ◼ Val Applewhite, 61, is a familiar name taking on a new role after her election as the state senator representing District 19. Applewhite, a former Fayetteville City Council member and mayoral candidate, defeated fellow Democrat Sen. Kirk deViere in the May primary, having won the endorsement of N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper. She has said that expanding Medicaid is a top priority for her, as well as support for schools and protecting abortion rights, issues that will be at the forefront of debate between the Republican-controlled legislature and the Democratic governor.

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