K-64 Governing Board
Governed by a Board of Directors and managed by staff employed by Catawba Valley Community College (CVCC), K-64 is located in CVCC’s Workforce Solutions Complex. K-64 leverages tax dollars, private contributions and grant funds to support program expansion and sustainability. The Catawba Valley Community College Foundation, CVCC’S 501(c) 3 educational foundation, is K-64’s fiscal agent.
The K-64 governing board is comprised of 12 members representing the private and public sectors and is supported by 8 ex-officio staff representing K-64’s founding partners.
Board Responsibilities:
- Establish long-term vision for K-64
- Secure continuous financial support
- Ensure transparency and accountability for use of public funds
- Implement concrete plans with both tangible and timely goals and outcomes
- Direct executive staff hired in conjunction with, and overseen by, K-64 board
- Deliver communication and engagement resulting in continued buy-in by partner organizations and community at large
Voting Members

Ronn Abernathy
Chief Court Counselor, NC Public Safety/Juvenile Justice/Judicial District 25; Catawba County Board of Education
Catawba County Board of Education

Sherry Butler
Catawba County Board of Commissioners

Rick Coffey
President and COO, McCreary Modern, Inc.
Private Sector

Mike Ellwanger
K-64 Board Chair, Technology Committee Chair; Director, Global Cable Product Development, Corning Optical Communications
Private Sector

Kimberly George
Character Development Committee Chair; Vice President, Communications and Corporate Citizenship, Alex Lee, Inc.
Private Sector

Dr. Bryan Graham
Gunter & Graham, DDS
Hickory Board of Education

Guy Guarino, Jr.
Chief Development Officer, Catawba Valley Medical Center

Jeanne Jarrett
Assistant Chief Financial Officer, Catawba County
Newton-Conover Board of Education

Robyn Mingle
Workforce Solutions Committee Co-Chair. Senior Vice President, Human Resources, CommScope
Private Sector

Stephen Shuford
Workforce Solutions Committee Co-Chair. CEO, Shurtape Technologies LLC
Catawba County Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors

Chris von Drehle
DevOps Engineer, VonDrehle Corporation
Private Sector

Sheree Watson
Marketing Committee Chair. CEO, Graystone Eye
Catawba County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
Ex-Officio Members
- Dr. Robbie Adell, Superintendent, Hickory Public Schools
- Mick Berry, Catawba County Manager
- Dr. Garrett Hinshaw, President, Catawba Valley Community College
- Lindsay Keisler, President & CEO, Catawba County Chamber of Commerce
- Scott Millar, President, Catawba County Economic Development Corporation
- Dr. Aron Gabriel, Superintendent, Newton-Conover City Schools
- Dr. Matthew Stover, Superintendent, Catawba County Schools
- Dr. Fred Whitt, President, Lenoir-Rhyne University
Meetings
As of May 2018, the Board meets every other month on the first Thursday of the month, at 12:00 noon, in the Alex Lee/MDI/Lowes Foods Corporate Conference Center in Catawba Valley Community College’s Workforce Solutions Complex, 1980 Startown Road, Hickory.
The Board’s Marketing Committee meets the 4th Thursday of every other month, from 3:30 – 5:00 p.m.
The Board’s Workforce Solutions Committee meets the 4th Monday of each month from 3:30 – 5:00 p.m.
The Board’s Character Development Committee meets the 3rd Tuesday of every other month at 5:30 p.m.
The Board’s Technology Committee meets the 4th Wednesday of each month from 11:30 a.m.– 1:00 p.m.
Meeting Notices
The next K-64 Governing Board meeting will be held June 3rd, 2021 from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
Upcoming meetings will occur September 2nd, 2021 and December 2nd, 2021.
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