Two native Scott Countians are finalists to succeed Dwight Murphy as president at Tennessee College of Applied Technology Oneida/Huntsville later this summer, the Tennessee Board of Regents announced Friday.
Tim Smith, the current vice president at TCAT Oneida/Huntsville, and Noah Duncan, a current vice president at TCAT Knoxville, are the finalists for the position, with campus interviews scheduled for Thursday morning and a final recommendation expected to be made to the TBR by Chancellor Flora Tydings on April 30.
The two were selected from a pool of 13 applicants.
Duncan has been in the TCAT system since 2017, starting as a student success coach at TCAT Oneida/Huntsville. He is currently vice president of business and student services at TCAT Knoxville. He has a bachelor’s in sports administration and a master’s in business administration, both from Tennessee Tech.
Smith has been in the TCAT system since 2007, starting as a high school liaison and guidance counselor at TCAT Oneida/Huntsville before moving on to TCAT Jacksboro, where he rose to the role of vice president before returning to Oneida/Huntsville. He earned both his bachelor’s and master’s in elementary education from the University of Tennessee.
Campus interviews are scheduled for Thursday, beginning with Duncan at 9 a.m. and followed by Smith at 10:30 a.m. The interviews will take place in Room 112 of Building 1 on the Oneida campus, located on Eli Lane in Oneida. The public is welcome to attend, and can also participate virtually.
Following the campus interviews, Tydings will review input from the campus community and public, conduct final interviews, and then recommend a single candidate to the Board of Regents.
Dwight Murphy is retiring after more than 20 years as the college’s president. He began that role on Jan. 1, 2006, replacing Arvis Blakley, who retired. He was county mayor at the time of his appointment. During his tenure, TCAT has undergone substantial growth, expanding from fewer than 10 programs to 25.