Board of Trustees

Chris Yow has served on the Randolph Community College Board of Trustees since 2020 and currently serves as Board Chair. He is a retired sales executive in the medical compression therapy industry and holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Appalachian State University.

Yow served on the Asheboro City Schools Board of Education from 1997 to 2015, including as Board Chair from 2001 to 2004. He has been a member of the Randolph Rotary Club since 1990 and served as its president from 2023 to 2024.

Alvin Battle serves as Vice Chair of the Randolph Community College Board of Trustees. He is an Enterprise IT Disaster Recovery Manager at Advocate Health. He earned an associate degree in General Education from Merced College and a bachelor’s degree in Speech Communications from North Carolina State University, where he was a member of the 1983 NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship team.

Battle has served with numerous community organizations, including the YMCA, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Triad, Cross and Key Prison Ministries, the State Employees’ Credit Union, and the North Carolina Human Relations Commission (Commissioner). He has also dedicated many years to serving his community as a pastor, prison minister, and inspirational speaker.

Dr. Shah Ardalan became President of Randolph Community College in July 2023, bringing more than 30 years of leadership in global corporations and higher education across North Carolina, New Mexico, Nevada, and Texas. He is a nationally recognized visionary in education and technology known for driving innovation through collaboration and transformational leadership.

A dedicated servant leader, Ardalan has impacted more than 800,000 students, faculty, and businesses, holding roles from Instructor to CEO. He has received numerous awards for his contributions to education, workforce development, and community service. He also serves on several boards and has presented extensively at national and international conferences.

Dr. Ardalan holds a doctorate in Community College Leadership, a master’s in Electrical Engineering, and a bachelor’s in Physics, with additional credentials from the University of Lausanne (Switzerland) and Harvard University.

James Gouty has served on the Randolph Community College Board of Trustees since 2016 and previously served as Board Vice Chair. A longtime banking professional, he serves as Asheboro City Executive for Triad Business Bank.

Gouty is active in the Randolph County community and also serves on the Randolph Community College Foundation Board of Directors. He is a longtime member of the Rotary Club of Asheboro, where he serves as Executive Treasurer, and serves as a Trustee of the Randolph-Asheboro YMCA.

Lisa Hayworth serves on the Randolph Community College Board of Trustees. She is Executive Director of the Randolph County Partnership for Children, where she works to support programs and initiatives serving young children and families throughout Randolph County.

Prior to joining the Partnership in 2015, Hayworth served as Director of Randolph Community College’s Archdale Campus. She has extensive experience in nonprofit leadership, planning, administration, communications, and development.

Grant Hollowell has served on the Randolph Community College Board of Trustees since 2025. A Licensed Nursing Home Administrator, he and his wife, Danielle, own and operate Clapp’s Nursing Center, Clapp’s Nursing Home, and Clapp’s Mountain Top Living. Hollowell earned a bachelor’s degree in Biological and Agricultural Engineering from North Carolina State University.

Hollowell serves on the Board of Directors of the North Carolina Health Care Facilities Association and is a member of its Payments for Services Committee. He is also a member of the Asheboro Rotary Club.

Dennis Mabe has served on the Randolph Community College Board of Trustees since 2025. He is Chief Executive Officer of Randolph Electric Membership Corporation (REMC), where he began his career as a meter reader and advanced through positions in engineering, operations, and leadership before becoming CEO in 2024.

Mabe completed an associate degree at Sandhills Community College as a dual-enrollment student and later earned a degree in Electrical Engineering and an MBA from North Carolina State University. He has also taken courses at Randolph Community College. Mabe brings more than three decades of experience in leadership, engineering, and operations and is an advocate for education, workforce development, and innovation.

Jonathan Matson has served on the Randolph Community College Board of Trustees since 2024. An electrical engineer, he works with Somero Matson Group, a family-owned company that develops scheduling software for contractors and builds instruments used to measure concrete flooring.

Matson brings experience in engineering, construction technology, and business to his service on the Board.

Allen McNeill has served on the Randolph Community College Board of Trustees since 2025. A lifelong resident of Asheboro, he began his law enforcement career with the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office in 1977 and served 19 years as Chief Deputy.

McNeill was elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives in 2012, representing District 78 until 2022. During his tenure, he held leadership roles on several committees, including serving as Co-Chair of the Community College Committee. He is a member of the Randolph Rotary Club and has served as a Trustee and Treasurer at East Side Baptist Church since 2005.

Andy Sykes has served on the Randolph Community College Board of Trustees since 1991 and is the Board’s longest-serving current member. A Liberty native, Sykes is a retired dentist who practiced for 46 years.

Throughout more than three decades on the Board, Sykes has been an advocate for RCC and community college education, particularly in the Liberty area. He has supported efforts to expand educational opportunities and RCC’s presence in eastern Randolph County.

Paul Welborn has served on the Randolph Community College Board of Trustees since 2026. He is Regional Director of Outpatient Imaging for MedQuest Imaging, a member of Novant Health, overseeing operations across North Carolina’s Triangle and Triad regions. He also serves as an Adjunct Professor of Healthcare Management at Appalachian State University.

Welborn serves on the Trinity City Council and is active in his community. With deep family roots in Randolph County, he brings experience in healthcare leadership, higher education, and public service to his role on the Board.

Bill Wittenberg has served on the Randolph Community College Board of Trustees since 2024. Now retired, he has more than four decades of experience in the furniture industry and served as CEO of Klaussner Furniture from 2010 to 2019. Previously, he was President and CEO of Berkline/BenchCraft.

Wittenberg joined the High Point Market Authority Board of Directors in 2016 and was elected Chair of the American Home Furnishings Alliance Board of Directors in 2018. He brings extensive business and executive leadership experience to his service on the Board.

Robert “Bob” Wilhoit serves as attorney for the Randolph Community College Board of Trustees. He is a graduate of Wake Forest University and a member of the charter class of Campbell University School of Law. His legal education also included studies at Notre Dame Law School at the London School of Economics.

Wilhoit’s practice includes municipal and education law, real estate, business and corporate law, estate administration, civil litigation, land use and zoning, and other areas. He serves as attorney for the City of Randleman, City of Trinity, Town of Ramseur, and the Towns of Seagrove and Staley. He previously represented Randolph County Schools for more than 18 years and currently represents the Randolph County Board of Education (RCBE) in Bond Forfeiture Court. He is a former chair of the North Carolina Council of School Attorneys. He is a past President of Randolph Senior Adults Association (RSAA) (twice) and was inducted into the RSAA Hall of Fame. He currently is on the Board of Keaton’s Place and a member and prior President of Randolph Rotary.