 LOCAL AND STATE NEWS |
BROWN RETIRES AFTER HISTORY MAKING CAREER, WEEK OF JULY 29-AUGUST 4, 2010
by JOHANNA THATCH-BRIGGS
The Wilmington Journal
Originally posted 7/29/2010
Wilmington native, Carl Brown, describes himself as a firm decision maker who's willing to take a chance when the circumstances and timing are right. Without a doubt, his life story truly embodies this philosophy which embraces both fearlessness and faith simultaneously.
Brown graduated from Williston Industrial High School in 1953 at the age of fifteen, and upon graduation he attended Philander Smith College on an athletic scholarship. Just after a year of post-secondary studies, he entered the United States Air Force and worked as a laboratory technician at the U.S. Air Force School of Aviation Medicine and other hospitals throughout the country and overseas before being honorably discharged. In 1961, he graduated from North Carolina Central University.
Throughout the years his jobs have ranged from working as a radio chemist for the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission to being employed as a senior-level executive in Human Resources and Administrative Services at Fortune 100 corporations. His career has landed him in destinations as close as New York and as far as Orleans, France. Brown admits, ''I changed jobs quite often.''
But stability would soon come when Brown visited his hometown eighteen years ago to enjoy a fishing trip with a longtime friend. Unbeknownst to him, his life was transitioning into a new chapter that would detail the promise of a history-making career.
Just two years after his excursion, Brown became the first African American administrator at Cape Fear Community College when he accepted the position in 1994 as Vice President of Institutional Services. During his tenure, he was responsible for managing the college's $97 million renovation and construction expansion projects. Some of these projects included the renovation of the Administration Building, the construction and renovation of the bookstore, the building of the parking deck, the Schwartz Center, the construction of many buildings on North Campus such as the Safety Center, McKeithan Building, Applied Technolo-gy Building and the Cosmetology/Early College. In addition, a $167 million bond was granted to the college for a building expansion program. According to Brown, this bond will fund new and upcoming projects such as the building of a parking deck to hold 1200 vehicles, a Union Station, and a Fine Arts Center.
On June 30, 2010, Brown approached yet another milestone in his life when he retired from his position at CFCC. Remembering that defining moment, he recalled, ''I was turning 73, and all the major projects that I was working on had been completed…I passed the torch as I was leaving knowing that I had managed my projects right up until the end.
Brown says when he first began working at CFCC, the local community college had merely less than 200,000 square feet, but today it boasts over 1 million square feet including both the downtown campus and North campus. President of the college, Dr. Eric McKeithan told The Wilmington Journal, ''Carl and I both came in about sixteen years ago. We had one-fourth the space and one-third the students [that we have today]. The North campus did not exist, and we occupied a very tiny space. Today, we have four times the amount of space, and doubled the number of programs. That kept Carl very busy at that time.''
Aside from managing projects and working with some of the most reputable general contractors, engineers and architects, Brown also took seriously the responsibility of building and constructing solid relationships among his staff. He expressed, ''I worked with an excellent and marvelous group of ladies and men. The members of the custodial staff are the unsung heroes. Whenever a hurricane would come through, they would always come down and take care of any issues.''
He continued, ''I will miss my relationship with my staff the most. I was instrumental in developing them and exposing them to opportunities. I had one of the most diverse staffs, and it didn't just happen. It was something that I wanted. I had Blacks, whites, and Hispanics on my staff. Ideally, I'd like to see that across all departments [at CFCC].''
And even though his job description did not require him to do so, he also went above and beyond the call of duty to establish an excellent rapport with the students. He shared with The Journal, ''A lot of students came to me for counseling whenever they had a problem. I think it was because I had a fairly straightforward reputation on campus.''
In fact, it is that same straightforwardness that Brown will need in order to initiate his next project post-retirement. ''I want to work with ex-prisoners and their families. I want to start a program in which these young men can get back in school and get a job, and if they quit school they quit the program. Young men need to get up and go to school and work.''
Although such a program will prove to be new territory for Brown, the idea of mentoring is nothing novel. He attributes much of his success to those who played a significant role in shaping and molding him into the person he is today. He shared his wisdom, ''I was blessed because I had some good mentors.
Having a mentor will guide you about the dos and don'ts.''
And if he had to offer any wisdom to young folks, he would share this, ''Most importantly, be prepared for anything, and don't compromise basic principles and values. Be able to work with all kinds of people, and be results oriented.''
Brown, who has been active in the local community through his membership in civic and social organizations and his service on several boards, said he will continue to serve on the Board of Trustees for the New Hanover Regional Medical Center. ''I have had the opportunity to meet with people all over the country and discuss policies and how they impact healthcare. One of my concerns is quality healthcare and coverage for all at a reasonable cost.''
Brown says when he's not busy feeding his spirit of volunteerism, he can be found playing golf, traveling within the States and abroad, and basking in the beauty of ''being my own boss and doing what I want to do.'' Much of what he will be doing will include his wife, Veronica, who also retired three years ago.
After all, Brown was perhaps the one actually ''reeled in'' during that momentous fishing trip. For it was his fishing companion who changed his life when he simply said, ''I've got someone I want you to meet.'' The couple married six years later in 1998, and they have three children, Ronald, Carla and Kenneth.
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