Kenny Locklear named Assistant VP of Facilities, Contractual Services, and EMS
Robeson Community College has a new assistant vice president – Kenny Locklear, who has been selected to lead facilities, contractual services and emergency medical services at the college.
“I’m really excited, I hope that I can make a big difference,” stated Locklear. “I look forward to helping to improve our campus, make it more user-friendly, and more inviting for our students, faculty, staff and visitors.”
Locklear came to Robeson Community College in 2000 as an adjunct instructor for the EMS program. In 2018, he became the EMS Coordinator and in 2021, he was promoted to the position of EMS Director. During his time at RCC, he coordinated classes within the EMS program, served as a liaison to all emergency agencies, taught classes as needed, and also ensured that students received the best education in the EMS field.
Prior to coming to RCC, Locklear served in a variety of roles including Fire Marshall for the City of Lumberton, Assistant Chief for the City of Lumberton, Critical Care Paramedic for Southeastern Health, a Paramedic for Robeson County, a carpenter for RGS Builders, and served in the United States Air Force as a Bombing Navigation Systems Specialist.
In his new role, Locklear says he plans to beautify the campus, revamp buildings, and make sure buildings are comfortable and well-maintained.
“We’re going to start with simple things to make campus more beautiful,” Locklear said. “We have a new sign coming that will make campus super inviting to students for the Fall semester… we are trimming shrubs, foliage, and applying quick fixes to get the buildings ready for students in August.”
Locklear says that there are long-term goals as well to increase security and improve the buildings and grounds of campus to make it more aesthetically pleasing.
Also, with his new position, he will still have oversight of the Emergency Medical Services program, which as Locklear says has seen, “phenomenal growth.”
In just four years, the program has gone from 118.7 FTE’s to 328.5 FTE’s, which is approximately a 177% increase. FTE stands for full-time equivalent, meaning it’s an average of full-time and part-time enrollment, and is the measurement used to report growth.
In 2023, Locklear was instrumental in the EMS program becoming nationally accredited by CAAHEP, the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, showcasing how the program has met the rigorous standards set forth by the accrediting body.
“If an organization is accredited, it means you are getting the best education possible, at a national level, meeting national standards,” stated Locklear. “This allows our students to test for the National Registry, which means they can go to work anywhere in the United States, and even in some regions overseas.”
Locklear hopes to continue to break barriers and take the EMS program even higher.
“We have garnered other partnerships to increase access to training,” Locklear stated, as he works with agencies to get more certified EMT’s and Paramedics on staff during a nationwide shortage. “There is a need for more workers in rescue… and if we can help with offering training, we will do that.”
And now, as Assistant Vice President, he will also be focused on keeping the college facilities up-to-date and discovering how to make it even more state-of-the-art for students, faculty, and staff to enjoy.
“I’ve got a lot of projects going on, but I’m loving every minute of it.”
If you are interested in becoming a EMT or paramedic, there will be information session on July 26. Just stop by anytime from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m at Emergency Medical Services, Building 19, during the College Admissions Day event. Locklear says this is a great opportunity to learn more about the program, meet EMS faculty, staff and advisors, and tour the state-of-the-art facilities equipment available. Locklear and his staff would love to get to know you and help you get started on your path in healthcare.
