Midlands Technical College president announces plans to retire

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Ronald L. Rhames, the president of Midlands Technical College in Columbia, has announced plans for retirement.

Rhames, who started his career with the college in 1990, is expected to retire by June 30, 2024, according to a news release. The Midlands Technical College Commission will launch a nationwide presidential search for the best candidate to succeed him, according to the release.

He became the sixth president of the College on March 1, 2015.

Rhames has been at MTC for 35 years – two as a student and 33 as an employee, including eight years as president.

“During my time here, we’ve done some remarkable things, and I am confident that when I retire, the college will continue to do remarkable things on behalf of our students, their families and our community,” Rhames said in the release.

He is the first graduate of any South Carolina technical college to become president of one of the state’s technical colleges, and the first Black president of MTC.

As president, Rhames is also the College’s CEO and is accountable to the MTC Commission, the college’s board of trustees. Before becoming president, he previously served as MTC’s senior vice president and chief operating officer.

“The promise we make to our students at Midlands Tech is ‘You can get anywhere from here,’” said Sandra Jackson, an alumna of MTC and chair of the Commission. “To deliver on that promise requires passion, diligence and imagination. Our community saw those traits in Dr. Rhames and knew that he was the right person to serve as president at the right time.”

Midlands Technical College is a six-campus two-year comprehensive community college serving Richland, Lexington and Fairfield counties.