JOHNSTON COUNTY — Dr. David Johnson already knows what he wants on his tombstone: “He made a difference.” That’s what the energetic candidate for Johnston Community College president told everyone at his public forum.

“My philosophy of life is to help people,” he said.

Johnson sees JCC as a place where he can live that idea. “I would like to see us as the solution institution for this county,” he said. “Think globally, serve locally.”

Johnson, who is a provost at Southside Virginia Community College, thinks he could bring a fresh perspective and an outgoing personality to JCC. His social skills, he said, would benefit the school’s fundraising efforts too. “You need to go to legislators, line up with their greater objectives,” Johnson said. “You don’t always go with your hand out.”

He said he prefers a collaborative, almost Socratic style of leading. “I ask a lot of questions,” he said, adding that he had already done research on JCC’s strengths and challenges.

Like some of his competitors, Johnson traces his roots deep into Johnston County. He fondly recalled riding tractors on his father’s farm, then walking to Mr. Harry’s store for an Orange Crush and a snack. As a teenager, he sold 25-cent bags of tomatoes in Raleigh and held a job delivering the Raleigh Times.

Dr. John Cavan, president at Southside, said Johnson is bright and balanced, and held an important post in a school that serves 8,000 students and 10 counties.

“He’s one of the best that I’ve come across, and I’ve been around for a long time,” Cavan said. “His plate is full; he understands each and every program, and he’s got it all under control.”

At the end of the forum, Johnson turned the tables and asked his own question of the faculty and staff in the audience, many of whom had showed up for all five of the candidate forums.

Lin Frye, director of the school’s arboretum, said she braves an 80-mile commute and rents a room to work at the job she loves. “I work here because I’ve been given the opportunity to make this community better,” she said.

Walter Bartlett confident in his ability to lead:

JOHNSTON COUNTY — During a forum at Johnston Community College, Dr. Walter Bartlett presented himself as a sure-footed leader with a love of community.

Bartlett is one of five finalists with the chance to become the school’s next president.

“I love leading,” he told a crowd of faculty and staff. “I love seeing things grow.”

And the leader of a community college, he said, has many irons in the fire. “I’m not sure there’s a part of society we don’t touch,” said Bartlett, currently vice president of technical programs at Caldwell Community and Technical College.

The role of a leader, Bartlett said, is to direct the powers and talents of others. “The truth of the matter is, you in the audience today will determine our success,” he said.

Throughout the forum, Bartlett put a focus on students. He said “dual enrollment,” with high school students taking college classes, could be valuable for any community college, especially as a way to “raise the mark” academically.

When asked about global education, Bartlett replied that it was critical for students to know “how Johnston County fits into the scheme of things.”

Like other candidates, he felt that vocational classes still carry weight. “My heart and soul is vocational education,” he said.

When asked about his vision for the next five years, Bartlett put the focus on the looming challenges that most schools face, like the need to accommodate more students with less funding.

“If we can get through the next three years, there’s nothing we can’t do,” he said.

Dr. Kenneth Boham, president of Caldwell, said Bartlett had led an initiative there to work cooperatively with teachers at local middle schools and high schools. He thought Bartlett benefited from a unique set of skills and traits.

“He’s an engineer but can use humor to deal with humans and work toward solutions,” Boham said. “He would make an excellent leader to take the institution from this point forward, especially dealing with limited resources.”

Bartlett had a few of his jokes for the crowd too. He said he had spent so much time on JCC’s Web site that he had to give his wife excuses when she asked what he was doing.

“No, dear,” he recalled saying. “It’s my, um, Facebook.”

Staff Reporter Andrew Kenney can be reached at 836-5758, or by e-mail at akenney@nando.com.