By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
The three candidates to fill a soon-to-be open seat on the Barton Community College Board of Trustees were introduced at Tuesday’s study session. Don Learned is resigning from the board after 19 years as a trustee to move to Texas.
Chairman Mike Johnson and the rest of the trustees heard from candidates Doug Panning, Cole Schwarz and Will Rains.
"We have three very qualified applicants," said Johnson. "We've replaced trustees a number of times since I've been on the board for various reasons. It's always a mystery if you'll have good, quality applicants for the position. We do have three very good applicants. Any three of you would be an outstanding trustee, I have no doubt about that."
Panning, from Ellinwood, attended Barton Community College in the 1970s. Schwarz was a trustee for three years, and came up short for another term in last year’s General Election. Rains spent five years working for the college in the correctional education program.
The current trustees will look over each candidate’s application and make a vote at the Aug. 27 meeting. The chosen candidate will be sworn into office in September.
Listen below to the entire Barton Community College Trustees study session on Aug. 13, 2024 and hear introductions from each of the candidates.