Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
The Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College rumor mill has been humming lately with a hot one: A-B Tech President Hank Dunn had used $50,000 of the college’s cash to hire a personal chef.
That’s a juicy one, but not quite true. A college spokeswoman says Dunn recently asked the A-B Tech Foundation’s board of directors for help in funding a new position, a chef’s job. The chef’s job would be to help out with some teaching duties in A-B Tech’s renown culinary arts program, but also to cook for special on-campus events. Most notably, those events would include fundraisers, where guests are wined and dined at Dunn’s invitation.
Dunn wants to get more people on campus to show it off, the spokeswoman said. Dunn especially wants people to see and use Furnihurst, a historic building on campus that commands a wonderful view of WNC’s mountains. Here’s a flickr photo set, and a little history:
Fernihurst was built by Civil War Colonel John Kerr Connally. He and his wife, Alice, apparently lived there. Around 1875, the property on which Fernihurst sits was purchased by Colonel John Kerr Connally for $1,300 from Major William Wallace McDowell, who at the time owned what now is called the Smith-McDowell House.
The foundation board approved funding up to $25,000 for the job, or half the salary of the new position. The college spokeswoman said part of thinking was that the current chefs on staff at the college were too busy teaching – and serving the public every Thursday as part of the culinary arts program – to take on more duties cooking for deep-pocketed potential donors.
But detractors still see it as a bad move, especially during a time of tight state budgets that have forced universities and community colleges to cut back. One source tells me this new chef’s job was created on the heels of outsourcing janitorial work at A-B Tech and cutting back other staff.
Dunn was just hired in January, and he arrived after the controversial departure of the college’s previous president, Dr. Betty Young.
http://abtech.edu/jobs/readvacancy.asp?vacancies/20101012chefatfernihurst.txt
VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT
Chef – Fernihurst and Special Events
College Advancement
October 12, 2010
TERM OF EMPLOYMENT: Full-time, 12 months, Weekly work schedule will vary greatly based upon needs of the institution
DUTIES: Organize, plan and provide culinary services for resource development events requested by the President of the College and Vice President of College Advancement. Monitor Fernihurst facility, budget, and purchasing for events. Promote the safety, health and comfort of the guests of the College. Model world-class culinary service and skills. Maintain and model sanitation and uniform standards established for the Culinary Arts Program. Work within a defined budget. Develop menus aligned with event expectations, seasonality and support of local food movement. Maintain excellent and open communication with Culinary Arts and Hospitality Department faculty and staff and College Advancement Division, colleagues, guests and students. Design, facilitate and teach Hospitality-related Continuing Education or Curriculum classes as special events schedule permits under appropriate Curriculum and Continuing Education Supervision. Prepare syllabi and educational materials reflecting course objectives. Adhere to College and departmental policies, standards, and procedures.
SALARY RANGE: $45,000 – $55,000
CONTACT: Human Resources
Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College
Administrations run like this give rise to unions.
From what I hear, this guy is shaping up to be worse than Dr. Betty but more charming and cunning. Seems to have been bitten by the same exploitation, greed, and grandiosity bug. Worse yet, the Board seems out to lunch, leaving the faculty, staff, and students of this public institution without any safeguard yet again. What does this say about the county commissioners and the county assistant manager with ties to this organization? Your tax payer dollars hard at work, but for whose good?
Sounds like rationalization is the name of the game. Speaking of an ugly campus, has anyone else seen the new accent walls? What's the story behind that?
That isn't as bad as the $28,000 a month they are spending for the interim CIO from Campus Works (and you can confirm that with the business office, it is public record after all).
Show off what exactly? AB-Tech is the ugliest campus I have ever seen. Just endless parking lots. Have you seen the damage they did this last year to add even more spaces. I would rather they spend the money to put in a trail system. Or just do a parking garage and be done with it already. Fits in with fitness theme with Mission and it would get people to visit the campus to hike the trails. Heck students might even use it! I live near there and have walked the campus woods a lot (at least what is left of them) and it would be great to have something there. also allow dogs on the trails encouraging local people to get on the campus. for now the security tells me to leave!
I am left wandering if they need a personal concierge too?? If so, I have a company that wants to bid on that gig!
That would be nothing compared to some of the things that K. Ray Bailey got away with during his years at AB Tech. He was "above it all" and the board never questioned his outrageous expenses that enriched himself during all the years he was President.