The president of Gadsden State Community College is out on paid administrative leave and an interim president is taking over.
The chancellor of the Alabama Community College System, Mark Heinrich, announced Monday that President Ray Staats was placed on paid administrative leave. Heinrich named William Blow acting president.
Blow is a retired executive from the Alabama Commission on Higher Education. He served as interim president at Gadsden State before Staats was hired in 2011. His appointment is effective Aug. 1.
The change comes after a no confidence vote by Gadsden State employees in May. The vote among employees at campuses in Gadsden, Anniston and Centre was 312 expressing no confidence in Staats and 34 expressing confidence.
Staats was on the Gadsden campus Monday loading his personal items into his vehicle.