Dr. Herbert Riedel has been approved by the state board of education to become Lurleen B. Wallace Community College’s next president.

Riedel succeeds Dr. Ed Meadows and will begin his tenure at the college on Jan. 1, 2009.

Dr. Jim Krudop, Director of LBWCC-Greenville, said he is pleased with the appointment of Riedel.

“He sees exciting possibilities with the college and was really impressed with the Greenville campus when he visited here,” he said.

Krudop said he was sure to point out the extraordinary growth experienced by the Greenville campus in the last 20 years to Riedel. Riedel also marveled at the 30 percent growth in enrollment at the campus this fall.

Riedel said his wife, Lisa, and two children, Matthew, 8, and Willie, 12, were looking forward to living in Alabama, according to Krudop.

“They really can’t wait,” Krudop said.

Riedel was selected from a group that initially included 65 applicants. Those applications were vetted through a series of search committee meetings held during the month of October, leading up to live interviews with the committee at LBWCC on Mon., Oct. 27. The five semifinalists who held interviews with the committee were then narrowed down to the final three who were interviewed by Alabama Postsecondary Chancellor Bradley Byrne.

“You could tell, by the way that he answered the interview questions, that Dr. Riedel has a passion for (LBWCC) and for the state of Alabama,” Byrne said. “He really wants to be a part of that college and those communities.”