(Photo courtesy of Warren Wilson College.)

Lynn M. Morton, who spent more than 25 years at Queens University of Charlotte, has been named the new president of Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa. Morton’s career at Queens University included serving as a professor, department chair, vice president of academic affairs and provost. She is Warren Wilson’s eighth president, and the first woman to lead the private liberal arts college. Morton, 59, replaces Steven L. Solnick, who is leaving Warren Wilson to become head of school at the Calhoun School in New York City.

Morton is a native North Carolinian; she and her husband Ric have a cabin in Black Mountain. She starts her new job at Warren Wilson on July 1. According to a recent Asheville Citizen-Times article announcing her appointment, Morton plans to begin her tenure with “an intense listening tour” that will include conversations with members of the community. The AC-T article quotes Morton as saying “I certainly didn’t think I necessarily had a good shot at [the job as president of Warren Wilson College], but I knew I would give it my best, because I couldn’t think of anything better.” We agree! Welcome to Swannanoa!

Local swimmers received some welcome news in late February when the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners agreed to fund the reopening of the indoor pool at Warren Wilson College. The pool, which was used by schools, swim teams, and residents, had been closed since 2014. According to a February article in the Asheville Citizen-Times, the county will put up $300,000 of the $800,000 needed for repairs to the building and pool, with the requirement that the pool will be made available to the public. The rest of the money is expected to come from private donors and USDA financing.

The AC-T article indicates that the pool could be open by late summer. The lack of pool space for swim teams in Buncombe County has been a news topic for some months, with the County Commission struggling to find a solution. The AC-T quotes Commissioner Al Whitesides as saying that the partnership with Warren Wilson College is a “no brainer,” with the county getting “more than our bang for our buck.”

The re-opening of the Warren Wilson pool is particularly good news for swim team members at Owen High School. The team has been traveling to the YMCA in Marion for their early morning practices.