BAY MINETTE, Alabama — On Friday more than 300 graduates will march down the aisle of the L. D. Owen Performing Arts Center to celebrate Faulkner State Community College’s last graduation.

This year will mark several big changes surrounding a consolidation of Alabama Southern Community College, Jefferson Davis Community College and the Alabama Aviation College at Brookley Field with Faulkner State. The result will be a new regional community college serving lower Alabama with enhanced student services, program offerings and leadership opportunities. 

 “Last year was our 50^th anniversary, and it was a big year for us,” said Dr. Gary Branch, president of Faulkner State Community College.  “This consolidation will bring even greater opportunities for our students in the south region of the state. We are looking at this change as a great potential for growth to provide students the training and education they need for their personal success.”  

Speaking to Faulkner State’s graduating class is vice superintendent for the U.S. Air Force Academy Brig. Gen. Kevin Lamberth.

Lamberth, a native of Bay Minette, is a 1983 graduate of Baldwin County High School and is a former Faulkner State student. He is the son of Dorothy Lamberth of Bay Minette and the late Douglas Lamberth, and the brother of Dennis Lamberth of Bay Minette and Nancy Mackey of Gulf Shores.

Lamberth is a former enlisted airman and command pilot with more than 3,500 flight hours and over 350 combat/combat support hours in a variety of aircraft. He was officially promoted to brigadier general January 2016 and celebrated the achievement with relatives and friends spanning his 32-year Air Force career.

During that ceremony, Air Force Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Michelle Johnson presented Lamberth with his brigadier general flag after administering the oath of office.

“There are about 60,000 officers in the Air Force. Only 208 of them are general officers,” she said, noting the significance of the promotion. “You’ve done spectacularly well in all leadership positions. You’ve earned this promotion and you’ve earned everyone’s respect. This is no small achievement.”

Johnson read aloud highlights spanning Lamberth’s career and statements from his three decades of performance reports. 

Lamberth graduated from Air Force basic training in April 1984 and served as an enlisted target intelligence specialist. He attended ROTC at the University of Texas at Arlington and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in May 1990.  He experiences include air traffic control and he has flown the T-37, T-38, C-141, KC-10 and KC-135 aircraft.

His various assignments span C-141 instructor and evaluator pilot positions at Charleston AFB, South Carolina, and Altus AFB, Oklahoma. He was 305th Air Mobility Wing’s chief of safety and commander of the 2nd Air Refueling Squadron at McGuire AFB, New Jersey, flying KC-10s. He served as the vice commander, 22nd Air Refueling Wing (KC-135s) at McConnell AFB, Kansas. Lamberth was the senior mobility advisor to the 4-star commander, United States Forces-Korea, in Seoul, South Korea. In his most recent assignment preceding the Air Force Academy, Lamberth commanded the 515th Air Mobility Operations Wing at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.

“We are very proud of what he has accomplished,” Branch said. “We are honored to have him speak to our graduates this year, and we know the graduates will receive great benefit from listening to Gen. Lamberth’s story.”

Faulkner State’s graduation to begin at 7 p.m. Friday in the L. D. Owen Performing Arts Center on the Bay Minette Campus.