Catawba Valley Community College unveiled the James “Vernon” Tarlton III Venture Wing during a special dedication ceremony held March 18 at the Workforce Solutions Complex.
The wing honors the memory of the late James “Vernon” Tarlton III, who passed away in 2018. Tarlton was a military veteran who owned Vernon Tarlton Construction for more than 30 years.

The Workforce Solutions Complex is an 80,400-square-foot facility funded through a $26 million investment by the Catawba County Commissioners. This state-of-the-art facility currently houses technology and engineering programs, including Computer Engineering Technology, Electrical Engineering Technology, Computer Integrated Machining, Electronics Engineering Technology, Automotive Systems Technology, Welding, Mechanical Engineering Technology, Mechatronics and Robotics, and Heating/Ventilation and Air Conditioning.

Also unveiled during the dedication ceremony was a new painting honoring Vernon’s father, James “Jim” Vernon Tarlton, Jr. The painting will be displayed prominently in the building on campus that bears his namesake, the Tarlton Complex, which is CVCC’s athletics complex and welcomes more than 100,000 visitors annually at various campus and community events.

For information about naming opportunities and other ways to support Catawba Valley Community College through a tax-deductible gift to the CVCC Foundation, please contact CVCC Chief Development Officer Jennifer Jones at jjones555@cvcc.edu or by calling 828-327-7000.