The Amarillo College Board of Regents voted July 15 to appoint Dr. J. Paul Matney the 13th president of Amarillo College.

The vote came in a noon meeting called especially to address the hiring of Matney. He was named sole finalist for the post in June, but Regents were required by state law to delay a final vote until a 21-day public-notice period had passed.

As president, Matney receives a three-year contract with a $158,000 annual salary.

 Matney served as acting president of AC through the illness and since the death of College President Steven W. Jones on Feb. 22, 2009.

Matney has been employed at AC since 1979, when he became an instructor of mass communications. He was named to chair the Language, Communication and Fine Arts Division in 1980. In 2004 he became associate vice president of instruction, and in 2005 Matney was named vice president and dean of instruction.

As a student, Matney attended Amarillo College for one year before pursing his bachelor’s degree at the University of Texas—Austin, a master’s degree at West Texas A&M University and a doctoral degree at Texas Tech University.