Fall 2011 - Central Virginia Community College
Fall 2011 - Central Virginia Community College
Fall 2011 - Central Virginia Community College
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CVCC Outstanding Alumnus <strong>2011</strong><br />
President’s letter<br />
Greetings Alumni and Friends,<br />
You are likely familiar with the oft-quoted wisdom of the Chinese<br />
philosopher Lao-tzu: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single<br />
step.” My journey with you will be measured not in miles but in days and<br />
months and years. Nonetheless, today marks the first step I take as I serve<br />
you as your new president.<br />
At the outset, I want you to know that I am both honored and excited to<br />
be with you. CVCC enjoys an outstanding reputation, and I consider myself<br />
blessed to be joining your community. The reason for CVCC’s success rests<br />
with all of you who claim an allegiance to the college: with the alumni, students, friends, faculty, and staff<br />
of the institution. A college is much larger than its president, so I want to make this truth clear from the<br />
beginning: I work for you. Really, as far as I am concerned, the process that led to my selection is but the first<br />
phase of a more important series of steps. The true presidential selection process begins now as I strive to<br />
earn your trust and support. My goal is to be the leader you deserve.<br />
Dr. Staat and Dr. Bambara, my predecessors, have provided CVCC with exemplary leadership, and I am<br />
humbled that I am following such greatness. Dr. Staat can claim an endless list of accomplishments that<br />
defy any type of quantitative measure. His legacy surrounds us: in the college and the community and in<br />
the academic and workforce development initiatives that invigorated his administration. We owe a debt of<br />
gratitude to Dr. Bambara as well, for she provided steady, stable, and consistent leadership as the college’s<br />
interim president—an achievement that is all the more remarkable since she served CVCC during a time of<br />
transition and change.<br />
Thanks to their vision and through your support, CVCC has continued to grow in strength and excellence<br />
during the past year. In 2010-11, the college served over 8,000 students, the largest enrollment in the history<br />
of the institution. Reflecting our determination to match our mission to the needs of our community, we<br />
launched a new Culinary Arts program in the fall, and we dedicated a new Culinary Arts building in July.<br />
(Both those initiatives are featured in this issue of CVCC.) As a further reflection of that commitment, we<br />
introduced a new Machine Tool and Quality diploma, and we graduated scores of students in high-demand<br />
curricula like science, technology, engineering, and health professions.<br />
From these examples—and these are but a few of many—you can see that CVCC is committed to meeting<br />
the needs of the residents and businesses in Region 2000. We are a partner in regional vitality, a catalyst for<br />
economic development, a leader in workforce training, and the first choice and the last chance for all those<br />
who aspire to improve their lives through the power of education. When those ingredients are combined<br />
with our world-class faculty and staff and our business, civic, political, and educational partnerships, CVCC’s<br />
potential to contribute to the economic vitality of Region 2000—and to its quality of life—is limitless.<br />
For all those reasons, I am excited to share in the remarkable work that bears our collective signature. As<br />
friends and alumni of the college, you already know what I am now in the process of learning: CVCC is this<br />
community’s college. I am proud to be the newest member of the CVCC family, honored to be part of your<br />
rich tradition of excellence, and grateful I can now refer to CVCC not as “your” college but as “our” college.<br />
Sincerely,<br />
John S. Capps<br />
President<br />
Senator Stephen D. Newman<br />
STATE SENATOR, 23RD DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA<br />
“CVCC enhanced and changed my life and graduates,<br />
it will change yours too!” Senator Steve Newman<br />
said as he welcomed the graduating Class of<br />
<strong>2011</strong>. As the <strong>College</strong>’s <strong>2011</strong> Outstanding Alumnus<br />
and Commencement speaker, he challenged<br />
the class by encouraging them to remember<br />
CVCC and the adversities they faced to earn their<br />
degrees. Most of all, he urged them to find their<br />
next big mission and to never, never quit.<br />
Senator Newman acknowledged the special honor<br />
to be chosen as their commencement speaker and<br />
added that both his<br />
wife and mother<br />
had attended CVCC.<br />
Originally from<br />
Stuart, <strong>Virginia</strong>,<br />
Senator Newman<br />
calls Lynchburg<br />
his home. Steve<br />
attended Lynchburg<br />
Christian Academy,<br />
<strong>Central</strong> <strong>Virginia</strong><br />
<strong>Community</strong> <strong>College</strong><br />
and Lynchburg<br />
<strong>College</strong>. He is<br />
employed as Vice<br />
President of Marketing and Sales and serves as a<br />
Board member of Delta Star, Inc., a manufacturer of<br />
medium power transformers and mobile substations.<br />
Currently, Senator Newman serves on several<br />
vital committees in the State Senate including<br />
Commerce and Labor, Education and Health,<br />
Transportation (ranking member), and Senate<br />
Rules Committee. He is also involved in the <strong>Central</strong><br />
<strong>Virginia</strong> Planning Committee and Lynchburg<br />
Transportation Safety Commission, both nonlegislative<br />
committees. Capping off his political<br />
resume, he also serves as Chair of the Senate<br />
Republican Caucus. Governor McDonnell’s entire<br />
Education Package was authored by Senator<br />
Newman while he served on the Higher Education<br />
Reform Commission in the 2010 General Assembly.<br />
Senator Newman is responsible in part and, in<br />
some cases, entirely for many of the capital upgrades<br />
at CVCC, including construction of the Merritt<br />
Building, renovation of the CVCC Library, funding<br />
for the AREVA project, and securing approval for<br />
many of the programs and yearly budget items.<br />
Senator Newman challenged the CVCC <strong>2011</strong> graduates to remember<br />
the adversities they faced earning their degrees, and to never quit.<br />
Education has been a priority for Senator Newman<br />
since going to Richmond as a legislator. In this<br />
current year, he has backed the Charter School Bill,<br />
the Lab Schools Bill and the Virtual Schools Bill. All<br />
of these support innovative and technologically<br />
advanced programs aimed at improving the <strong>Virginia</strong><br />
education system.<br />
Senator Newman<br />
also supports the<br />
American Cancer<br />
Society and the<br />
<strong>Virginia</strong> Municipal<br />
League. Issues of<br />
faith and family<br />
are important to<br />
him, according to<br />
Senator Newman.<br />
Steve enjoys<br />
spending time<br />
at home with his<br />
lovely wife Kim<br />
and their two sons,<br />
Tyler and Wesley.<br />
It is with great<br />
pride and honor<br />
that we named<br />
Senator Stephen<br />
D. Newman, a<br />
person dedicated<br />
to his state and<br />
to the health, welfare and education of its people, as<br />
the <strong>2011</strong> CVCC Outstanding Alumnus.<br />
4 <strong>Central</strong> <strong>Virginia</strong> <strong>Community</strong> <strong>College</strong> <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2011</strong> <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2011</strong> <strong>Central</strong> <strong>Virginia</strong> <strong>Community</strong> <strong>College</strong> 5