Inside Meet Abbey Meacham - Central Virginia Community College ...

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President’s letterGreetings Alumni and Friends,I have served as President of CVCC for eleven and a half years. By the timeyou read this, I will have left the college and assumed my new position asPresident of the South Carolina Technical College System, working with16 technical and community colleges, state level economic developmentinitiatives, business leaders and elected officials such as the Governor,members of the General Assembly, and Congressmen.Unfortunately, no longer will I have the privilege of seeing studentsevery day who are pursuing their educational goals and observing thehighly effective work of our faculty and staff. Since I started my careermany years ago as a teacher in a junior high school, I realized the importance of education for everyone.That importance has increased over the years to the point where it is absolutely critical to the future ofindividuals, Region 2000, and the Commonwealth.Just to look back for a moment, let me remind you of the many improvements brought to the collegeincluding the AREVA Technology Center, the James River Maintenance facility, renovations of technicallabs and science labs, renovation of office areas, renovations of the Bedford Learning Resources Center, thedevelopment of four off-campus centers in Altavista, Amherst, Appomattox and Bedford, the developmentof many new programs including, most recently, Emergency Medical Services, Dental Hygiene and CardiovascularSonography, Engineering, Early College, a set of over 70 online courses and two online degrees,and behind the scenes, a strategic long-range planning process. In the workforce area we have developedcourses, certificate programs and degrees for the business community, grants to support activities such asthe Summer Academies, LEGO league, and the Get Set Magazine. We operate a highly successful College forLiving Plus program, apprenticeship program and motorcycle training. CVCC is recognized throughout theCommonwealth as one of the leading community colleges in the workforce arena.We have hired excellent faculty and highly competent staff members to serve our students. Studentenrollment has increased from just over 2000 FTES per year in 1999 to almost 2800 FTES per year in 2009.During that time, the college has brought in over $10 million in grant money to support our efforts on behalfof students.Looking ahead, starting in August, the college will have a Culinary Arts program with a new facilityscheduled for completion by December 31, 2010. Late this fall the college will construct a free-standingbookstore between Amherst Hall and Campbell Hall. Following that, the college will embark on a renovationof the Amherst Hall Wing creating an electricity lab, workout room, aerobics lab, showers, cardiovascularsonography lab, plus a speech/theater lab in the current bookstore and a little theater in the current lecturehall in Amherst Hall.Finally, there will soon be a new president at the helm of CVCC who will continue to move the college intothe 21st century. My best to whomever that will be. From my perspective in South Carolina, I will observehow things develop here at CVCC. Please know that I will not soon forget you.I leave you with our motto: “CVCC, Where Your Future Begins.”Sincerely,Darrel W. StaatPresident4 Central Virginia Community College Fall 2010
CVCC Outstanding Alumnus 2010Amy Griffin RayBrown, Edwards & Company L. L. P.“It’s a rare day when I’m speechless, and this might beit,” Amy Griffin Ray said with a smile, when she receivedthe 2010 Outstanding Alumnus Award at the College’scommencement ceremony in May. She then deliveredher commencement address with warmth and humor,outlining her own experiences at the College and offeringsome sound advice to the assembled graduates.Amy is a CPA and a partner and regional executivewith Brown, Edwards & Company. As she explained,she took a circuitous route to this impressive career.She came to CVCC after graduating from VirginiaTech with a degree inhistory. Her husbandJim suggested she takesome community collegeclasses to broaden herhorizons and explorevarious career options.CVCC had printed itscourse offerings in thenewspaper, so Amystarted at the beginningof the alphabetical listwith “accounting.” Shejoked that if she hadstarted at the bottom,she might have gone intozoology or welding as her field of choice.In 1981 she began studying at CVCC. Betty Pierce, whotaught accounting at the time, turned out to be one ofthe finest teachers Amy had ever known. Amy credits herwith “igniting my excitement in the field.”She soon discovered that with a specific number ofaccounting class hours at CVCC combined with the factshe already held a bachelor’s degree, she could sit for theCPA exam. “This school put my feet on the path to careersuccess,” Amy explains, “and I have been blessed by thatever since.”Her career path has been impressive ever since. Inaddition to her position at Brown, Edwards & Company,Amy is a member of both the American and the VirginiaInstitute of Certified Public Accountants, has served onthe state board for the Virginia Society, and was a pastpresident of the local chapter. She was elected Chairof the Board of the Greater Lynchburg Chamber ofCommerce for 1996-1997 and was the 2000 recipient ofthe Dink Cloyd Award for service to the chamber. She isalso a long-standing member of the Board of Directors ofCentra Health and hasrecently completed adecade of service tothe Greater LynchburgCommunity Trust.Her eight-yearinvolvement at CentralVirginia CommunityCollege has includedher service as financechair on the Boardof Directors ofthe Central Virginia Community College EducationalFoundation during the College’s four-million-dollar MajorGifts Campaign for a World Class Workforce. In addition,she has been a board member and volunteer across thecommunity, culminating with the “Book of Golden Deeds”award given to her by the Lynchburg Exchange Club inrecognition of her community service.Drawing on her career and life experience, Amy hadimportant advice for the graduating students: First of all,she told them, it is important to show up. Then you mustAmy Ray encouraged the 2010 CVCC graduates to think creativelyand to learn something new each day.think creatively, putting your mind in gear and solvingproblems. You must also be realistic, and if somethingis not working for you, move on. You need to share yourtalents and give back to others. Most of all, you mustnever stop learning. “Every day that you learn somethingnew is a good day.”Finally, after describing how she had built thefoundation of her own career at CVCC, she told the Classof 2010, “You have built your foundation. Now it is timefor you to go out and make a difference.”Fall 2010 Central Virginia Community College 5
Page 2 and 3: CVCC Bookstore:T-Shirts Hooded Swea
Page 6 and 7: ey Meacham, standing in thedoorway
Page 9: Alumni HighlightJon Murdock ‘05Jo
Page 12 and 13: Faculty and Staff UpdateAwardsJoy B
Page 14 and 15: Faculty & Staff, continued from pag
Page 17 and 18: The Educational Foundation Reportby
Page 19 and 20: from the 2009-2010 school yearNew!

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