12102 SVCC_Looking Back Moving Forward Booklet FINAL

Reflecting
Reflecting on my five years at the helm of Southside Virginia
Community College, I am proud that the college family, collectively,
strived towards building magnificent opportunities for our constituents
as opposed to just coming to work. It reminds me of the ancient story
of the bricklayers who were asked what they were doing; one said, laying brick, one said doing my work so I can
earn my pay and go home; and one said building a cathedral. One was doing his job, one was advancing himself
and his family, and one was building a superior work to benefit others.
By pulling our college together through the development of a Strategic Plan, “One College, One Mission”, I
endeavored to engage our staff so that they were not just going through the motions but embracing the creation of
something strong and solid and lasting.
America’s community colleges, and especially Southside Virginia Community College, champion so many of
the values that I treasure, both professionally and personally. Community colleges are guided by a commitment to
opportunity, serving a diverse population through institutions that are inclusive, accessible, and affordable.
Particularly, community colleges remain committed to bridging the gap between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots.’
And community colleges have become the primary pathway for minorities and other underrepresented
populations to enter and succeed in the higher education arena.
The college’s successful re-accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) is an accomplishment that carries such pride and significance. This
accreditation affirms the institution’s continuing commitment to integrity and its capacity to provide effective
programs and services based on specific standards. Accreditation is necessary for SVCC to participate in
Federal Financial Aid programs and for transfer credit acceptance by other universities and colleges.
Other “cathedrals” have been built to provide additional opportunities, such as creating the
Center for Information Technology and Excellence (CITE) Lab at the Lake Country Advanced Knowledge
Center in South Hill, and building a new, state-of-the-art welding lab at the Southside Virginia Education
Center in Greensville County.
One of the largest accomplishments during my tenure was when the college partnered with the state’s
electric cooperatives and others to establish the Commonwealth’s first Power Line Worker Training Program
to meet the growing demand for power line workers. Because of these efforts, SVCC now stands as a
leader in Virginia’s FastForward program, an initiative through which students in short-term training
courses earn industry-recognized credentials in high-demand fields.
Earning a GED, a degree, becoming a nurse, finding passion, making friends, belonging, playing
a sport, attending a cultural event, traveling, learning, exploring, accomplishing a goal, finding oneself,
becoming a teacher, transferring to a four-year school, driving a truck, all these are bricks in the
successful SVCC cathedral; of which I am so proud.
And speaking of cathedrals, as I ride off into the sunset of my retirement, I am extremely proud of the
new construction being completed on the Christanna Campus. The $12 million dollar Learning Resources
and Student Services Center is a progressive step towards the future of our beloved Southside Virginia and
a very large ‘cathedral’ for the community and the people we so significantly serve.