As the past two months have flown by at a rapid pace, my focus has shifted from learning the basics of my new role to learning more about the City of Danville, Pittsylvania County, and Halifax County. So far, I’ve taken weekly trips across our service region to meet stakeholders, learn about their educational needs, and also to enjoy the beauty of the region. I visited Virginia International Raceway (VIR) just last week to meet their leadership and learn about their facilities. Southern Virginia has incredible sights that I am excited to discover.
Here at Danville Community College, we have hit the ground running for the 2022-23 academic year. Classes are off to a great start and we had a wonderful first week back on campus with lots of exciting activities. On August 16, we held our Convocation event where faculty and staff came together to prepare for the new year, play games, win prizes, attend professional development sessions, and get ramped up for the new academic year.
Allyson and I had the pleasure of attending the second annual Danville Community College Educational Foundation fundraiser, 'Suds, Swine, Sippin’ & Song,' on Friday, August 5. Atkinson Farms is a stunning venue and we thoroughly enjoyed the food, fun, and fellowship with community members who are invested in the continued excellence that DCC brings to the region. We listened to live music, sampled chocolate, and enjoyed a beautiful evening raising money for the continued success of our students.
On August 17, we welcomed the inaugural cohort of 20 students from George Washington High School who make up our Early College Program to their orientation. It was wonderful to see these students on campus, knowing that these bright minds will graduate high school with an associate degree. This initiative is a vibrant illustration of our mission and values in action in our community. I could not be more proud of these students and we are eager to bring the Early College program to additional schools in the area.
Recently, The Danville Police Department invited me to attend a community walk to knock on doors, meet citizens, and strengthen the relationship between Danvillians and those who protect and serve them. I enjoyed seeing the effort and dedication that goes into forming and growing these relationships and it makes me proud to work and live in this community.
On August 19, I welcomed the entire faculty and staff to our first-ever DCC Family Movie Night. We welcomed employees and our families to campus where we watched ‘Cars 3’ in honor of our hometown hero, Wendell Scott. We ate popcorn, some of our favorite candies, and enjoyed getting to know each other better. I know that these opportunities for fun and fellowship will build our internal culture and change DCC for the better.
I also had the pleasure of meeting Senator Mark Warner as he toured Danville on August 24. It was an incredible opportunity to see the hard work of our city officials and local business owners be recognized at the state level. The revitalization of this community is shows true grit and impresses everyone who hears the story of the ‘Comeback City.’
Coming up on September 7, I will be welcoming DCC retirees to our beautiful campus for a ‘Retiree Connections Breakfast’ in our student center. So many of our employees who have retired hold an incredible amount of insight and institutional knowledge that we cannot disregard. I look forward to engaging our retirees, getting to know them personally, and helping them to become advocates for DCC in the community.
I am also looking forward to our upcoming ‘CyberKnights Showdown’ cybersecurity competition on October 7. We will be hosting students from around the region who will compete in a series of challenges related to their cybersecurity studies. We’ll also be holding a ribbon cutting that afternoon, officially opening our brand new, state-of-the-art cybersecurity lab. It is an exciting time to be at DCC!
I want to thank the many community members who have approached me while I have been out and about in the community. It has been a joy to meet each of you and to get to know you and your families. If you see me at the Community Market, Link’s Café, or at a local car show, come introduce yourself and say hello!
As we move forward into a new chapter at DCC, be assured that our staff and faculty are striving every day toward excellence for our students, and our community. We are here to serve you and provide high-quality, accessible higher education to the City of Danville, as well as Pittsylvania and Halifax Counties.
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