PRESIDENT, NORTHERN VIRGINIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE, ANNANDALE
PRESIDENT, NORTHERN VIRGINIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE, ANNANDALE
Virginia Business// August 30, 2023//
As president of Virginia’s largest community college — and one of the largest community colleges in the country — Kress oversees faculty, staff and nearly 70,000 internationally diverse students on six campuses near Washington, D.C., including NOVA’s Medical Education Campus in Springfield.
In May, Gov. Glenn Youngkin visited the college’s Alexandria campus to announce a new Google certificate in cybersecurity that will be offered at NOVA and other community colleges.
Kress became NOVA’s president in 2020, the latest step in a nearly 30-year career in higher education that includes posts as provost at Santa Fe University and president of Monroe Community College in Florida. She holds bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Florida.
Kress serves on the boards of the American Council on Education and Generation Hope, a nonprofit supporting teen parents.
PERSONAL MOTTO: It’s up to you to find the joy in every day; it’s there.
HOW I CHOSE MY CAREER: I fell in love with the transformational mission of community colleges and the inspiring students we are honored to serve.