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.
The commonwealth is launching a Virginia Alliance for Semiconductor Technology to foster a semiconductor industry workforce, funding its establishment with a $3.3 million Growth and Opportunity for Virginia (GO Virginia) grant.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced the initiative Friday. In March, GO Virginia announced the $3.3 million grant to the program, then called the Virginia Nanotechnology Networked Infrastructure.
“Virginia is stepping up to lead the way by investing in key initiatives that will deliver STEM talent to a robust and growing workforce across the commonwealth,” he said in a statement. “Together, our private and public sector partnerships will create new opportunities in semiconductors, microelectronics and nanotechnology to drive critically important economic sectors and technology leadership.”
Virginia Tech will lead VAST, which will bring industry and university partners together to create “workforce development opportunities and expand access to cleanrooms, labs and equipment for training” and research and development, according to a news release. VAST will be headquartered at the Virginia Tech Research Center – Arlington, with other university partners — University of Virginia, George Mason University, Virginia Commonwealth University, Norfolk State University and Northern Virginia Community College — establishing nodes.
“Virginia is a great home for chips, microelectronics and technology,” Virginia Tech Professor Masoud Agah, founding director of VAST, said in a statement. “There is a lot we can do regionally, and together we can do a lot more. This alliance leverages our collective strengths and mobilizes partners throughout the state.”
VAST will create three 10-week Fast Track to Semiconductor Careers certificate programs: Chip Fabrication and Nano Characterization, Semiconductor Packaging and Characterization, and Semiconductor Equipment Maintenance and Repair. The initiative expects to enroll about 300 students per year, with veterans and underserved communities receiving preference, beginning in spring 2024. During the two-year grant period, VAST aims to train 600 adult learners, award 550 certificates and create up to 100 internships.
The alliance will have a cloud-based system to allow schools to share information and online training modules about new equipment and emerging technology with faculty and staff.
Virginia Innovation Partnership Corp. will collaborate with VAST to provide early-stage venture capital investment through its Virginia Venture Partners equity funds. VIPC will also offer grants for entrepreneur-in-residence, faculty R&D and lab equipment through the Commonwealth Commercialization Fund.
A study from George Mason University’s Center for Regional Analysis estimates that the program will produce more than $65 million in economic activity in five years.
Virginia Tech is no stranger to semiconductor workforce development. The university is one of 21 founding members of the Northeast University Semiconductor Network formed by Idaho-based Micron Technology Inc. and announced in early April. The Micron Foundation and National Science Foundation plan to jointly invest $10 million to fund and develop semiconductor curricula for colleges and universities.
Micron’s 2019 expansion of its manufacturing lab in Manassas was the largest economic development deal in Virginia’s history, with a more than $3 billion investment and more than 1,000 new jobs expected by 2030.
Virginia has been seeking semiconductor manufacturing plants as an economic development strategy, particularly following the passage of the CHIPS and Science Act, which includes $52.7 billion in funding for domestic semiconductor manufacturing and research. U.S. Sen. Mark Warner and state and local development officials met in August 2022 to discuss attracting facilities to four industrial sites in the state.
“Strong university partnerships, strategic programs and an ongoing talent pipeline are critical to be competitive in recruiting in this industry,” Virginia Economic Development Partnership President and CEO Jason Koubi said in a statement. “VAST will be a distinctive and compelling asset to market as we continue to aggressively pursue this dynamic and growing sector.”
Youngkin’s announcement precedes his first international trade trip, beginning Monday, during which he will promote Virginia as “the best place for the semiconductor and microelectronics ecosystem to thrive,” according to a news release. Youngkin plans to meet with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on the trip.
Amazon.com Inc. will partner with more than 140 colleges and universities, including five in Virginia, to provide fully-funded college tuition for its hourly employees, the company announced Thursday.
In the Richmond area, Amazon employees will have access to degrees at Virginia Commonwealth University, Reynolds Community College and John Tyler Community College. In Northern Virginia, they can go to Lord Fairfax Community College and Northern Virginia Community College. The courses can be taken in person, online or on-site at many of the company’s distribution centers.
It’s all part of Amazon’s Career Choice program, which is open to employees after 90 days of employment. They can pursue a bachelor’s degree, earn industry certifications and build other skills. The e-commerce giant made a pledge to commit more than $1.2 billion to provide free education and skills training opportunities to 300,000 of its employees by 2025.
“We’re committed to empowering our employees with easy access to the education and training they need to grow their careers, whether that’s with us or elsewhere,” Alicia Boler Davis, senior vice president of global customer fulfillment, said in a statement. “We’re thrilled today to be adding more education partners to our Career Choice program, which we hope will give our team access to the educational paths that fit their passions. Whether someone is looking to build their English proficiency skills, prepare for GED testing or earn their bachelor’s degree, we’re working to meet our employees wherever they are on their educational journey.”
Amazon has more than 30,000 full- and part-time workers in Virginia. It has 30 fulfillment, sorting and delivery stations across the state. Across the country, Amazon has more than 750,000 employees.
Northern Virginia businesses are optimistic about economic recovery but are feeling the effects of labor shortages, according to the 2021 Northern Virginia Workforce Index released Wednesday by Northern Virginia Community College and the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce.
Fifty-one percent of employers said that they felt “somewhat optimistic” and 24% felt “very optimistic” about the economy’s prospects over the next one to three years, and 45% were “somewhat optimistic” and 35% reported being “very optimistic” about their businesses’ prospects.
“This highlights the extent to which Northern Virginia’s resiliency during the pandemic has been a product of its industry landscape and economic reliance on large firms in the professional/technical services and public sectors,” which were able to transition to remote work more easily, according to the index’s authors, allowing that the survey’s overrepresentation of businesses in these sectors could have influenced the results.
The index combines survey responses from 91 regional business leaders with labor market data. Business leaders answered the 25 questions between June 30 and Aug. 25. Those surveyed were primarily at the C-suite/executive leadership level (74%), but also included directors of human resources (12%) and other managers with knowledge regarding their business’s hiring and talent development (14%).
The survey group was based on a sampling of convenience, so companies providing professional, business, financial or other services were more represented than leisure, hospitality, food service, retail and construction sectors. Similarly, mid-size businesses (with 20 to 500 employees) were overrepresented, as were businesses in Fairfax County (making up 48% of respondents).
The survey also asked business leaders whether their businesses’ activity (orders, sales, revenue, contracts, etc.) had returned to pre-pandemic levels. Thirty-one percent answered that their business activity did not decline due to the pandemic, while 27% answered that it had returned to normal. Most (27%) whose businesses had not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels expected their recovery to take 6 months or more.
A plurality (47%) of respondents thought that their businesses would increase their levels of paid employment by less than 15%, although 43% responded that since the start of 2020, their businesses did not have a significant change in paid employment levels.
Employers are facing labor shortages, however. Half reported that hiring has been more difficult than usual since the beginning of this year, and 42% indicated that an overall shortage of candidates has been a primary barrier to hiring over the last 12 months.
“Through the Workforce Index, we found that many Northern Virginia businesses continue to face talent recruitment challenges,” Northern Virginia Community College President Anne M. Kress said during the virtual index launch event. “Now is the perfect time for employers to tap into a broader, more diverse pool of job seekers through apprenticeship programs and other alternate methods.”
The top anticipated change in hiring practices are an emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion (66%) and the use of remote hiring (57%). Employers see remote work options (62%), flexible scheduling (59%) and generous health care benefits (59%), closely followed by generous vacation and sick time benefits (57%), as perks that have been the most successful in retaining talent.
Employers provided mixed responses to whether remote work will continue. Only 9% of respondents said that none of their employees would continue working remotely at least half the time on a permanent basis. The most chosen response, garnering 27%, was that a quarter or less of employees would remain primarily remote on a permanent basis. About a third of respondents reported that more than half of their workforce would continue working remotely most of the time. The responses largely reflect the represented industries, with most of the respondents in professional, business or financial services saying more than half of their workforce would work remotely, while goods-producing and direct-service businesses responded that fewer than half of their employees would remain remote.
The minimum level of education typically required for entry-level jobs based on survey responses was a high school diploma or less (44%), with a bachelor’s degree receiving the second-most responses (34%). Only 3% of employers responded that a graduate degree was the required level.
“It doesn’t make sense for individuals or employers to say that college is a necessary component of everyone’s skill set to work somewhere,” Paul Misener, Amazon.com Inc.’s vice president of global innovation policy and communications, said during the panel event. “It’s great if you want to get a four-year degree … but it’s not necessary. The good news is that employers are getting away from that. College remains an option and should be an option, but it shouldn’t be a necessary factor of everyone’s career and life.”
Most employers (86%) responded that general on-the-job training was the professional development benefit offered at their company, and 73% answered in-house training.
“The current moment presents an opportunity for businesses in Northern Virginia to reconsider alternate forms of recruiting and professional development/training, such as apprenticeships, internships and other work-based learning models, as a means for widening the pipeline of available talent in the region,” according to the index’s findings.
While many college presidents enjoy basketball, few have Abdullah’s moves. In March, a video of him tying up an opponent went viral, receiving millions of views and appearing on ESPN’s “SportsCenter.”
Abdullah has overseen dramatic turnarounds at Virginia State University since he became its 14th president in 2016.
Prior to his tenure, VSU was running a $19 million deficit and was put on academic warning by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Now VSU is on better financial footing and fully accredited by SACSCOC.
In 2018, Virginia State was named HBCU of the Year by HBCU Digest, which also named Abdullah its 2017 HBCU Male President of the Year.
Abdullah has overseen the establishment of an advisory board for LGBTQIA+ inclusion and implemented a 2020-2025 strategic plan. Last year, billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott donated $30 million to the university, its largest-ever single-donor gift.
FIRST JOB: When I was 13 years old, I was a counselor for mentally challenged young people. It was a lot of fun and great to feel as though I was making a difference in someone’s life.
Adams-Gaston
JAVAUNE ADAMS-GASTON
PRESIDENT, NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY, NORFOLK
A Washington, D.C., native, Adams-Gaston took the helm of Norfolk State University, a public, historically Black institution, in 2019. Since then, the school has secured more than $7 million in public and private partnerships, including with Apple Inc., Netflix Inc., Amazon.com Inc., Bank of America Corp. and Dominion Energy Inc. Additionally, the 5,457-student school has opened its NSU Innovation Center, a business incubator aimed at helping the school establish job and training pipelines in Hampton Roads.
Previously, as senior vice president for student life at The Ohio State University, Adams-Gaston dramatically increased student-organization activities, expanded the school’s campus living focus and implemented the national Second-Year Transformational Experience (STEP) program. She also helped the university raise $29 million toward an advanced student affairs development program and assisted in some of the school’s biggest construction projects.
NSU is part of the Virginia College Affordability Network, which provides free tuition and academic enrichment for Pell Grant-eligible students from Hampton Roads. The university, which employs 1,558 workers and 248 full-time faculty members, is also looking to expand its NSU Preschool Academy, a full- and part-time early childhood education and care program.
Adams-Gaston serves on the Hampton Roads Chamber Board of Directors.
Alger
JONATHAN R. ALGER
PRESIDENT, JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY, HARRISONBURG
In a year when many institutions were adversely impacted by the pandemic, JMU, under the leadership of Alger, the university’s sixth president, partnered with the Harrisonburg community on a Stop the Spread campaign and aided in local vaccine administration. The school also renamed three campus buildings that had honored Confederates.
Hired in 2012, Alger had previously served as senior vice president and general counsel at Rutgers University and as assistant general counsel for the University of Michigan, where he was a key adviser in two successful U.S. Supreme Court cases on diversity in college admissions.
His key initiatives include JMU’s Valley Scholars program, which offers full scholarships to first-generation Shenandoah Valley college students from low-income backgrounds.
He also has overseen major expansions, as well as the school’s $200 million Unleashed fundraising campaign, which reached its goal nearly a year and a half early. During the last year, JMU opened its 8,500-seat Atlantic Union Bank Center arena, the $72.1 million College of Business building and its new Dukes Dining Hall.
Alger received his bachelor’s degree in political science with a minor in history at Swarthmore College and earned his law degree from Harvard Law School.
Blake
PETER BLAKE
DIRECTOR, STATE COUNCIL OF HIGHER EDUCATION FOR VIRGINIA, RICHMOND
As the state’s point man for higher education, Blake worked during the pandemic to help institutions address issues related to COVID-19 prevention, testing and mitigation. He also helped develop Pathways to Opportunity, a statewide strategic plan for increasing access to higher education, making it more equitable and affordable. Additionally, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia entered into a partnership with the Virginia Chamber of Commerce to create the Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership internship program.
Blake has worked in higher education for 30 years, starting as a research analyst at SCHEV. He subsequently became a legislative analyst for the Virginia House Appropriations Committee, before serving as the state’s deputy secretary of education from 2002 to 2005 and secretary of education from 2005 to 2006. Blake was then vice chancellor for workforce development services for the Virginia Community College System before returning to SCHEV as interim director in 2011. He became director the following year. Blake serves on the boards of Lead Virginia and the Richmond Public Library Foundation.
HOBBY/PASSION: In the last several years, I have become more interested in walking and hiking, and have a reputation of forcing friends and family to get outside.
Collins
LANCE R. COLLINS
VICE PRESIDENT AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, VIRGINIA TECH INNOVATION CAMPUS, ALEXANDRIA
Since Collins became vice president and executive director of the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus in August 2020, a number of milestones have been achieved. A strategic plan for the $1 billion campus — currently being built out in Alexandria — has been developed for graduate education in computer science and computer engineering. In May, The Boeing Co. was named the campus’s first foundational partner, with a $50 million, multiyear commitment.
The inaugural Innovation Campus class — about 75 students based in the Washington, D.C., region pursuing master’s degrees in computer science and computer engineering — started in fall 2020; the campus’s first academic building, an 11-story, 300,000-square-foot structure, is scheduled to open in 2024.
During the pandemic, Collins mobilized alumni and students to build more than 70 custom desks for local low-income children doing virtual schooling. He also collaborated with Manumission Tour Co. to help inform students, staff and alumni about the contributions of African Americans in Alexandria. Collins serves on the board of trustees for the American Institute of Chemical Engineers Foundation and The Mitre Corp., as well as the advisory boards of the engineering colleges of the University of Delaware and the University of Michigan.
DuBois
GLENN DuBOIS
CHANCELLOR, VIRGINIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM, RICHMOND
The longest-serving chancellor in the Virginia Community College System’s 55-year history, DuBois is himself a community college graduate who has led the organization since 2001, seeing it through three strategic plans and into its fourth, Opportunity 2027.
In August, DuBois announced he plans to retire in June 2022, after having built the college system into the state’s leading provider of workforce training.
In addition to helping community colleges navigate the pandemic, DuBois played an integral role in establishing Gov. Ralph Northam’s G3 (Get a Skill. Get a Job. Get Ahead.) program, which helps fully pay tuition for low- and moderate-income Virginians pursuing degrees in high-demand fields. In May 2020, DuBois announced the launch of CollegeAnywhereVA.org, an online portal connecting students with affordable online courses and advisers who can streamline application and course enrollment processes.
DuBois is a supporter of the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education, which he founded. He also founded the Great Expectations program for foster youth through the foundation. He sits on the boards of VFCCE, Rebuilding America’s Middle Class, Virginia529 and the Virginia Space Grant Consortium. Virginia’s 23 community colleges employ roughly 18,000 faculty and staff members each year, serving a combined 250,000 individuals.
Fitzsimmons
TRACY FITZSIMMONS
PRESIDENT, SHENANDOAH UNIVERSITY, WINCHESTER
As Shenandoah University’s 16th president, Fitzsimmons leads an institution of 4,200 students and 900 faculty and staff at its 129-acre campus in Winchester, as well as sites in Clarke, Fairfax and Loudoun counties.
During the pandemic, SU saw its highest enrollment ever, continued in-person instruction uninterrupted and experienced no layoffs, furloughs or salary cuts. The university’s pharmacy school developed a COVID-19 saliva test to randomly sample asymptomatic students, and the pharmacy faculty sequenced samples to identify variants. The school also hosted a mass vaccination site, providing more than 70,000 shots.
Fitzsimmons serves on the boards of Shenandoah Telecommunications Inc. and GO Virginia’s Region 8 council. She is a past president of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, past chair of the Council of Independent Colleges in Virginia and past president of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. She also serves on the boards of the Loudoun Education Foundation and Blue Ridge Region BB&T Bank.
Fitzsimmons graduated magna cum laude from Princeton University, earning a bachelor’s degree in politics. She also earned master’s and doctoral degrees from Stanford University in Latin American studies and political science, respectively.
Hallock
KEVIN F. HALLOCK
PRESIDENT, UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, RICHMOND
An economist and compensation and labor market scholar, Hallock took the helm at UR on Aug. 15, 2021.
His leadership of the university comes on the heels of a pandemic year that also saw controversy erupt after the UR board of trustees decided in February and March to retain the names of two buildings named for historical figures who had enslaved people and supported racial segregation. Following an uproar, the board announced in April it would “suspend” its decision. Hallock’s predecessor, Ronald A. Crutcher, the school’s first Black president, had spoken in favor of the board’s initial decision.
Prior to joining UR, Hallock served as the dean of Cornell University’s SC Johnson College of Business. During his time at Cornell, he also chaired the Department of Economics in the College of Arts and Sciences and in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations.
Hallock graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and earned his master’s degree and doctorate in economics from Princeton University.
Harvey
WILLIAM R. HARVEY
PRESIDENT, HAMPTON UNIVERSITY, HAMPTON
In the world of academia, few presidents have had the longevity of Harvey, who has served since 1978 as president of Hampton University, a historically Black school founded in 1868 to provide education to freedmen. In December 2020, the university announced that Harvey would retire in June 2022 after more than four decades as president. He is the eighth longest-serving university president currently serving in the United States and the 28th longest-serving in U.S. history.
During his tenure, Hampton has launched 92 academic degrees, added 29 buildings to its campus and grown its endowment from $29 million to more than $300 million. In July 2020, the university received its largest-ever donation, a $30 million gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, ex-wife of Amazon.com Inc. founder and Executive Chairman Jeff Bezos.
The president and full owner of the Pepsi Cola Bottling Co. of Houghton, Michigan, Harvey has said he would like to explore developing a slavery museum after retirement.
He and his wife, Norma, have donated more than $8.5 million to the university. Its William R. Harvey Leadership Institute bears his name, the main thoroughfare through the 314-acre campus is William Harvey Way and the library is named for the Harveys.
Hemphill
BRIAN O. HEMPHILL
PRESIDENT, OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY, NORFOLK
In February, Old Dominion University announced that Radford University President Brian Hemphill had been selected as ODU’s ninth president, succeeding John Broderick, the university’s president of 13 years.
Hemphill, who has led Radford since 2016, takes the helm as ODU is partnering with Norfolk State University to develop a regional School of Public Health.
It’s something he definitely knows about. In 2019, Hemphill negotiated a merger with the Jefferson College of Health Sciences and a partnership with Roanoke-based Carilion Clinic to create Radford University Carilion. Radford’s nursing program is now the second largest in Virginia.
During Hemphill’s tenure, Radford also received its largest-ever individual and alumni gifts, while growing its endowment by $20 million. Radford also saw its total enrollment reach a record 11,870 students in fall 2019, and the school received $101 million in state funding for the largest capital project in Radford history, its Artis Center for Adaptive Innovation and Creativity.
Before joining Radford, Hemphill was president of West Virginia State University. He received his doctorate in higher education administration and policy studies from the University of Iowa.
Henry
DONNA PRICE HENRY
CHANCELLOR, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA’S COLLEGE AT WISE, WISE
Since becoming U.Va. Wise’s chancellor in 2013, Henry has launched the school’s $100 million Honor the Future fundraising campaign and its strategic plan for 2030.
In fall 2019, she implemented innovate2eleVAte, a program that provided iPads, smart pencils and keyboards to students and faculty. That made it easier for the school to transition to online classes amid the pandemic.
Also a professor of biology at U.Va. Wise, Henry earned her bachelor’s degree in biological basis of behavior, with a minor in Spanish, from the University of Pennsylvania, and she earned her doctorate in physiology from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.
Henry serves on the boards of the Virginia Business Higher Education Council and the Southwest Virginia Public Education Consortium. She is also on the leadership council for the nonprofit STRONG Accountable Care Community, which works to improve overall health in the region.
She and her husband, Allen, a pilot for FedEx Corp., are the parents of adult twin daughters.
BEVERAGE OF CHOICE:Wine. My husband and I enjoy good food and wine. When we travel, we seek out interesting restaurants to try new things. Wine paired with food makes the meal more enjoyable.
Kress
ANNE M. KRESS
PRESIDENT, NORTHERN VIRGINIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE, ANNANDALE
Not many people can describe themselves as the first lady of the United States’ boss, but Kress can.
First lady Jill Biden has been an English professor at NOVA since 2009, when Joe Biden was vice president. She took a break during the campaign and transition to the White House but has returned to her teaching post, making her the only first lady to hold an outside job during her husband’s presidency.
In addition to her connection to Biden, Kress is probably best known for supporting workforce development. Since becoming NOVA’s sixth president in January 2020, Kress and the college have assisted Gov. Ralph Northam’s G3 (Get Skilled, Get a Job, Give Back) workforce development initiative, helped launch the Taskforce on Higher Education and Opportunity and received a $1 million grant from the Bank of America Corp. for job skills training support for students of color.
Kress serves on the board of the American Association of Community Colleges and the executive committee of the Taskforce on Higher Education and Opportunity.
She holds a doctorate in higher education administration from the University of Florida.
Lane
JAMES F. LANE
SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC EDUCATION, VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, RICHMOND
Appointed Virginia’s public education czar in 2018, Lane guided the state’s 1,860 public schools through the challenges of the pandemic.
He helped expand virtual instruction throughout the state, delivering guidance on safely reopening schools to in-person instruction and managing $3 billion in federal pandemic relief funding. He also served as co-chairman of the Southern Regional Education Board’s K-12 Education Recovery Task Force, providing reopening guidance to 16 member states.
Lane worked with the Virginia Board of Education this past year to update the state’s curriculum to reflect recommendations issued by Gov. Ralph Northam’s African American History Education Commission. He also supported the board as it updated teacher evaluation standards to include cultural competency in response to General Assembly legislation.
In May 2021, Lane testified at a federal House Education and Labor subcommittee hearing on the impact of COVID-19 on students experiencing homelessness and children in foster care. Lane also is overseeing the mandated expansion of VDOE to include responsibility for state and state-funded early childhood education programs.
Lane previously served as school superintendent in Chesterfield, Middlesex and Goochland counties; he was Virginia Superintendent of the Year in 2017.
McDonnell
KARL McDONNELL
PRESIDENT AND CEO, STRATEGIC EDUCATION INC., ARLINGTON
As the head of SEI, an education services holding company that includes the for-profit Strayer University and Capella University, McDonnell has focused this past year on introducing new affordability programs such as no-cost general education courses for students through the company’s Sophia Learning division.
SEI also launched its Workforce Edge platform to serve as a one-stop shop for employers looking to administer their tuition assistance benefit programs. Additionally, SEI began a new chapter by acquiring Australia/New Zealand-based Torrens University Australia, Think Education and Media Design School.
After first coming to SEI in 2006 as its chief operating officer, McDonnell joined its board of directors in 2011 and was named president and CEO in 2013. Previously, McDonnell served as chief operating officer of InteliStaf Healthcare Inc., one of the nation’s largest privately held health care staffing firms. He also served as vice president of the investment banking division at Goldman Sachs Group Inc. McDonnell has held senior management positions with several Fortune 100 companies, including The Walt Disney Co.
McDonnell is a graduate of Virginia Wesleyan College and Duke University, and he previously served as president and CEO of Strayer.
Paino
TROY D. PAINO
PRESIDENT, UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON, FREDERICKSBURG
Following a six-year stint as president of Missouri’s Truman State University, Paino took office in 2016 as UMW’s 10th president. Since then, he has concentrated on student and faculty diversity, creating a cabinet position in charge of equity and access, and increasing opportunities for minority and nontraditional learners.
Paino has also worked to put UMW on a firmer financial footing, overseeing the renovation of many buildings and the school’s amphitheater. Two of the school’s original residence halls have been brought up to 21st-century standards, and the former dining hall is being transformed into the new home for UMW’s College of Education.
During the height of the pandemic, UMW was among the state institutions with the lowest number of COVID-19 cases.
Paino earned master’s and doctoral degrees in American studies from Michigan State University. He holds a law degree from Indiana University and a bachelor’s degree in history and philosophy from what is now Evangel University.
He is a member of the Association of American Colleges and Universities’ Presidents’ Trust, a past president of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges and a member of the NCAA Division III Presidents Council.
Jerry Prevo
JERRY PREVO
PRESIDENT, LIBERTY UNIVERSITY, LYNCHBURG
Formerly the chairman of Liberty’s board of trustees, Prevo became the interim president of Virginia’s largest school by enrollment in August 2020, following the high-profile series of scandals that led to the resignation of Jerry Falwell Jr., Liberty’s former president and chancellor, whom the university is suing for breach of contract.
Since then, Liberty, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, has dropped the “interim” when describing Prevo, president of one of the world’s largest Christian universities and the nation’s second largest online university.
Prevo also inherited some problems. In July, 12 women filed a lawsuit against Liberty, saying the school’s previous leaders created an environment that put them at higher risk of sexual assault and rape.
Prior to leading Liberty, Prevo was the founder and senior pastor of Alaska’s most influential Baptist church, Anchorage Baptist Temple, for nearly 50 years. A prominent evangelist and entrepreneur, Prevo has received criticism from the LGBTQ community for positions he’s taken in past years opposing gay rights.
Prevo hired former Anchorage Baptist pastor Glenn Clary, who also chaired the Alaska Republican Party, as Liberty’s vice president of strategic partnerships and alliances, a newly created position.
A Tennessee native and a University of Tennessee graduate, Prevo is also chairman and CEO of Christian Broadcasting Inc., which runs TV and radio stations in Alaska.
Qarni
ATIF QARNI
SECRETARY OF EDUCATION, COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, RICHMOND
As the state’s education secretary, Qarni assembled a work group last year to align education policies and develop recovery plans in response to the pandemic. Qarni and his office also worked with the state departments of health and education to provide guidance to school divisions, which were forced to close in March 2020.
This fall, most students are expected to return in person to public schools. In May, Gov. Ralph Northam announced $62.7 million in Virginia LEARNS Education Recovery grants to help fund school division initiatives to address learning deficits. Qarni and his office have also taken steps to address systemic inequities, including directing federal emergency funding to expand pre-K in 2020.
Appointed in 2018, Qarni hails from Pakistan and holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from George Washington University and a master’s in history from George Mason University. He was deployed to Iraq in 2003 during Operation Iraqi Freedom as a U.S. Marine Corps sergeant.
FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM:Baltimore Ravens
FIRST JOB:I went door to door to sell subscriptions for The Baltimore Sun and worked at Pizza Boli’s when I was growing up.
Rao
MICHAEL RAO
PRESIDENT, VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY, RICHMOND
One of Virginia’s highest-paid state officials, earning $1.1 million in 2019, Rao heads the largest employer in the Richmond area.
Since coming to VCU in 2009 from Central Michigan University — where he also served as president — Rao has overseen the addition of more than 5.3 million square feet to the university, including the construction of a $158.6 million medical education center, a $50.8 million renovation of Cabell Library and the 2018 opening of the $41 million Institute for Contemporary Art.
Rao also oversees the VCU Health System, which has a $325 million expansion in the works.
In July, VCU launched a six-year plan to develop its research enterprise priorities, pledging $10 million in research funding for the first two years. The university received one of its largest gifts in December 2020, $24 million from the C. Kenneth and Dianne Wright Foundation, spread among engineering, clinical research and the VCU Health Adult Outpatient Pavilion.
Rao is chair of the Virginia Bio+Tech Partnership Authority, as well as a senior advisory board member of the Northern Virginia Technology Council and vice chair for the American Council on Education.
Robertson
M.G. ‘PAT’ ROBERTSON
CHANCELLOR AND CEO, REGENT UNIVERSITY, VIRGINIA BEACH
A native of Lexington, Robertson is a 91-year-old televangelist best known for his Christian Broadcasting Network show “The 700 Club” and his Republican political influence.
In 1977, Robertson founded CBN University on the Virginia Beach campus of his television network. Now known as Regent, the university employs more than 1,500 people and teaches more than 11,000 students online and on campus. Referred to as the “Harvard of the Christian Right,” Regent has produced alumni such as former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, “Arrested Development” and “Veep” actor Tony Hale and radio host Jay Sekulow, who served as lead outside counsel for former President Donald Trump’s first impeachment trial.
During the pandemic, Regent froze tuition, increased online courses and developed a series of webinars to help families navigate the challenges posed by COVID-19. Regent nurses administered vaccines to the community, and the school’s Psychological Services Center provided counseling and therapy.
Long a controversial figure, Robertson weighed in on the controversy surrounding critical race theory in June 2021, calling it a “monstrous evil” that encourages Black people to hold “the whip handle” over white people. However, the Trump supporter acknowledged the president’s loss of the 2020 election in December, well before many other prominent conservatives did.
Rowe
KATHERINE A. ROWE
PRESIDENT, WILLIAM & MARY, WILLIAMSBURG
The former provost and dean of faculty at Smith College in Massachusetts, Rowe became president of William & Mary in 2018. Under her leadership, the “public ivy” has undertaken initiatives that include an entrepreneurship hub, a teaching innovation studio, a long-range sustainability plan and efforts to increase diversity and inclusion.
During the pandemic, Rowe dealt with a revenue drop-off caused by the shift to remote learning. Though the college successfully moved 2,000 courses online in just 10 days, it also initiated a hiring freeze and cleaved $17 million from its budget. Rowe took a 15% salary cut. At the same time, 2020 saw the school raise $149.9 million — its highest-ever annual fundraiser — and complete a decadelong $1.04 billion fundraising campaign.
Beginning this fall, the university is offering full-tuition scholarships to 10 Virginia students from low-income backgrounds in partnership with New York nonprofit The Posse Foundation. W&M also launched a program for veterans with a $10 million anonymous donation last year.
Rowe, who holds degrees from Harvard University and Carleton College, is co-founder and former CEO of Luminary Digital Media and serves on the boards of the Northern Virginia Technology Council and the Virginia Space Grant Consortium.
Ryan
JAMES E. RYAN
PRESIDENT, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA, CHARLOTTESVILLE
A first-generation college student, Ryan came to U.Va. in 2018 with an extraordinary resume. He previously served as dean of Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, graduated summa cum laude from Yale University and earned his law degree from U.Va., graduating first in his class. He also clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist.
In his first year as president of U.Va., Ryan launched a $5 billion capital fundraising campaign and helped raise $850 million. When the pandemic struck, he led a shift to remote work for employees and sent students home. Ryan and his team oversaw the development of resources to adapt to the new paradigm, led a team of medical experts to install COVID-19 testing sites and partnered with health officials to establish vaccination sites.
The pandemic, which caused financial losses for most universities, led to staff furloughs and hourly reductions at U.Va., as well as salary cuts for Ryan and other officials. However, the university also brought in some of its biggest donations in the past year, including a $50 million gift announced in June from alumni Martha and Bruce Karsh to start the nonpartisan Karsh Institute of Democracy.
Sands. Photos courtesy Virginia Tech
TIMOTHY ‘TIM’ SANDS
PRESIDENT, VIRGINIA TECH, BLACKSBURG
A celebrated scientist and expert in the field of light-emitting diodes, Sands came to Virginia Tech in 2014 from Purdue University, where he served as acting president, executive vice president and provost.
Progress is underway on the forthcoming $1 billion Virginia Tech Innovation Campus in Alexandria. In late 2020, Tech alumni Mehul and Hema Sanghani made a $10 million gift to the university, $7.4 million of which will support the Sanghani Center for Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics set to open in Alexandria in 2024.
In May, aerospace and defense contractor Boeing made a record $50 million, multiyear commitment to back scholarships, recruit faculty and researchers, and fund K-12 pathway programs at the Innovation Campus. Boeing’s gift tied the university’s previous largest donation made in 2019 by the Fralin family, supporting the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC. Sands called the Boeing gift “a milestone moment” that will propel the Washington, D.C., area toward becoming “the world’s next major tech hub.”
Sands, who earned engineering and physics degrees from the University of California at Berkeley, chairs the Virginia Space Grant Consortium and serves on other boards.
Washington
GREGORY WASHINGTON
PRESIDENT, GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY, FAIRFAX
In taking the reins at George Mason in July 2020, Washington arrived at one of the most challenging times for any institution — in the midst of a worldwide pandemic. However, under his leadership, the state’s largest four-year public university recorded no significant outbreaks, and its enrollment increased by 2.1%.
A first-generation college student and the university’s first Black president, Washington previously was dean of the University of California, Irvine’s Henry Samueli School of Engineering. He earned his degrees in mechanical engineering from North Carolina State University.
On tap for next spring is the construction of a $168 million expansion of Mason’s Arlington campus near Amazon.com Inc.’s HQ2 headquarters. The 360,500-square-foot research, learning and business center is central to the state’s Tech Talent Investment Program, under which GMU has pledged to produce 2,277 additional bachelor’s and 5,328 master’s graduates in computer science and engineering during the next 20 years.
In February, Washington formed an advisory panel of nearly 30 regional business executives and community leaders to guide GMU’s innovation initiative.
FIRST JOB:My first job was working on a construction site as a laborer. I mixed cement in a wheelbarrow and loaded and carried bricks to the brick masons.
Wins
MAJ. GEN. CEDRIC T. WINS (U.S. ARMY, RET.)
SUPERINTENDENT, VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE, LEXINGTON
It’s been a rocky year for VMI. After current and former Black cadets spoke to reporters about alleged racist behavior at the military college last year, Gov. Ralph Northam ordered a third-party investigation of VMI last fall. The retirement of the former superintendent, retired Army Gen. J.H. Binford Peay III, soon followed.
Wins, a 1985 alumnus, came in as VMI’s interim superintendent in November 2020, and he was appointed the school’s permanent leader this April.
In June, the state issued its report, finding that VMI fosters a culture of “silence, fear and intimidation” regarding racist acts and sexual assault and harassment. Northam blasted his 1981 alma mater, saying “institutional racism and sexism are present, tolerated and too often left unaddressed.”
VMI’s first Black superintendent, Wins issued an action plan that aims to address issues of diversity and inclusion and hired VMI’s first chief diversity officer. Northam said he will expect significant progress in coming months, warning, “VMI is an agency of state government, and we will hold it accountable.”
Wins previously held many leadership and staff assignments during his 34-year military career, including in the Army’s Headquarters Department and at the Joint Staff at the Pentagon.
AT&T has created an IT apprenticeship program with Northern Virginia Community College and the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry, the company announced Tuesday.
The two-year program will offer students information technology training and 2,000 hours of on-the-job training in technical, soft skills, lab work and related skills. They will earn five industry certifications in A+, Network+, Security+, CCNA and ITIL.
Those selected will work as part-time AT&T employees and train at NOVA’s Reston complex and AT&T’s Oakton facility.
“Identifying and hiring qualified information technology talent continues to be a challenge for federal agencies,” said Jill Singer, vice president-defense and national security for AT&T’s public sector and FirstNet, in a statement. “In particular, national security agencies face challenges such as high-level security clearances and a need for specific IT skill sets, which can make it even harder for them to grow their talent base.”
Those who complete the training and are approved for federal government security clearance are expected to be hired by AT&T as full-time employees.
Applications are being accepted from Aug. 26 to Sept. 23. Students will be selected by late October and training will begin in January.
“Information technology jobs in our region are projected to grow, on average, 1.5% each year over the next decade — three times the regional average for all jobs — and we currently have more information technology jobs open in Northern Virginia than people qualified to fill these critical roles,” said Steven Partridge, vice present of strategy, research and workforce innovation for NOVA, in a statement. “Building the IT talent pipeline for the Northern Virginia region is crucial and NOVA is proud to partner with AT&T to provide an innovative opportunity for our current and former students to launch their IT careers.”
Metallica’s foundation, All Within My Hands, has awarded Northern Virginia Community College’s nursing program $100,000, according to a news release.
The funding will assist with providing resources for student achievements in the health field and will help students starting their careers in the college’s certified nursing assistant program.
“Our region saw nearly 9,100 job postings for health care positions last quarter. This data highlights the critical need to grow the regional talent pipeline,” said Steven Partridge, vice president of strategy, research and workforce innovation at NOVA, in a statement. “We are honored to partner with Metallica, AWMH and AACC to expand training opportunities and remove barriers to enable more individuals to pursue their career in health care.”
The Metallica Scholars Initiative was designed to support students while elevating the importance of career and technical education. The initiative is in its third year.
Metallica’s foundation has given money to community colleges all over the country.
“As a touring entity, we are in direct involvement with multiple essential career choices along our path — from electrical, professional driving, culinary, mechanical, maintenance, public safety, logistical organizers; and that just scratches the surface — those, along with a multitude of other technical careers, make our touring and our performances possible. We are passionate and grateful to these trades and tradespeople,” James Hetfield, Metallica’s vocalist/guitarist and co-founder, said in a statement.
Legislation creating a tuition-free community college program in Virginia became law Monday, as Gov. Ralph Northam held a bill signing ceremony at Northern Virginia Community College for the “Get Skilled, Get a Job, Give Back” program, one of his signature initiatives.
Known as G3, the program provides funding for tuition, fees and books and other expenses for eligible low- and middle-income students who are pursuing degrees in high-demand fields, including health care, information technology and computer science, manufacturing and skilled trades, public safety and early childhood education. It is funded via a $36 million state budget allocation.
G3 recipients must have a total household income that does not exceed 400% of the federal poverty line and must have applied for other federal or state financial aid programs for which they are eligible. The G3 program makes up the difference between what federal or state financial aid pays for tuition, fees, and books.
Eligible low-income students who qualify for full federal Pell grants and are enrolled full time also can receive student support grants of up to $900 per semester and $450 during the summer term to assist with expenses such as food, transportation and child care.
Participating institutions will receive a performance payment for each G3 student who completes 30 credit hours and an additional performance payment for each student who receives an associate degree.
“Building an equitable and inclusive economy is more important than ever as we emerge from this pandemic,” Northam said in a statement. “The G3 program will connect thousands of Virginians with the skills, training and resources they need to secure jobs in high-demand fields and support themselves and their families — all without being forced to shoulder mountains of student debt. Tuition-free community college was one of the key issues I ran on during my campaign for governor, and I am thrilled to be delivering on that promise.”
In a statement, NOVA President Anne M. Kress said, “For NOVA, G3 puts a college degree that leads to a meaningful career within reach of the full diversity of the commonwealth. An investment in community college students is an investment in Virginia, one that will help families find economic security while helping the state achieve economic growth.”
According to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV), associate’s degree graduates in 2018-19 pursuing bachelor’s degrees in Virginia had a median debt of $12,000 at graduation, and those graduating with occupational or technical associate’s degrees that year had a median debt of $15,863 .
“With increased financial stress due to the pandemic, we are seeing more middle- and low- income Virginians delay looking for new job opportunities,” Virginia Secretary of Education Atif Qarni said in a statement. “The G3 program provides critical funding to ensure students are equipped to complete the training that will enable them enter and excel in high-need fields.”
Bank of America donated $1 million to Northern Virginia Community College to help students of color complete education and training necessary for the workforce as part of its $25 million commitment to community colleges, historically Black colleges and universities, and Latino-serving institutions.
Using the donation, NOVA intends to develop and expand programs to meet skill gaps for in-demand, higher-paying jobs. Bank of America will work with regional employers on hiring needs and career pathways for future employment. Twenty-one U.S. higher education institutions were granted funding, with NOVA as the only Virginia-based recipient.
“NOVA is committed to ensuring that every student achieves and every community prospers, and with this investment, we will connect even more students to in-demand workforce pathways that lead to meaningful, sustaining careers, ensuring that the full diversity of our community is supported with the resources they need to achieve,” NOVA President Anne M. Kress said in a statement. “We thank Bank of America for this grant and for their dedication to closing income and opportunity gaps.”
Bank of America in September announced its partnership with the Virginia Ready Initiative, which serves to train Virginians for in-demand jobs. The company has also provided more than $3 million in job-initiative grants to Northern Virginia nonprofits that are working to connect people to regional jobs. These initiatives are part of the bank’s recent $1 billion, four-year commitment to advance racial equity and economic opportunity.
“Bank of America looks forward to working with NOVA and other employers in the DMV to identify needed skills and help create economic opportunity and a path to employment for qualified, well-trained talent,” Larry Di Rita, Bank of America’s market president for Greater Washington, D.C., said in a statement.
Bank of America operates 121 banks in Virginia. With $91.2 billion in revenue, 66 million clients and 210,000 employees worldwide, the Charlotte-based bank is the second-largest banking institution in the country.
Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) announced Monday it is partnering with the city of Manassas, Prince William County, Virginia Career Works and the SkillsSource Group to launch the $1.9 million ELEVATE Program to provide free education and workforce services. Funded by federal CARES Act funding, the program will also help businesses to upskill their workforces.
Participants in the weekslong program can start their free training at NOVA in areas including information technology, health care, professional education and English language skills. Most courses will be offered online due to COVID-19, but some courses in health care may be offered in person with restrictions in place at NOVA’s Manassas campus.
“We already have one of the strongest, most innovative, and productive workforces in the country,” Christina Winn, Prince William County Department of Economic Development executive director, said in a statement. “These resources will not only help residents get back to work, but also return to the workforce armed with new skills and abilities that will help them advance in their careers, be more productive, and help make our economy more resilient.”
Examples of training options. Infographic courtesy Elevate program
The partnership includes funding for free education and certifications as well as transportation, stipends and job placement services. Some programs will also include guaranteed interviews with local employers.
The grant cycle will run from September through the end of December and funding will continue until exhausted.
“By removing cost as a barrier and adding supportive services, the city can best help residents get jobs,” Economic Development Director Patrick Small said in a statement. “By helping people get jobs we help businesses meet their workforce needs.”
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