Two VGCC students are first apprentices in new HVAC partnership

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— courtesy VGCC

Two VGCC students are first apprentices in new HVAC partnership

Jared Akers of Franklinton and Cyrus Jover of Henderson, both students in the Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Technology program at Vance-Granville Community College, recently became the first participants in the college’s new apprenticeship partnership with Youngsville-based Frigi-Temp.

The apprenticeship model involves a combination of formal education with on-the-job training at Frigi-Temp, a commercial HVAC and refrigeration service provider and licensed mechanical contractor that has been serving central North Carolina since 2001. The program takes approximately four years for an apprentice to complete. Not only are apprentices paid, but their college tuition is free.

Akers and Jover were already enrolled in the Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Technology program when Frigi-Temp CEO Cory Thornton spoke to VGCC students about the new opportunity to become apprentices. Akers, a South Granville High School graduate, said that the program appealed to him “because it meant I could go to school and get experience in the field at the exact same time.” He had looked for apprenticeships before and was thrilled that VGCC had started the program.

“I went into the HVAC field because I researched, on websites like austinductcleaning.us, and found out that it’s a growing field with a large shortage of technicians, so the opportunities are really wide-open for younger technicians,” Akers added. “Frigi-Temp is a quality company, outstanding in customer service and awesome with their employees, so I’m very glad that this is the first company I get to work for. The experience so far has been amazing.” He said that in just one month, he has learned a great deal through hands-on experience.

Jover had already worked in the HVAC field for almost four years before he became an apprentice, but he had only worked in residential installation. He jumped at the chance to gain a new type of experience. “Commercial HVAC is fun and opens me up to a whole new world of possibilities,” Jover said. “It’s something new every day. Frigi-Temp lets their apprentices become immersed in many different specialties, not just one type of service.” Jover is originally from the Philippines, where he earned a college degree in Biology before coming to the United States seven years ago, at age 20. Here, he found that the HVAC field had numerous job openings. He enrolled at VGCC, first as a part-time and then a full-time student. Now, he is done with almost all of his classwork and spends most of his time working at Frigi-Temp.

Both apprentices sometimes work a full 40 hours per week at the company while continuing their studies.

Students interested in enrolling in the Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Technology program can contact program head Wesley Smith at smithw@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3214. Employers interested in partnering with VGCC on apprenticeships are encouraged to contact Ken Wilson at wilsonk@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3259 for more information.

–VGCC–

(VGCC is an advertising client of WIZS.  This is a press release from VGCC.  It is not a paid advertisement.)

Legacy of Martin Luther King discussed at VGCC

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— courtesy VGCC

Vance-Granville Community College hosted a program to discuss the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on Jan. 24, after being postponed due to winter weather. The discussion was sponsored by the college’s Minority Male Success Initiative and was held in the Civic Center on VGCC’s Main Campus.

VGCC Counselor Cathy Davis made remarks about the purpose of the event and the King holiday. She quoted the King Center, which said the observance commemorates Dr. King’s actions and words that “answered our collective longing to become a country that truly lived by its noblest principles.” Davis added, “The Minority Male Success Initiative invites you to commemorate this holiday by making your personal commitment to serve humanity, promote Dr. King’s teachings and carry forward his legacy.”

The program then featured VGCC student Angelica Bridges of Oxford presenting a powerful rendition of the song, “Rise Up.”

The featured speaker for the event was Roberta Scott, a longtime public school teacher and retired Adult High School coordinator for VGCC. Scott is currently a member of the Warren County Board of Education, an officer of the N.C. School Boards Association, and an advisor to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. In 1963, she participated in the March on Washington, at which Dr. King delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.

First, Scott described growing up in Washington, D.C, in an era when the nation’s capital was racially segregated, recalling the practices that restricted her access to certain restaurants, playgrounds, schools and even seats on trains. She then put the 1963 march in its political and historical context.

“Dr. King met with President John F. Kennedy, and he told the president about the severity of the injustices in the country,” Scott recalled. “Dr. King said we needed a civil rights bill. President Kennedy told him, ‘I understand, but we have so other many things going on’ and said it couldn’t get done right now.”

Scott said that, after that somewhat disappointing conversation with the president, King’s next move was “to organize a nonviolent march in Washington, the march to the Lincoln memorial, which Dr. King felt would be a fitting place.”

She remembered, “There were 250,000 people who marched that August 28 — people marching cheerfully, having conversations, and there was no violence whatsoever. You saw whole families, children marching with their parents. My husband and I were there, and our four-year-old daughter marched right along with us. It was a sight that you will never forget.”

“I don’t think President Kennedy expected Dr. King to really go back and organize such a march,” Scott noted. With many national civil rights groups working together to organize the massive demonstration, the event was effective in galvanizing public support for a federal civil rights bill, which ultimately was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson after Kennedy’s assassination.

Scott said that young people today typically cannot imagine what the era of segregation was like, because of the work that was done by King and other leaders to make change happen. “You can go anywhere to eat, you can sit where you want to on the bus or the train, go to the college you want to go to, you can do all of these things without even having to think about it,” Scott said. “But there was a day when you couldn’t do that. It’s hard for you to realize.”

She emphasized the importance of rejecting hatred and of voting. “We need to become passionate in a nonviolent way, and we need to encourage everyone 18 years or older to vote,” Scott said. “Do whatever you can in your community to help, to make a difference, and to keep Dr. King’s dream alive, the dream of equality and freedom.”

The program was one of two organized by the VGCC Minority Male Success Initiative in honor of the King holiday. The other was a trip for students to the International Civil Rights Center & Museum in Greensboro.

–VGCC–

VGCC guest speaker starts series on the brain

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— courtesy VGCC

Phil Dixon is passionate about the human brain, and he communicated his passion in a fascinating Jan. 30 discussion that kicked off a series of three lectures hosted by Vance-Granville Community College, entitled “Using Your Brain for a Change.”

Originally from England, Dixon has lived in Oxford, N.C., for less than a year. His work history has spanned many different industries and parts of the world, including a stint at Apple.

Today, though, Dixon spends much of his time reading the latest research about neuroscience and determining how that research can be translated into practical application in our daily lives. In particular, Dixon is deeply involved in the application of neuroscience to leadership and management issues.

He said the reason that he and others focus on the brain is simple. “Everything we think, do and dream starts right between your ears, so I think it’s pretty important to take a look at what’s going on there,” Dixon said. Beyond that, he recalled that, years ago, he noticed the abundance of books and articles being published by supposed experts on the subject of leadership. “And yet, with all that available, we didn’t seem to be producing any better leaders,” Dixon said. “In fact, we seemed to be producing leaders who were getting worse. I wondered why. I studied and realized that if we can better understand the brain, maybe we can be better leaders.”

Dixon began his interactive presentation by giving the audience an outline of the brain’s structure, which can be divided not only into two halves but also into three “layers.”

“The first layer, going from bottom to top, is what is sometimes called the ‘lizard brain,’ which is the activator for the fight-or-flight response,” Dixon explained. “It’s pretty much on autopilot. It keeps you breathing.” Second is the “mammalian brain” or the “limbic system.” “This layer is responsible for managing your emotions, memories, biases and habits, and is the activator of decision-making,” he said. “Finally there is the neocortex, which is responsible for those things we typically describe as what make us human: language, imagination, consciousness and reasoning.”

Dixon said that each of the brain’s approximately 86 billion neurons is connected to thousands of other neurons. “We used to think the brain looked like a computer, but now we think it looks more like the Internet, with everything connected to everything else,” he said. “Your brain continues to change, and make new connections, throughout your life. Its ‘neuroplasticity,’ its ability to change, is huge.”

The human brain is constantly “scanning” the environment, Dixon explained, picking up on cues that indicate potential threats and potential rewards. “Of all the ‘circuitry’ in the brain, we have five times as many circuits in the brain to pick up threats as we do to pick up rewards,” he said.

He described the brain’s reactions with the “Five P’s”: Protection, Participation, Prediction, Purpose and Pleasure. “What people want is to feel physically and emotionally safe, we want to feel part of the group, and to be able to predict or have control over our environment,” Dixon said. “If those are taken care of, we feel safe. Then, we are able to find out what our purpose is in life, and we can enjoy the pleasures of life.”

Dixon said he was “blown away” when he learned that researchers discovered that the brain treats an emotional threat in the exact same way as a physical threat. “If I diss or reject someone or shout at them, to the brain, it’s exactly the same as if I slapped them around,” he noted.

Chemically, Dixon said, when a human feels threatened, the brain releases cortisol, the so-called “stress hormone.” The bad news is that the cortisol “hangs around” in the brain for between two and five hours after the threat. “So in most work or learning environments, you really don’t want to put someone’s brain into a threat state if you can possibly avoid it, because cortisol practically shuts down someone’s ability to plan and organize, initiate and learn,” Dixon argued.

One thing that puts the brain into a “threat state,” he explained, is change. “We are in a “VUCA” environment today: volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity,” he said. “The brain likes to be able to predict things.”

Dixon’s series continues on Tuesday, Feb. 27, with “Your Brain on its Own,” focusing on how the brain operates when people are alone, including how they focus, make decisions and manage stress and time. The lecture is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. to noon, in the small auditorium in Building 2 on VGCC’s Main Campus in Vance County. The public is invited.

The series concludes with “Your Brain with Another Person” on Tuesday, March 27. Dixon’s lectures are presented by VGCC’s Office of the Endowment. For more information, call Endowment Director Eddie Ferguson at (252) 738-3264.

–VGCC–

N.C. Department of Labor Safety Award Submission Deadline Feb 16, 2018

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— press release from N.C. Department of Labor

The N.C. Department of Labor has begun accepting applications from businesses that qualify for a workplace safety award. Safety awards are presented to companies throughout the year that have demonstrated above-average worker safety and health programs.

“Our safety awards program recognizes employers and employees that are committed to promoting safe work environments in their communities,” state Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry said. “It is always a great honor to recognize those businesses and organizations that go beyond the standard, for a good safety record is something they can be quite proud of.”

Businesses that qualify for the award must meet two requirements. They must be free of fatalities at the site for which they are applying. The site’s injury and illness rate also must be at least 50 percent below that of their industry’s average rate.

Award recipients will be honored in their communities throughout the state at safety awards banquets co-sponsored by the N.C. Department of Labor, local chambers of commerce and other organizations.

For more information on the Safety Awards Program or to download an application, visit www.labor.nc.gov/safety-and-health/recognition-programs/safety-awards-program. The deadline for submissions is Feb. 16.

Franklin County Logo

New Park in Franklin County to Open in 2018

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PRESS RELEASE

September Opening Set for Franklin County’s Newest Park
Groundbreaking for the V.E. and Lydia Owens Recreational Park expected in May, 2018

Franklin County, January 26, 2018: The countdown is on for the opening of the V.E. and Lydia Owens Recreational Park in Franklin County. Representatives from the McAdams Company offered an update to commissioners January 16, 2018 noting groundbreaking for Phase I improvements are planned for May, 2018 with an anticipated grand opening planned for September, 2018.

Phase I of the park will include a playground, a half-mile running/walking trail and fishing pier. It will also include an open lawn/event space, demonstration garden as well as road and parking.

In August, 2014 the county purchased 167 acres at the intersection of Massenburg-Baker Road and Wheless Road, northeast of Louisburg, formerly known as Bull Creek Golf and Country Club. The site was purchased with funds bequeathed to the County by the late Edgar H. Owens who wished to create a park and fishing pond for all county residents to enjoy. A master plan for the park was completed in March, 2016 based upon robust citizen input and additional funding was secured on August 1, 2017 to complete improvements identified within Phase 1.

Full detail about the park and the planning process is included within the master plan facilitated by the McAdams Company and can be viewed at https://files.www.franklincountync.us/parks/2016-03-18_VE_Lydia_Owens_MasterPlan_-_Final.pdf.

For additional information, please contact Angela L. Harris, Franklin County Manager, at (919) 496-5994.

Franklin County Government is committed to effective and innovative public services for all Franklin County citizens and businesses.

Connect NC Bond renovation projects at VGCC planned for 2018

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— courtesy VGCC

Vance-Granville Community College is gearing up to begin renovations that will improve masonry rooflines, walls and bridges at the Main Campus using the funds allocated by the Connect NC State Bond.

Renovations to restore, repair and waterproof masonry will be placed out for bids in April with work scheduled to begin in May, according to a report delivered to the VGCC Board of Trustees at its bimonthly meeting on Monday, Jan. 22.

Trustee Donald C. Seifert, Sr., chair of the board’s Building Committee, reported that funding will come from $1 million of the funds allocated by the Connect NC Bond passed by North Carolina voters in March 2016. A remaining balance of $69,000 from county resources that has been used for structural renovations to roofs and masonry will also be available for the project.

Bids will be going out in March for the renovation of 3,200 square feet of space in the college’s newest building, Building 10, to accommodate a practical simulation lab for the Basic Law Enforcement Training, Fire/Rescue and Emergency Medical Services programs housed there. Connect NC bond money will be combined with a private donation to complete the project. The renovation may provide an opportunity for the college to expand the training it offers for public services.

At the Franklin Campus in Louisburg, the Welding Technology lab is being renovated to add eight welding booths with plans to complete that project this month. A demonstration area in a Welding classroom, adjacent to the lab, will be renovated and ready for use this summer. This project is being funded with Connect NC bond money.

In a general discussion on the college’s services to the community, Dr. Stelfanie Williams, VGCC’s president, cited efforts to help area business and industry.

For example, she noted, the college met with leaders of a new industry, Mako Medical Laboratories, to address their educational needs.

The college will begin meeting the needs of the newly announced industry through its Histotechnology and Medical Assisting curriculum programs, she said, with plans to add a Medical Laboratory Technology curriculum.

Mako, a Wake County-based medical diagnostic testing company, announced in November a decision to expand with the location of a facility in Henderson and the eventual creation of more than 150 jobs. The company is locating in the former Harperprints building with an initial 30 to 50 jobs, according to the announcement last fall.

“Our Histotechnology and Medical Assisting programs will be a great start for them,” she added. “We’ve been able to sit down with them. We had about 10 of our employees with the college meet with their senior leaders and talk about how they are going to grow and how Vance-Granville can serve them.”

“It’s a great company,” she added. “I think we are very fortunate to have them.”

In other action:

• In her report to the board, Dr. Williams highlighted recent accomplishments and opportunities at the college, citing in particular recent efforts of VGCC’s Pharmacy Technology students leading service projects to provide relief to people in the Caribbean who were affected by Hurricanes Irma and Maria and a partnership with police and a pharmacy in Creedmoor for a drug collection event for people to dispose of outdated and unused prescription drugs. Similarly, Dr. Williams noted, college students collected school supplies and books for children affected by domestic violence, citing a service project by the Alpha Sigma Chi chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society.

• The board gave approval to Mid-Year Amendments to the 2017-2018 Budget as presented by Trustee Abdul Rasheed, chair of the Budget Committee. The adjustments were made to account for $1,834,568 in carryover funds from the previous year and grant funding.

• In the reports of the Curriculum Committee, chaired by Trustee Barbara Cates Harris, approval was given to a course to be offered at correctional facilities in Butner, Bunn and Manson, and an Accountability and Integrity Plan for Workforce Continuing Education was approved by the board.

• Trustee L. Opie Frazier, Jr., chair of the board’s Investment Committee, reported on continued growth of the college’s investments.

• An informational report on new employees, retirements, resignations and changes in positions was provided by Trustee Sara Wester, chair of the board’s Personnel Committee.

Board of Trustees Chair Danny W. Wright presided over the meeting.

The Board of Trustees will hold its next regular meeting on March 19 at the Main Campus.

— VGCC —

$5,000 Reward Offered On Louisburg Murder Case

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— courtesy of NC State Bureau of Investigation and the NC Department of Public Safety

(For the Full Release Click Here)

YOUNGSVILLE – Crime Stoppers is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of two masked men responsible for the murder of 21-year-old Devin Christopher Bilodeau on Sept. 23, 2017, during a home invasion in Youngsville.

Just before 11 p.m., two armed men broke into a home at 26 Amandas Way and fatally shot Bildoeau. Several people were home at the time. The men ran on foot towards new home construction in the Holden Young subdivision in Youngsville.

The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and the State Bureau of Investigation are seeking help in identifying the two men responsible for Bilodeau’s murder.

Anyone with information about the home invasion or the gunmen are urged to call 919-496-7867. Callers to Crime Stopper’s Tip Line do not have to give their name.

For a reward poster, click here.

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VGCC hosts lecture series on the brain

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— courtesy VGCC

Vance-Granville Community College will offer a series of free, engaging lectures on the human brain, and the community is invited to attend.

Phil Dixon, a resident of Oxford, will present the series, entitled “Using Your Brain for a Change,” starting with the first session on Tuesday, Jan. 30, from 10:30 a.m. to noon, in the small auditorium in Building 2 on VGCC’s Main Campus in Vance County. In this introductory lecture, Dixon will take a look at how the brain works generally and what it is made of.

In his later talks, Dixon will focus on “Your Brain on its Own” on Tuesday, Feb. 27, and “Your Brain with Another Person” on Tuesday, March 27. These sessions will also begin at 10:30 a.m. in the small auditorium.

Dixon describes himself as being “passionate about the brain – everyone’s brain!” He spends much of his time reading the latest research about the neuroscience of the brain, and determining how that research can be translated into practical application in our daily lives. In particular, Dixon is deeply involved in the application of neuroscience to leadership and management issues such as Executive Coaching, Leadership and Management Development, Change Planning & Management, Culture Change, Recruitment and On-Boarding.

Before he began studying and teaching others about the brain in 2002, Dixon worked in the information technology field – including a stint at Apple – worked in organization development and management consulting, and was the CEO of a commercial real estate firm. He has worked in the private and public sectors, has established and grown a number of consulting firms and has lived, worked and/or taught in over 20 countries.

In 2009, he had the opportunity to study for a master’s degree in Consulting and Coaching for Change in England at a program run jointly by HEC Paris and Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford. He has published several articles about the brain, and is a frequent and international speaker on the topic of brain-based leadership.

The series of three sessions is presented by VGCC’s Office of the Endowment. “We were excited to be introduced to this gentleman who has this expertise and vast experience and to discover that he is now living in the local area,” explained VGCC Endowment Director Eddie Ferguson. “Our Endowment Office sees this as another great opportunity for the college to be a valuable resource to the community we serve. We invite our students, our faculty and the community at large to join us for Phil’s fun, informative presentations.”

In the past, the Endowment Office has sponsored two series with Bill Barker portraying Thomas Jefferson.

For more information on this series, call Eddie Ferguson at (252) 738-3264.

–VGCC–

(VGCC is an advertising client of WIZS.)

Franklin County Schools

Grant Provides Franklin County Middle School Students Opportunity in Agriculture Education

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Louisburg, North Carolina – January 24, 2018 – Franklin County Schools is one of fourteen school districts to receive a Career and Technical Education (CTE) Grade Expansion Grant. The grant gives sixth and seventh-grade students the opportunity to focus on career exploration at an early age.

This grant allows Franklin County Schools to hire an Agriculture Education teacher to teach exploratory courses in Agricultural Science and Biotechnology in Agriculture to sixth and seventh graders at Cedar Creek Middle School. Students will receive a firm foundation in the Agriculture, Food and Natural Resource Career Cluster. They can continue their experiences at Franklinton High School, which currently houses Animal Science, Horticulture and Environmental Science, Vance Granville Community College Career College Promise (CCP) Courses and further studies at the four-year institutions of Mount Olive University, North Carolina Agricultural Technical State University, and North Carolina State University.

The grant was made possible by a new initiative enacted by the General Assembly and in collaboration with the North Carolina Education and Workforce Innovation Commission. The State Board of Education approved individual grants of up to $50,000 to each district including Franklin County. The district is eligible for additional funding for up to seven years and will receive priority in succeeding funding cycles.

The CTE Grant Expansion Grant team consisted of CTE Director Laureen G. Jones, Middle School Career Development Coordinator Elaine Webb, Cedar Creek Middle School Principal Bart Elliott, and Franklinton High School Agriculture teachers Sarah Harkey and Tommy Kemp.

Mrs. Jones and Mr. Elliott are excited about this new position in the district. This position is currently posted on the Franklin County Schools jobs website. Interested candidates are encouraged to apply.

Michelle Fiscus
Director of Communications
Franklin County Schools
53 West River Road
Louisburg, NC 27549

N.C. Community College President of the Year Dr. Stelfanie Williams

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— courtesy VGCC

Dr. Stelfanie Williams, the president of Vance-Granville Community College, has been named President of the Year for 2018 by the North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges. She is the first leader in VGCC history to receive the honor.

The President of the Year Award, sponsored by Wells Fargo, was established by the State Board in 2001. This award encourages, identifies, and rewards outstanding leadership and commitment to the community college mission among the presidents of the 58 institutions of the North Carolina Community College System.

“My fellow trustees and I are delighted that the State Board of Community Colleges has recognized Dr. Williams for her visionary leadership,” said Danny Wright, chair of the VGCC Board of Trustees. “Our entire region has been blessed to have Dr. Williams lead Vance-Granville Community College to new heights of excellence by embracing innovation and fostering strong partnerships. She serves our institution, our community and the state of North Carolina with warmth, humility and a passion for student success. This award is a well-deserved honor for Dr. Williams and reflects positively on the entire Vance-Granville team.”

College leaders nominated Williams as part of a competitive selection process in which an eight-page narrative is submitted and candidates are interviewed by an awards committee. The awards process emphasizes accomplishments that presidents have led in the past three years at their institutions – demonstrating broad community partnerships, improving services through technology, workforce education, economic development, advocacy at the local and state levels, long-range planning, innovation in program development and supporting professional development for college employees, among other criteria.

Williams became the sixth president of VGCC in 2012. Since then, she has focused the college on a “Vanguard Vision” strategic plan that addresses educational excellence, continuous improvement, employee and student engagement in college life, and institutional stewardship. Under her leadership, the college has added seven curriculum degree programs, including Mechatronics Engineering Technology, which provides training for advanced manufacturing careers. That program has been supported by some of the largest grants in the college’s history — part of the $40 million in grant funding (including a record-setting, in-kind donation from Siemens PLM Software) secured since 2013. Williams also helped initiate the Advanced Manufacturing Skills Training Alliance (AMSTA) with the Career & Technical Education high school programs from the four public school systems in the college’s service area.

Her tenure has seen the second-largest private donor gift in VGCC history, as well as six consecutive highest-yielding annual golf tournaments for scholarships. With a focus on student success, the institution has improved completion rates, graduating the largest classes ever in 2015 and 2016. The most recent graduating class (2017) featured the largest number of associate’s degrees awarded in the history of the college.

She collaborated with North Carolina Central University to establish the “Eagle Voyage” partnership that now allows students with associate degrees to complete one of three bachelor’s degree programs without having to leave the VGCC campus. Meanwhile, the college has also partnered with North Carolina A&T State University through a program called “Regionally Increasing Baccalaureate Nurses” (RIBN), in which students simultaneously enroll at VGCC and the university to complete a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.

In addition, Williams introduced a private donor-funded college promise program called the “VanGuarantee” in an effort to make college more accessible for students with the greatest financial need. The scholarship program has garnered national attention and was highlighted by the White House in 2016.

Williams has championed Vance-Granville’s embrace of technology to provide greater academic offerings and support to students. The “Vanguard Online Learning through Technology” (VOLT) initiative has made six degree programs available completely online.

Prior to leading VGCC, Williams served as faculty and in several administrative capacities at other North Carolina community colleges. She also currently serves as adjunct faculty for the North Carolina State University College of Education.

Williams earned baccalaureate degrees in public policy and Spanish at Duke University, a master’s degree in project management from Western Carolina University, and her doctorate in adult and higher education from N.C. State University.

Williams has served on a number of boards and is the current secretary of the North Carolina Association of Community College Presidents. In 2014, she was awarded the I.E. Ready Distinguished Leadership Award by North Carolina State University. In late 2017, Williams was appointed to a pair of statewide panels that are focused on education issues: the “My Future NC” Commission and the Governor’s Commission on Access to Sound, Basic Education.

–VGCC–

(VGCC is an advertising client of WIZS.)