Tag Archive for: VGCC

Pete Burgess

New VGCC Scholarship Honors Pete Burgess

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-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

The Vance County chapter of the North Carolina Farm Bureau recently presented a gift to the Vance-Granville Community College Endowment Fund to create a new scholarship in honor of Talmadge R. “Pete” Burgess, Sr.

Now retired and living with his wife, Sylvia, in Durham, Pete Burgess was for decades a Vance County farmer and community leader. He was instrumental in establishing the Vance County Regional Farmers Market, which opened in 2014.

Pete Burgess

The Vance County chapter of the North Carolina Farm Bureau recently presented a gift to the Vance-Granville Community College Endowment Fund to create a new scholarship in honor of Talmadge R. “Pete” Burgess, Sr., pictured above. (Photo courtesy VGCC)

After growing up on a Vance County farm, Burgess went to N.C. State University to study agricultural engineering on an ROTC scholarship, and then served in the United States Army. He worked as a safety engineer in the insurance industry for several years but returned to Vance County in 1968 to run a farm that had been in his wife’s family. At “Burgess Farms,” he grew tobacco, grain, hay and sweet corn, among other crops.

An active community volunteer, Burgess served as a board member of the county and state Farm Bureau organizations, president and board member of the Epsom Lions Club, board member of the Epsom Volunteer Fire Department, member of the Vance County Planning Board and board member for the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce. For his contributions to the county and, in particular, for his leading role in securing the land and funding for the regional farmers market, Burgess was honored by the Vance County Commissioners with the “Community Hero” award.

“We are proud to establish this scholarship to express our appreciation to Pete Burgess for his many years of service to the Farm Bureau, the farming community and Vance County as a whole,” said Thomas Shaw, president of the Vance County Farm Bureau, which Burgess once led. “A great storyteller and advocate, Pete has been instrumental in supporting and bringing together many local partners for the benefit of us all, including our local schools, the Cooperative Extension service, the Perry Memorial Library and the regional Farmers Market.”

The new gift continues a tradition of the organization’s generous support for education. Years ago, the Vance County Farm Bureau endowed an academic achievement scholarship at VGCC, which supports a student each year.

“Throughout his life, Pete Burgess has demonstrated an interest not only in agriculture but in giving back and supporting his community, so this scholarship is a fitting way to honor his service,” said Eddie Ferguson, VGCC’s endowment fund director. “We are grateful to the Vance County Farm Bureau for continuing to support Vance-Granville students through this new scholarship.”

“At Vance-Granville, our students are the Vanguards, which means they are ‘leaders,’ and Pete Burgess is the definition of a leader,” said Dr. Rachel Desmarais, the president of VGCC. “Thanks to the Vance County Farm Bureau, we can look forward to awarding the Pete Burgess scholarship to future leaders who can follow in his footsteps.”

Through the Endowment Fund, VGCC has awarded more than 9,700 scholarships to students since 1982. Scholarships have been endowed by numerous individuals, industries, businesses, civic groups, churches and the college’s faculty and staff. Tax-deductible donations to the VGCC Endowment Fund have often been used to honor or remember a person, group, business or industry with a lasting gift to education.

The Vance County Farm Bureau is encouraging friends of Pete Burgess to make donations to the Endowment Fund to help endow this scholarship at the Presidential Merit Award level. For more information or to make a contribution, call Kay Currin at (252) 738-3409.

Contributions to the scholarship fund can also be mailed to the Vance-Granville Community College Endowment Fund, at P.O. Box 917, Henderson, NC 27536.

Antoinette Dickens

VGCC’s Dickens Receives Statewide Award for Work-Based Learning

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THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

Antoinette C. Dickens, Department Chair of Public Service and Work-Based Learning Coordinator for Vance-Granville Community College, was recently named the winner of the North Carolina Work-Based Learning Association (NCWBLA) Jon A. Young Award for 2020. This award recognizes the outstanding NCWBLA member of the year, one who exemplifies the ideals of Work-Based Learning by making significant contributions to the mission and goals of the association.

Work-Based Learning (WBL) is an academic program at VGCC that combines classroom studies with on-the-job, career-related work experience. The goal is to provide students with not only the curriculum to succeed but also with the hands-on and on-site experience they will need to succeed in the workforce.

Antoinette Dickens holds her plaque for the NCWBLA Jon A. Young Award. (Photo courtesy VGCC)

“We congratulate Antoinette for being recognized at the state level for her talents and her contributions to Work-Based Learning,” said Dr. Rachel Desmarais, president of VGCC. “She has revised and streamlined the WBL processes at VGCC, helping our students gain skills and prepare for promising careers.”

A resident of Rolesville, Dickens has served as the WBL Coordinator at VGCC since 2016. Under her leadership, the Work-Based Learning program saw a 27% increase in student hours completed from 2018-2019 to 2019-2020. In her other role at the college, Dickens provides leadership for several curriculum programs: Cosmetology, Culinary Arts, Early Childhood Education and Paralegal Technology.

She has served in leadership roles at the NCWBLA, as an at-large board member and as Treasurer.

“WBL is an experiential class/program that provides students with the opportunity to apply theories and skills learned in class to the workplace,” Dickens noted. “It is a win-win-win situation for all parties involved! First, students are able to gain experience and work skills needed to be successful in their careers. Second, employers benefit from having students and graduates who possess the skills and education to successfully meet their employment needs. And third, VGCC benefits from WBL in that it allows the college to forge new community relationships, or strengthen existing ones.”

Dickens started her higher education at VGCC, earned a Paralegal Certificate from the American Institute of Paralegal Studies, and later completed a bachelor’s degree in Justice Studies at North Carolina Wesleyan College, and a master’s degree in human services counseling: criminal justice at Liberty University.

She has held a variety of positions in the justice system, as a Deputy Clerk of Superior Court in Vance County, a legal assistant in the District Attorney’s office in Oxford, a juvenile court counselor, and a paralegal working for law firms in Louisburg, Warrenton and Raleigh. Dickens was an instructor for VGCC’s Criminal Justice Technology program from 2004 through 2010. She rejoined VGCC in 2013 as the first person to head the college’s Paralegal Technology program.

For more information on participating in WBL at VGCC, contact Dickens at (252) 738-3609 or dickensa@vgcc.edu.

Local News Audio

Noon News 12-8-20 Covid19 News; Enhanced Rail; Granville Co. Schools; VGCC Degree Program

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Stories include:
– Latest Covid19 statistics

–  community testing event

– enhanced rail service possibly coming to Henderson

– Granville County Schools

– VGCC partner with Elizabeth City State for degree program

For full details and audio click play

 

VGCC Logo

VGCC Solidifies Partnership With North Carolina A&T State University

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-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

Vance-Granville Community College continues to build new partnerships that support transfer student success with senior institutions in North Carolina.

Earlier this semester, VGCC solidified a partnership with North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, NC. The North Carolina A&T ‘Aggie Plus’ agreement provides students with guaranteed admission to the university and promotes the success of transfer students seeking to earn a baccalaureate degree.

The co-admission agreement represents innovations that are being put into place by community colleges and universities in NC. VGCC is one of a growing number of community colleges to partner with NCA&TSU on the Aggie Plus Program. VGCC President Dr. Rachel Desmarais and NCA&TSU Chancellor Dr. Harold Martin signed off on the partnership effort, and now students will benefit.

As a part of the agreement, VGCC students will receive career, financial aid and academic counseling from assigned N.C. A&T and VGCC advisors. Following completion of the associate degree, Aggie Plus participants will receive priority review in the final N.C. A&T admissions process. The application fee for Aggie Plus participants will be waived and students will engage in an Aggie Plus program orientation session at VGCC. Further, N.C. A&T will organize at least one Aggie Plus program visit day to N.C. A&T each year.

“Our college continues to be intentional about providing multiple pathways to success for students. The Aggie Plus Program is yet another example. Ultimately, N.C. A&T provides a quality education for students in many areas including STEM. VGCC students will benefit from this opportunity!” said Dr. Levy Brown, VGCC’s vice president of learning, student engagement and success.

If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about the Aggie Plus Program, please contact our staff at (252) 738-3234. Further, if you are interested in applying for general admissions to the college, please apply at www.vgcc.edu or call (252) 738-3234.

Elizabeth City State University

VGCC Forms New Partnership With Elizabeth City State University

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THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

Faculty, staff, and leaders from Vance-Granville Community College and Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) recently attended a virtual signing ceremony to formalize an agreement that creates new opportunities for students from the community college to complete bachelor’s degrees.

The co-admission agreement, which is designed to improve transfer student access and success through a collaborative baccalaureate degree program, was signed by ECSU Chancellor Karrie G. Dixon and VGCC President Dr. Rachel Desmarais.

“ECSU continues to collaborate with North Carolina community colleges to afford transfer students a greater opportunity to earn their undergraduate degrees,” Chancellor Dixon said in a statement from the university. “We are excited to work with President Desmarais and her staff to provide these students with a clear path to ECSU so they can continue their education.”

VGCC is the fourth community college to sign such an agreement with ECSU, a constituent institution of the University of North Carolina system offering more than 30 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

“This strong new partnership with Elizabeth City State University will help VGCC students achieve their academic and career goals,” said Dr. Rachel Desmarais, president of the community college. “We look forward to supporting Vanguards who choose to continue their education as Vikings.”

Under the agreement, VGCC students can choose a “co-admission” transfer pathway in which they can take ECSU degree programs without actually leaving the community college. Students will receive special joint academic advising services and virtual support. There will also be assistance for active-duty military and veteran education benefits and resources available to qualifying students. Students will receive either on-site or virtual classroom presentations; joint virtual financial aid counseling; access to the ECSU library online resources; and access to programming through the university’s Office of Student Activities and other campus organizations.

Alternatively, eligible students can complete the Associate in Arts, Associate in Science, or Associate in Fine Arts degree programs at VGCC, and if they maintain at least a 2.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA), they will be guaranteed admission to ECSU. Application fees for these transfer students will be waived.

“We are excited about creating opportunities for our students that will assist them with long-term success!” said Dr. Levy Brown, VGCC’s vice president of learning, student engagement & success. “Our team has worked diligently to create multiple pathways for students, including non-credit to credit, and from our institution to four-year institutions. A special thanks to Kali Brown, Dean of Student Access and Support, and Dr. Antonio Jordan, Director of Admissions and Enrollment Services, for partnering with me on this important work for our students. Further, I appreciate the visionary leadership of Dr. Rachel Desmarais, as we continue to strategically seek partnerships that will benefit our students.”

For more information, prospective students can apply for admission online at www.vgcc.edu or call (252) 738-3234.

VGCC Graduates Second Class from Truck Driver Training Program, Prepares for a Third

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Vance-Granville Community College recently celebrated the graduation of the second class in the short history of its Truck Driver Training, or CDL, program.

The program includes a combination of classroom instruction, range driving and road driving. With the end of training, students have successfully completed their DOT exams, making them eligible for their “Class A” Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDL-A) and fully employable as truck drivers.

Students in the second graduating class of the VGCC CDL program pose on the college campus.

Kyle Burwell, Director of Occupational Extension for VGCC, said that college officials were “thrilled” to see the 15-member second class of students complete the program. “Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we have to keep our enrollment numbers at a minimum, but even with pandemic delays, we still had 15 successful students,” Burwell said. “We continue to appreciate all of the efforts of our lead partner school, Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute, which provides the DOT examiner-certified instructors for the program.  To date, we have a 100% pass rate with our Truck Driver Training Program.”

One of the recent graduates, Antwoine Huntley of Durham, reflected that “the truck driver training program at Vance-Granville Community College was just simply excellent. I learned so much, and the instructors were wonderful and knowledgeable about everything we needed to know to help us be successful and get our CDL-A licenses.”

“I would recommend this program for recent high school graduates just starting out or those seeking a career change,” added graduate Leslie Starner of Franklinton. “It is an accredited school with knowledgeable, personable, seasoned educators who themselves have been long-distance truck drivers. There is such a range of resources from the instructors that can help prepare people for success, from start to finish. In addition, the tuition costs are much more reasonable than other private trucking schools in the area and across the region.”

VGCC is scheduled to offer another such nine-week class in early 2021, starting with a mandatory orientation session on Tuesday, February 23, 2021 at 10 a.m.

The program, certified by the Professional Truck Driver Institute (PTDI), is considered essential to meeting the needs of many companies who need drivers to move goods across the country. Local employers have shown strong support for VGCC’s program and have spoken to students about job opportunities.

To enroll in the program, students must be at least 18 years old, have a valid North Carolina driver’s license, and be able to read and speak English well enough to take instructions from highway signs, to converse with officials, and to complete the required reports.

For more information on the Truck Driver Training Program, please visit www.vgcc.edu/cdl/ or contact Kyle Burwell, Director of Occupational Extension, at 252-738-3276 or burwellk@vgcc.edu.

Cherrelle Lawrence

VGCC Names Lawrence Dean of Corporate Learning & Professional Development

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THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

Vance-Granville Community College recently named Cherrelle Lawrence as its new Dean of Corporate Learning & Professional Development. In this role, Dean Lawrence will identify and develop corporate training and external professional development offerings for companies, local government agencies and civic organizations.

Lawrence will also serve as the lead administrator (Dean) for the VGCC Franklin Campus and work with Franklin Campus faculty and staff to ensure successful implementation of the mission of the satellite campus.

Vance-Granville Community College recently named Cherrelle Lawrence as its new Dean of Corporate Learning & Professional Development. (Photo courtesy VGCC)

Lawrence is a certified Global Career Development Facilitator & Trainer (GCDF) and has worked in Career Services & Employer Relations in higher education and the non-profit sector for over five years.

Lawrence most recently served as Assistant Director of Employer Relations at the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School. During her time there, she led the Undergraduate Business Program’s Diversity & Inclusion initiatives and fostered strong working relationships with over 200 companies across a variety of sectors.

Prior to working at UNC-Chapel Hill, Lawrence served on the TAACCCT & TechHire grant teams at VGCC, where she built relationships with local companies and directly engaged with VGCC students, staff and faculty.

“It has always been my vision and plan to grow in Higher Education, with a specific interest in Training & Development,” Dean Lawrence said. “I look forward to being able to share my expertise, learn from others and ultimately help cultivate our Workforce and Community Engagement Department.”

Lawrence holds a master’s in Business Administration from East Carolina University and a bachelor’s in Business Education & Marketing from North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University.

“We are glad to welcome Cherrelle Lawrence back to VGCC in this new capacity, and we are excited about the leadership she will provide to help our area’s employers succeed through training and to continue the outstanding services and programs available at our Franklin Campus,” said Dr. Jerry Edmonds, VGCC’s Vice President of Workforce Development and Community Engagement.

Local News Audio

Noon News 11-24-20: Covid19; VGCC receives award; Food give away; Granville Co. Crime Stoppers

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Stories include:

– Covid19 Update

– Covid19 testing event

– Day after Thanksgiving food give away

– Granville County Crime Stoppers awards

For full details and audio click play

 

Sheri Jones VGCC

VGCC Small Business Center Recognized for Innovation

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THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

The Vance-Granville Community College Small Business Center and its director, Sheri Jones, recently received the 2020 Innovation Award for Programs/Seminars from the North Carolina Small Business Center Network (SBCN). The award specifically recognized VGCC for creating and offering an eight-part, online webinar series entitled “Doing Business Remotely – Tools for the New Normal,” to help local small businesses respond to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Small Business Center collaborated with the Warren County Economic Development Commission and a local small business, Tabletop Media Group, LLC, on the series, which educated small businesses and individuals on technological tools that were mostly new to them, empowering them to communicate effectively with customers as well as employees.

The Vance-Granville Community College Small Business Center and its director, Sheri Jones, recently received the 2020 Innovation Award for Programs/Seminars from the North Carolina Small Business Center Network (SBCN). (Photo courtesy VGCC)

“The Small Business Center of Vance-Granville Community College is fortunate to have wonderful community partners in our four-county Chambers of Commerce, economic development offices, downtown development organizations and libraries,” Jones said. “They relay community training needs that we then try to address, and they get the word out about our programs and counseling opportunities.”

In this case, Jones recalled, the community need was first brought up by Warren County EDC Director Stacy Woodhouse. “Stacy called and asked if Kristen Baughman Taber [founder of Tabletop Media Group and a Warren County resident] and I could meet with him to talk about what we could do to help small businesses in the early days of the pandemic shutdown,” Jones said. “This webinar series was born from that conversation.”

The partners moved quickly to help businesses in Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren counties adjust to a rapidly changing situation. The state’s stay-at-home order went into effect on March 30, and the webinar series began on April 7.

Baughman Taber took the lead on creating content and then teaching the interactive class. The eight parts of the series included: Zoom Video Communications; Google Suite; Basecamp & Other Project Management Systems; Dropbox & Other Storage and File-sharing Tools; Scheduling Tools; Mailchimp, Constant Contact & Other Contact Management Tools; Slack & Other Collaboration Tools; and Virtual Team Building.

“Teaching the ‘Doing Business Remotely’ series brought me so much joy as an instructor during such an uncertain time in our world,” Baughman Taber said. “I was able to help so many small business owners learn how to use virtual tools to make them more effective in a world that had suddenly gone almost 100% online due to COVID-19. I believe these skills – like how to use Zoom for video conferencing, Google Drive for organizing and collaborating on documents and files, and Basecamp for project management, to name a few – will be helpful well into the future for these small business owners who attended.”

“I am appreciative of Sheri Jones and VGCC for partnering with Warren County EDC to make this timely series possible,” said EDC Director Stacy Woodhouse. “’Doing Business Remotely’ provided critical information in the midst of so much uncertainty and gave businesses the tools to move forward. We were able to utilize Warren County’s own Kristen Baughman of Tabletop Media as the instructor which gave attendees another valuable resource to follow up with post-class.”

“We congratulate and applaud Sheri for this award and for all her hard work to support the small businesses in our service area,” said Dr. Rachel Desmarais, president of VGCC. “This year, our Small Business Center and other college departments have partnered with the community to solve practical problems and meet the unique demands of the pandemic. We will continue to be here as a resource for our communities to promote economic recovery.”

The VGCC Small Business Center, part of a network of centers found at all 58 North Carolina Community Colleges, was created to provide the small businesses of the community with a focal point for training, education, counseling and referral. Jones has served as director since 2019.

For more information about Small Business Center seminars and services, contact Sheri Jones at joness@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3240.

VGCC Logo

Reminder: VGCC to Hold Open Air Job Fairs This Week

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THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

-Information courtesy Tanya Weary, VGCC Dean of Business & Industry Solutions

Open air job fairs featuring hundreds of local positions will be held at all four Vance-Granville Community College locations this week. These events are in response to the dramatic need for employees across the service area.

The job fair begins at the college’s Warren County Campus (Warrenton) on November 17, 2020; at Main Campus (near Henderson) on November 18, 2020; at South Campus (Creedmoor/Butner) on November 19, 2020; and at the Franklin County Campus (Louisburg) on November 20, 2020.

VGCC’s Career Services, Small Business Center and Customized Training have teamed up to offer the first open air job fair event in our service area. Employers from across Granville, Franklin, Vance and Warren Counties will be there seeking to fill jobs from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

“We’re really just trying to connect the businesses and employers with our job seekers throughout the counties that we serve. There are a lot of jobs and we are sure we can help you find one,” said Tanya Weary, VGCC Dean of Business & Industry Solutions.

This event is free and open to the public. Participants will meet employers from across the service area who will be hiring and eager to fill jobs with competitive wages, benefits and more. Job fair seekers will also be able to gain tips on getting the job they are after.

“We are excited to offer job fairs at each of our campuses,” Linda Fletcher, Director of Career Services said.  She continued, “The college is committed to developing strong communities and improving the quality of life for our community members. Jobs are the key. Local employers have jobs and need good candidates ready to work. We welcome both VGCC students and community job-seekers at each of our open air job fairs.”

Attendees are expected to adhere to social distancing guidelines, and capacity levels will be observed and mandated throughout each event. Job fair participants are reminded that health screenings and masks or face coverings are required for everyone while on campus.

VGCC Career Services encourages job seekers to consider adding to their skill set through additional training and/or education. We can help with career exploration for career-changers or determining the next step in developing an established career. In addition, our students receive assistance with resumes, interview preparation, and job search skills. Take the next step with us toward a better future.

For more information, visit: https://www.vgcc.edu/career-fair/, or contact Linda Fletcher, Director of Career Services, at (252) 738-3466 or fletcherl@vgcc.edu.