MEDIA CONTACT:
Susan Pollard
Asst. Vice Chancellor for Strategic Communications
(804) 819-4949
spollard@vccs.edu
(Richmond, VA) – Sept. 18, 2023 – Dr. Sharon Morrissey, Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic and Workforce Programs at Virginia’s Community Colleges, has announced she will retire at the end of 2023, capping a 37-year career in higher education leadership in Virginia and North Carolina.
Dr. Sharon Morrissey
“It’s an understatement to say that Dr. Morrissey has provided crucial and valuable guidance for our colleges over the years, including leading our institutions statewide as Interim Chancellor from last summer through March of this year,” said Virginia Community College System (VCCS) Chancellor Dr. David Doré. “I am especially grateful that Sharon stayed on to help me transition into my new role when I arrived in April. Her advice and counsel have been invaluable.”
“I know we’ll miss her steady hand and unwavering optimism as we wish her all the best in a well-earned retirement,” Doré added.
“I’m so grateful to have worked with the wonderful faculty and staff at Virginia’s Community Colleges,” said Dr. Morrissey. “Even in the most challenging times as we worked to manage the impact of Covid-19, I appreciated collaborating with dedicated and talented colleagues to ensure that students had access to the courses and services they needed. The pandemic even yielded some positive improvements in our enrollment policies, online student support services, and expansion of distance learning opportunities.”
“My most cherished memories will be student success stories. From English faculty to college president to system leader, the arc of my career has always been focused on student success,” she added.
Dr. Morrissey joined the Virginia Community College system in 2014 and says she was especially proud to have played leadership roles in elimination of placement testing and development of co-requisite learning supports for students; launch of the TransferVA program to support improved transition from community colleges to four-year institutions; better integration of credit and workforce training programs; providing expanded credit for prior learning for military veterans; improved onboarding practices for students; and leadership in the development of the VCCS’s strategic plan, Opportunity 2027. In addition, as Interim Chancellor, Morrissey spearheaded the HIRE Virginia campaign in 2022-23 to expand stakeholder awareness of the important role the VCCS plays in workforce and economic development in Virginia.
“During my time as Chair, Dr. Morrisey demonstrated exceptional leadership as Interim Chancellor of the VCCS,” said Douglas Garcia, who chaired the VCCS State Board in 2022-23, when the Board and the Virginia Governor’s office overcame disagreements about leadership at the VCCS. “We were facing uncertain times and she was steadfast in her determination to ensure our colleges and students were always considered first and foremost.”
“Dr. Morrissey has been an extraordinary leader in the Virginia Community College System,” said Dr. Marcia Conston, president at Tidewater Community College, who was also a colleague of Dr. Morrissey’s in North Carolina. “It is impossible not to acknowledge her exceptional leadership and ability to foster a collegial and engaging atmosphere.”
Central Virginia Community College president John Capps said, “Sharon Morrissey’s contributions to the VCCS defy any quantitative measure—they are that expansive. Through her vision and leadership, she has helped transform lives and life in Virginia.”
“Sharon Morrissey is one of the most outstanding community college professionals I have ever known, said Wake Tech President Scott Ralls, who also served with Dr. Morrissey in both Virginia and North Carolina. “Her combination of brilliance, passion and commitment has not only made our colleges better, but more importantly, has positively impacted the lives of thousands of community college students.”
Prior to her service in Virginia, Dr. Morrissey realized 28 years of higher education success in North Carolina, as a faculty member, college vice president and president, and then as executive vice president of the North Carolina Community College System.
About Virginia’s Community Colleges
Since 1966, Virginia’s Community Colleges have given everyone the opportunity to learn and develop the right skills, so lives and communities are strengthened. By making higher education and workforce training available in every part of Virginia, we elevate all of Virginia. Together, Virginia’s Community Colleges serve approximately 205,000 students each year across 23 schools. For more information, please visit www.vccs.edu.
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