William “Bill” Fiege will become Brightpoint Community College’s eighth president in January.
Virginia’s Community Colleges announced December 4 that longtime community college leader William “Bill” Fiege will be president at Brightpoint Community College, starting January 2. For Dr. Fiege, the new job will bring major new responsibilities, to be sure. But the posting also will mark a family milestone: his father was the first president at Eastern Shore Community College.
Fiege’s appointment is the first time a parent and child have served in presidential roles at Virginia’s Community Colleges.
”He was my role model and best friend,” said Bill Fiege. Dr. John Chrisopher Fiege served as Eastern Shore Community College’s first president for 23 years, retiring in 1996. A much-loved figure at ESCC, John Fiege died in 2012 at the age of 84.
“I grew up in the community college system, but my mom and dad never pushed me to work in higher education. They supported my early career goal to be a high school teacher,” said Bill Fiege. “When we were kids, my dad found time to help me and my brother grow and develop as young men. He had a great balance between work and family, and for that I am very appreciative.”
Dr. John Christopher Fiege was Eastern Shore Community College’s first president for 23 years, retiring in 1996
“I’ll always remember that my dad said and believed: that everyone has the potential to make significant contributions, to improve life and relationships by being tolerant and caring about the well-being of others.”
“I’m excited about Bill’s appointment,” said VCCS Chancellor David Doré, announcing Fiege’s new role at Brightpoint. “I am confident he will build on the college’s outstanding history of serving its communities and its diverse student populations and will lead Brightpoint into a new era as Virginia’s Community Colleges embark on a system-wide transformation to serve more learners in new ways.”
Bill Fiege will hit the ground running at Brightpoint. He has served as the college’s VP of learning and student success since 2012. He held leadership and teaching roles at Germanna Community College starting in 2003 and taught and led at Longwood University for seven years prior to that.
Bill Fiege with his father in a 2008 family photo.
At an all-employee meeting at Brightpoint shortly after his presidential appointment was announced, Fiege said, “We’ve made great strides, but there is still a lot to be done to better support the communities we serve. Our students need us now more than ever, and we must be there for them. At the same time, we need to be there for each other. We have to work together to ensure we have priorities in place to make the work manageable and collaborative and to have a healthy balance in our lives.”
“We are a bright point and we are trailblazers, and I am beyond thrilled to assume the role as your president and to see us continue to make a valuable impact on our campuses and in our communities.”
Read the news release announcing Fiege’s appointment as president at Brightpoint Community College.
