Douglas Garcia, left, and Dr. Sharon Morrissey
They’re no strangers to Virginia’s Community Colleges, but several leaders took on new responsibilities at the VCCS State Board meeting July 21.
Douglas Garcia, a member of the panel since 2015, presided over his first meeting as chair. Garcia sees a busy year ahead for the system’s governing body.
In her capacity as Interim VCCS Chancellor, Sharon Morrissey acted for the first time as secretary to the State Board.
The Board wasted no time setting tuition and fees for the upcoming academic year, keeping the same rates for a fifth year in a row. “We’re grateful to the governor and General Assembly, who enacted a state budget that allowed us hold the line on tuition and fees,” said Dr. Morrissey. “We know educational quality and affordability are important to our students and their families, and we’re particularly gratified we’ve been able to hold tuitions at their current levels for several years running.”
The panel also welcomed three new members, appointed recently by Governor Glenn Youngkin.
(L. to R.) Michael Wooten, Deborah DiCroce, Bruce Meyer
Michael Wooten’s portfolio included community colleges when he served in the U.S. Secretary of Education’s office. Wooten also was a member and chaired the Northern Virginia Community College Board.
Deborah DiCroce is well known among VCCS veterans, having served as president at both Tidewater Community College and Piedmont Virginia Community College.
And Bruce Meyer returns to the VCCS State Board for a third term. He served on the panel under Governors Jim Gilmore and Bob McDonnell.
The new board members succeed Nathaniel Bishop, Adnan Bokhari and Eleanor Saslaw.
You can read more about the makeup of the VCCS State Board on the vccs.edu website.
