About our Chancellor
As chancellor of Virginia’s Community College System, Dr. David Doré provides day-to-day leadership for a system comprised of twenty-three colleges that serves over 230,000 degree-seeking and workforce-career training students annually.
Dr. Doré has served as Chancellor since April of 2023, spearheading several major initiatives during his tenure. He led the development of Accelerate Opportunity, a statewide six-year strategic plan aimed at awarding 300,000 cumulative meaningful credentials by 2030 across all regions through accelerated access and success for every student. Under his leadership, the VCCS has implemented a One System approach, a strategy designed to ensure a high-quality consistent student experience, and to align programs with business and industry needs while ensuring accessibility for all Virginians lacking meaningful post-secondary credentials. Dr. Doré’s impact has been recognized throughout Virginia, including being named to Virginia Business magazine’s “Virginia 500 Power List” in 2023-2024 and 2024-2025.
As a first-generation college student, Dr. Doré brings personal understanding to his role. His decades-long career reflects a core belief that every learner can succeed, and his commitment to serving diverse and underrepresented populations while fostering inclusive learning communities is both evident and steadfast.
A self-described student advocate, Dr. Doré focuses on creating life-changing opportunities for students at every stage—from high school dual enrollment participants and recent high school graduates to the “New Majority of learners,” those twenty-five and older facing limited career prospects due to lack of post-secondary credentials.
Prior to becoming chancellor, Dr. Doré served as President of Campuses and Executive Vice Chancellor at Pima Community College in Arizona, where he oversaw five campuses and workforce development initiatives. His career also includes higher education leadership roles in Arizona and California, along with twenty years as a full-time faculty member across community college, university, and secondary education levels.
Dr. Doré holds a Doctor of Education from Pepperdine University, master’s degrees from Georgetown University, Boston College, and Santa Clara University, an advanced degree in Philosophy from Gonzaga University, and a bachelor’s degree from Gannon University.
A 2017 Presidential Fellow of the Aspen Institute’s College Excellence Program, Dr. Doré is deeply engaged in community leadership and advocates strongly for community college education. He serves on the the Association of Community College Trustees Advisory Committee of Presidents (2025 – present), Virginia Commonwealth Savers board (2023 – present), National Council of State Directors for the American Association of Community Colleges (2023 – present), Virginia Board of Workforce Development (2023 – present), Virginia Business Higher Education Council (2023 – present), and the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation board (2024 – present).
Dr. Doré is the tenth chancellor of the Virginia Community College System since its founding in 1966.