NRCC Dr. Robert Brandon Inauguration Program

The Inauguration of Dr. Robert R. Brandon November 14, 2025

THE INAUGURATION OF Dr. Robert R. Brandon SEVENTH PRESIDENT OF NEW RIVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE DUBLIN, VIRGINIA

Inaugural Ceremony OPENING Dr. Deborah Kennedy Interim Executive Director of NRCC Educational Foundation PROCESSIONAL

“Pomp and Circumstance” Composer, Edward Elgar Old Pros Big Band Orchestra MARSHAL Dr. Tammy Parks President, Faculty Assembly Professor of Art PRESENTATION OF COLORS Scouts BSA Troop 158 Blacksburg, Virginia PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Emily Brandon

President Brandon’s daughter NATIONAL ANTHEM

“The Star-Spangled Banner” Composer, Francis Scott Key Radford Singers Ryan Rogers, Director, Radford University INVOCATION Dr. Graham Mitchell Professor of Psychology and Religion, Retired WELCOME

William Cunningham Chair, NRCC Local Board

NRCC THROUGH THE YEARS VIDEO NRCC Media Services Tyler Lundy, Rick Maitri, and Michelle Melton

Music provided by The Old Pros Big Band Orchestra - celebrating 52 years at NRCC Dean Chiapetto, Conductor

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GREETINGS ON BEHALF OF THE: NRCC STAFF Roy Worrell Master Mechanic

NRCC FACULTY William Friedl Assistant Professor of History Montie Fleshman Professor of Instrumentation NRCC ALUMNI The Honorable Michael Watson AAS Instrumentation, June 1983 NRCC STUDENTS Jessica Brown Health Professions Preparation CSC Lorelei Gerow Welding Technology Certificate REMARKS FROM THE VIRGINIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM CHANCELLOR Dr. David Doré INSTALLATION OF ROBERT R. BRANDON AS THE SEVENTH PRESIDENT OF THE COLLEGE Dr. Doré INTRODUCTION OF PRESIDENT Ryne Brandon President Brandon’s son INAUGURAL ADDRESS Dr. Brandon CLOSING REMARKS Dr. Kennedy RECESSIONAL

“Fly Me To The Moon” Composer, Bart Howard Arrangement, Sammy Nestico Old Pros Big Band Orchestra

Immediately following the ceremony, all are welcome to join President Brandon at a reception in celebration of New River Community College.

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About New River Community College New River Community College is a two-year institution of higher learning serving those who live in the counties of Floyd, Giles, Pulaski, Montgomery, and the city of Radford. The college traces its roots to 1959 when it began operating as a vocational school to residents in the New River Valley. It is one of five colleges which developed from existing vocational/technical schools into community colleges under 1966 General Assembly legislation which formed the Virginia Community College System. The college, named New River Community College in 1969, continued to offer occupational/technical education degrees in Machine Shop, Drafting and Design, Auto Mechanics, Practical Nursing, Industrial Electricity, Electronics, Instrumentation, Clerk Typing, and Stenography. Programs leading to the associate in applied science degree in accounting, business management and secretarial science were added in 1970. Degree programs designed for transfer to four-year colleges were also offered at that time. These included the Associate of Arts Degree program in Liberal Arts and the Associate in Science Degree programs in Science, Education, Business Administration and General Studies. Since that time, other college transfer and career/technical education programs have been added to round out specialized programs at NRCC. Located on a 100 acre campus in Dublin, the college also provides off-campus instruction at its site in Christiansburg, located inside Uptown Christiansburg, and at other locations across the New River Valley. Today, new programs are available to help make higher education more affordable to NRV residents. For example, the NRCC Educational Foundation, with the support of local governments, private donors, businesses and organizations, has funded the Access to Community College Education (ACCE) program which covers the cost of tuition for recent high school graduates. Through a state grant, the Office of Workforce Development offers tuition assistance for short-term training that prepares residents for employment in high-demand jobs in the New River Valley, and Virginia’s G3 program also provides significant support for students.

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Meet President Robert Brandon

Dr. Robert Brandon became NRCC’s seventh president on January 1, 2025. He brings an extensive background in community college leadership and teaching across Virginia, Tennessee, and North Carolina, with a deep commitment to advancing student success, honoring NRCC’s legacy, and looking toward the future of higher education. services at Southwest Virginia Community College in Richlands, Virginia. Previously, he served as dean of humanities, social sciences, and education at Cleveland State Community College in Cleveland, Tennessee. From 2005 to 2013, he served as an associate professor of English at Rockingham Community College in Wentworth, North Carolina where he also chaired both the English and student success departments. Before that, he began his career as a middle school English teacher in Bristol, Tennessee. Dr. Brandon earned a bachelor’s degree from Virginia Intermont College in Bristol, Virginia; a master’s degree from East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee; and a doctorate from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, North Carolina. Prior to joining NRCC, he was vice president of academic and student

Robert R. Brandon

Dr. Brandon and his wife, Melissa, live in Pulaski County and have a teenage son and daughter, twins Ryne and Emily, and a basset hound named Hank. They enjoy baseball, travel, community service, and fellowship with friends and family.

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Delegates from Institutions of Higher Education

1693 WILLIAM & MARY

William H. Payne, II, Alumnus 1872 VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE AND STATE UNIVERSITY Juan Espinoza, Vice Provost for Enrollment Management 1891 RANDOLPH COLLEGE Tim Smith, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs 1910 RADFORD UNIVERSITY Bret Danilowicz, President 1913 FERRUM COLLEGE Mirta Martin, President 1915 TENNESSEE TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY Lisa Stevens, Bursar 1922 BLUEFIELD UNIVERSITY Travis Roberts, Vice President Enrollment and Marketing 1957 GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY Darren Troxler, Executive Director, Office of the Provost 1960 CHRISTOPHER NEWPORT UNIVERSITY Robert Colvin, Senior Counselor to the President 1962 MOUNTAIN GATEWAY COMMUNITY COLLEGE Suzanne Ostling, AVP/Chief Student Affairs Officer 1962 PATRICK & HENRY COMMUNITY COLLEGE Greg Hodges, President 1963 WYTHEVILLE COMMUNITY COLLEGE Dean Sprinkle, President 1966 CENTRAL VIRGINIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE John Capps, President

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1966 DANVILLE COMMUNITY COLLEGE Cornelius Johnson, President 1966 ROCKINGHAM COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Robert Lowdermilk, Retired Vice President for Student Development

1966 VIRGINIA WESTERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE Laura Treanor, President 1967 BRIGHTPOINT COMMUNITY COLLEGE Bill Fiege, President 1967 SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE Clint Hayes, President 1967 VIRGINIA HIGHLANDS COMMUNITY COLLEGE Adam Hutchison, President 1967 VIRGINIA PENINSULA COMMUNITY COLLEGE Towuanna Porter Brannon, President 1969 SOUTHSIDE VIRGINIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE Quentin R. Johnson, President 1970 GERMANNA COMMUNITY COLLEGE Van Wilson, Interim President 1970 LAUREL RIDGE COMMUNITY COLLEGE Kimberly Blosser, President 1970 PAUL D. CAMP COMMUNITY COLLEGE Corey McCray, President 1970 RAPPAHANNOCK COMMUNITY COLLEGE Shannon Kennedy, President 1972 MOUNTAIN EMPIRE COMMUNITY COLLEGE Kristen Westover, President 1972 PIEDMONT VIRGINIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE Jean Runyon, President 1972 J. SARGEANT REYNOLDS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Sean Terrell, Associate Vice President Research, Planning & Grants

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Institutions Sending Greetings GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY

Dr. Ellen M. Granberg, President JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY Dr. James C. Schmidt, President LIBERTY UNIVERSITY Dr. Dondi E. Costin, President RANDOLPH-MACON COLLEGE Dr. Michael E. Hill, President ROANOKE COLLEGE Dr. Frank Shushok, Jr., President SHENANDOAH UNIVERSITY Dr. Tracy Fitzsimmons, President UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON

Dr. Troy D. Paino, President UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND Dr. Kevin F. Hallock, President

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NEW RIVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE Past Presidents

W. Robert Sullins 1969-1976

H. Randall Edwards 1976-1988

Floyd M. Hogue 1988-1991

Edwin L. Barnes 1991-2000

Jack M. Lewis 2000-2017

Patricia B. Huber 2017-2025

INTERIM PRESIDENTS

Mark Q. Emick, Sr. 1988

Charlie White 2017

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State Board for Community Colleges

David Elmore Sasha Gong Jeffrey V. Haley Mark J. Hourigan (vice chair) Wiley “Bif” Johnson Bruce Meyer

Jeremy Satterfield Christine Woodall Thompson Terri Thompson Brett Vassey Joan Wodiska Michael Eric Wooten (chair) Michel Zajur

Anthony “Tony” Miller Alethea “AJ” Robinson

New River Community College Local Board

Christopher B. Calfee (vice chair) – City of Radford Craig Chancellor – Floyd County William “Bill” K. Cunningham (chair) – Pulaski County Margaret R. Dewald-Link – Floyd County John K. Hale, Jr. – Giles County Richard “Dick” F. Harshberger – City of Radford Eric K. Johnsen – Montgomery County

Jessica D. Littlejohn – Montgomery County Christopher P. McKlarney – Giles County Cameron D. Peel – Pulaski County Bobbie A. Potter – Montgomery County Jonathan D. Sweet – Pulaski County

New River Community College

Robert R. Brandon, President Melissa P. Anderson, Vice President for Finance and Administrative Services Peter T. Anderson, Vice President for Instruction and Student Services Timothy A. Jones, Director of Information Technology and Facilities Services Deborah D. Kennedy, Interim Executive Director, NRCC Educational Foundation Mark C. Rowh, Vice President for Workforce Development and External Relations Frederick M. Streff, Director of Institutional Effectiveness and Research

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NRCC Educational Foundation Board of Directors William A. Aden Diane S. Akers Sherri M. Blevins Robert R. Brandon John L. Brown Kevin R. Browne James W. McAlister F. Craig Meadows *Hiawatha Nicely Karanita M. Ojomo *Wayland Overstreet *Andrew D. Owens James G. Rakes (co-chair)

*Angela E. Covey Sandra C. Davis *H. Randall Edwards

David C. Ridpath D. Todd Robertson Larry J. Shelor *L. T. Simmons Martha Ann Stallings Jessica B. Taylor *Michael B. Watson

William F. Flattery *Florine R. Graham *William E. Hale Gary C. Hancock (co-chair) Vince L. Hatcher *Patricia B. Huber

*J. Lewis Webb Keith P. Weltens

Deborah D. Kennedy *Edward B. Lawhorn

*Anne T. Wheeler * Emeritus Directors

The Presidential Medallion A medallion is given to a new president to represent the transfer of the responsibility of office and an obligation to promote and maintain the values represented by the institution. A tradition that dates back to the Middle Ages, a medallion is worn by the president on ceremonial occasions to represent the authority and responsibilities vested by the Chancellor and the State Board for Community Colleges. The Ceremonial Mace The New River Community College mace was created in 2000 by the late NRCC faculty member Ted Alberts. The mace is a traditional symbol of authority. New River Community College’s mace includes, as a part of its design, symbols for the five political subdivisions which make up the college’s service area.

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