NRCC History Book

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service region. In addition, college staff and students traveled each year to Richmond to attend “Community College Day,” a day set aside for all VCCS colleges to visit with their respective General Assembly members. Recognizing a need for more contact and visibility in Richmond, VCCS Chancellor Glenn DuBois implemented “Every Day is Community College Day” and set in place a schedule of visits so that community college representatives would be present during the entire General Assembly session. Students often shared their stories of what it meant to them to attend a community college. In addition, letters, phone calls, and emails were s ent to legislators from faculty, staff, students, friends of the college, and members of the college’s boards. NRCC Educational Foundation Established in 1980, the NRCC Educational Foundation continued its tradition of providing excellent support to the college during the years 2000 to 2009. Support from the foundation included endowment and distribution of scholarship funds, the purchase of equipment and furnishings, and financial assistance to academic and community enrichment programs. During this decade, the foundation was led by Dr. Mark Rowh, vice president for planning and advancement, and a board of directors composed of members from each of the college’s service regions. Staff members included Hilda Haga, executive secretary; Mark Hamric, treasurer; Brenda Jones, assistant treasurer; and M. J. Kanagy, associate executive director. Each year the foundation received funds by conducting a campaign, having a phonathon for textbook scholarships, organizing an annual golf tournament,

sending a direct mail solicitation, and holding an internal faculty/staff campaign. The foundation reached a long-standing goal of having at least 100 endowed scholarships by the end of 2000. This goal was exceeded during the campaign for 2000 01 when additional endowed scholarships were received, bringing the total to 111. By the end of the decade, the number of fully endowed scholarships grew to more than 140. To increase the visibility of the foundation, a website was developed in Spring 2001. In 2005 with a $50,000 pledge from H. W. Huff, Jr., the foundation board launched a targeted campaign, called the Ann Huff Book Fund, for textbook support for students. The foundation’s net assets at the beginning of the decade were $3,151,352; by 2009 the net assets had increased by 99.8 percent to $6,297,846. The foundation board conferred amicus fidelis (“faithful friend”) designations to individuals who served the college and its students in an exceptionally meritorious manner. In 2002 Les and Joyce Pugh, charter members of the foundation and generous supporters, received this designation. Beginning in 2006, each year the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education (VFCCE) honored leading philanthropists from each of Virginia’s 23 community colleges as well as the statewide foundation. Recipients were nominated for their outstanding commitment to the growth and development of Virginia’s community colleges and their respective foundations. NRCC’s recipients included H. W. and Ann Huff in 2006; Bob and Cornelia Dobyns in 2007; Gilmer, Sadler, Ingram, Sutherland & Hutton Law Firm in 2008; and Les and Joyce Pugh in 2009. Through this program, each of the system’s 23 community colleges

Chapter 1