Featured photo: President of Blue Ridge Community College Dr. Laura Leatherwood speaks with community leader Blair Craven at the 2023 Community Appreciation Breakfast. (Photo by Rich Keen, Marketing and Communications Dept.)
On May 3, the Blue Ridge Community College Educational Foundation hosted its annual Community Appreciation Breakfast for donors, board members and community leaders.
Following a breakfast provided by Trinity View Retirement Facility, Vice President for Advancement Lisa Adkins welcomed attendees and provided an introduction to the topics of the morning.
“There is so much going on at Blue Ridge as we fulfill our mission to transform lives through the power of learning and empower individuals with the knowledge and skills that enrich our communities and build a competitive workforce,” Adkins said.
President of Blue Ridge Community College Dr. Laura Leatherwood spoke about workforce development in Western North Carolina.
“Enrollment matters to our budget, but more importantly, it fuels our workforce and it fuels our local economy,” Leatherwood said. “The more people that are educated through our community college, the more likely it is that they are going to fill jobs right here in this community, in our region, and lift people out of poverty, because they will make a family-sustaining wage.”
Vice President for General Administration Dr. Chad Merrill outlined recent and proposed developments to Blue Ridge campuses. He also emphasized the importance of modern facilities.
“Modern facilities grow programs and enrollment,” Merrill said. “We will begin offering several new programs this fall, and we couldn’t have done that without new facilities.”
According to the Educational Foundation website, the organization’s mission is “to aid, strengthen, and further in every proper and useful way the work and services of Blue Ridge Community College and to provide broader educational opportunities to its students, staff, faculty, and to the residents of Henderson and Transylvania Counties.”
The Foundation continues to support the College and its students through financial assistance, including current Brighter Futures “Free College” scholarships that continue through December of 2023.