November 18, 2015
I was back in Richmond again Thursday for a meeting of education, business and
government leaders. The meeting was hosted by Virginia Commonwealth
University and the Virginia Business Higher Education Council (BVHEC).
VBHEC was founded in 1994 by Virginia business leaders on the principle that
the prosperity of Virginia and the well-being of its citizens is fundamentally
tied to access to a strong system of colleges and universities. A nonprofit,
nonpartisan partnership between Virginia’s business community and higher
education leadership, VBHEC is committed to educating the public about higher
education’s crucial role in Virginia’s economy.
The world is rapidly changing and all of higher
education is being called on by business and government to adapt regularly to
meet broader societal needs. Our hosts called our meeting the Virginia Summit on Higher Education and Economic
Competitiveness and the day’s agenda included major presentations by Governor
Terry McAuliffe, Dubby Wynne, former Landmark CEO, Tom Farrell, President &
CEO of Dominion Resources, and Todd Stottlemeyer, CEO of Inova Center for
Personalized Health. Brian Fitzgerald, CEO of the Business Higher
Education Forum, was the keynote speaker during lunch. Presidential
colleagues Michael Rao (VCU), Terry Sullivan (University of Virginia), Glenn
DuBois (Virginia Community College System), Angel Cabrera (George Mason
University), and Tim Sands (Virginia Tech), shared their perspectives and facilitated
the discussion on higher education's role in economic growth.
The discussion focused on raising an awareness of the
Commonwealth's new economic challenges and opportunities, mobilizing leaders to
work collaboratively for economic development, job creation, and career
readiness, and seeking solutions to meet the demands. Legislators
attending clearly look to higher education leaders to "think outside the
box," to do more with less, and to collaborate for efficiency and to avoid
replication.
It was a day filled with dialogue about higher education’s
vital role in the future of Virginia’s economy and I was pleased to take part
in this discussion. It’s important for us to recognize the role that Virginia
Wesleyan plays in . . . “empowering students to grow as principled scholars and
community leaders” who make a positive impact in Virginia and beyond.
