Dialogue: September 2019

Monday, September 30, 2019

Great Job for a Great Cause

Kudos to our campus community for the generous donations for Winston Wishes and the Healing Hearts Animal Sanctuary. The animal supply drive was organized by the Sociology 237: Animals and Society course, and administered by Wesleyan Engaged: Center for Civic Leadership and Service Learning. My thanks to Kathy Stolley (Professor of Sociology), Brian Kurisky (Director of Wesleyan Engaged), and their team for bringing this project for a great cause to fruition.

The Arts at VWU: October 2019

Mark your calendar for October events and programs, and read up on the latest in the arts at Virginia Wesleyan: https://conta.cc/2mmem2T

Nota Bene: Weekly Update

I hope everyone is ready to show their Marlin Spirit for Homecoming and Family Weekend festivities that are just days away! This year's events are joined by the addition of Founders Day activities. Friday, October 4, launches the weekend with Marlin Spirit Day. Be sure to wear your VWU gear and don't forget to snap a photo and share using the hashtag #MarlinSpiritDay.

The Founders Day Convocation will be held Friday at 2 p.m. in the Joan and Macon Brock Theatre of the Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center. Convocation will feature keynote speaker VWU Trustee and alumnus Eric Nyman '94, President of Hasbro North America, and will honor Virginia Beach Police Chief James "Jim" Cervera with The Wesley Award. I hope all of our Marlin community will join us for this and many other special events. For the full Homecoming and Family Weekend schedule, visit vwu.edu/homecoming. Go, Marlins!

ET CETERA

Welcome New Board Members

We welcome the election of two new members of the Virginia Wesleyan University Board of Trustees--Mavis McKenley '11, Vice President and Trust Officer at AMG National Trust Bank, and Doug Wilson '86, Executive Vice President of LifeNet Health. They both bring enthusiasm to serve, support of our mission, and a desire to continue to contribute to the work of the University. Please join me in welcoming Mavis and Doug to the Virginia Wesleyan University Board of Trustees. We are fortunate to have a strong Board that provides exceptional stewardship for our institution. I thank them for their commitment to VWU. Read more here.

Reflections of Cokie Roberts

As we remember journalist Cokie Roberts, Steve Mansfield and Bill Gibson send along reflections of her visit to campus many years ago. The tradition of a fall convocation at Virginia Wesleyan dated back to 1976, and National Public Radio correspondent Roberts spoke in Cunningham Gymnasium on September 20, 1984. Her topic was "On the Elections." Geraldine Ferraro was Walter Mondale's running mate on that year's Democratic party ticket. Ms. Roberts had received the 1983 Women at Work Broadcast Award from the National Commission on Working Women. She later wrote back to the Special Events Committee that "the day at Virginia Wesleyan was delightful." Her recent passing reminds us of the loss of a powerful voice for career women and freedom of the press.

Thank You to the VWU Campus Community

A huge thank you to our campus community for your patience as we resolve issues related to the recent storm, such as power surges and outages that caused damage to our HVAC system and certain technologies. Additionally, in Smithdeal Hall, we discovered a need, associated with the building's green roof, to temporarily relocate the women residing on the second floor. This green roof was a prototype that offered an environmentally conscious alternative to traditional roofing. Unfortunately, periods of recent heavy rainfall have led to leaking, which made its way into some walls.

The University is therefore in the process of preparing to remove and replace the roof and make other needed repairs. University staff continue to be available to assist students with the transition to new spaces and have communicated all information about this process to the residents and parents. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your assistance and patience during this time. Please rest assured that our priority is, and will continue to be, the safety and comfort of our students.

ODAC and CICV Annual Meetings

Last week I attended the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Presidents Council Meeting and the Virginia Private Colleges (VPC)/Council of Independent Colleges in Virginia (CICV) Annual Meeting at Shenandoah University. It is always enjoyable to spend time with presidential colleagues from Virginia's 27 private colleges. Below are a few of the many highlights from my visit.

Exploring the Shenandoah Center for Immersive Learning with President David Johns of Ferrum College. Look for information on the Virginia Wesleyan University Esports team debuting in January.
Informative briefing about the new Amazon second headquarters being built in Arlington by the leader of recruiting programs and strategy, Brian Riley. He shared plans for the infrastructure and programmatic efforts for the new HQ2.
Fascinating visit to "VMFA on the road" (Virginia Museum of Fine Arts) with Robert Lambeth, President of Virginia Private Colleges, and Elizabeth Ann McClanahan, a former Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia, former Chair of the State Council for Higher Education in Virginia (SCHEV), and the new head of Appalachia School of Law. VMFA's new state-of-the-art traveling museum and art studio was launched less than a year ago (looking forward to hosting a VWU visit). Read more here.
A Thursday morning briefing on Virginia trends and higher education issues was provided by Barbara Favola. She has served in the Senate of Virginia since 2011, representing the 31st District, encompassing portions of Arlington, Fairfax, and Loudoun counties.
Candid conversation about higher education in the Commonwealth with Mark Sickles of the Virginia House of Delegates. He has served in the House since 2004, representing the 43rd district in the Fairfax County suburbs of D.C. He has been the House minority caucus chair since 2012

The Role of Schools in a Shifting Church

Dr. Mark Hanshaw, Associate General Secretary of the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM), sends along an update, "The Role of Schools in a Shifting Church." Read it here.

AROUND TOWN AND ACROSS CAMPUS

I hope everyone had a chance to view Professor of Art Sharon Swift's inspiring work on display this past month in the Watts Gallery of the Goode Center. If you missed it, you can read about the talented Professor Swift's work and journey here. This week in the Watts Gallery of the Goode Center you can enjoy the work of Virginia Wesleyan graduate Lydia Johnson '19 on display for Homecoming and Family Weekend festivities. There's still time to enjoy the work of another talented colleague, Professor of Art John Rudel. Professor Rudel's latest exhibition, "Big Old Work," is on display through October 1 in the Neil Britton Gallery of Hofheimer Library.

Advancement staff and I briefed our campus ambassadors to prepare for the 2019-2020 Faculty/Staff Giving Campaign, "The Future is Here." Giving to the University from the campus community has traditionally been strong. The campaign officially launches tomorrow, October 1! A special thank you to our Advancement staff and campaign ambassadors who joined us for the meeting: Jason Seward '05, Dr. Mort Gamble, Kelly Cordova, Dr. Bryson Mortensen, Lori Harris '94, Brandon Elliott '03, Brandi Calica '14, (front row, from left) Heather Campbell '04, Elaine Aird '96, Sharon Laderberg, April Christman '14, and Dr. Michelle Vachris.

Recently I enjoyed a visit with Delegate Cheryl Turpin, who is a candidate for Virginia's 7th District Senate seat. In addition to our visit, she was on campus for a "Meet and Greet," sponsored by Wesleyan Engaged and Marlins Vote.

We had a great turnout last weekend in our Jane P. Batten Student Center for the eighth annual Scholarship and College Fair for Coastal Virginia high school students. Virginia Wesleyan University has partnered with Scholarship Sharing to host the event for several years.

It was so nice to attend the 36th annual Oyster Crush Charity Rotary Club Fundraiser at Ballyhoos with Virginia Wesleyan University friends, including Keith Moore (VWU Vice President for Student Affairs), Jason Seward '05 (Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs), Michael Berlucchi (Virginia Beach City Councilman), Joanne Renn (retired VWU Athletic Director), VWU graduate Richard Pulley '06 (executive with Merrill Lynch in Virginia Beach), Jayne Sullivan (VWU Professor of Education, active Rotarian, and Past District Governor). The event was sponsored by the Cape Henry Rotary Foundation.

The 18th Annual Golf Outing, supporting Virginia Wesleyan softball, baseball, and men's lacrosse teams, is this Friday, October 4, at Cypress Point Country Club. More information can be found here.

There are many amazing things happening at VWU's Center for the Study of Religious Freedom this fall. Check out the offerings in the latest issue of the CSRF newsletter "Understanding Religious Freedom."

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Have a great week!

Friday, September 27, 2019

Tonight at the Goode Center

Don't miss Piers Adams, the "world's reigning recorder virtuoso," with Red Priest--the only early music group in the world to be compared in the press to the Rolling Stones, Jackson Pollock, the Marx Brothers, Spike Jones and Cirque du Soleil--at VWU's Goode Center this evening. This extraordinary quartet, hailed by critics as "visionary and heretical," and "wholly irreverent and highly enlightened," will bring their "break-all-the-rules, rock-chamber ensemble" to the Goode Center at VWU to perform "Truly, Madly Baroque," featuring works by Vivaldi, Pachelbel, Locatelli, Albinoni, Tartini, Bach, and Handel. Enjoy a preview here.

For tickets and more information visit www.vwu.tix.com ($10-$20/ticket; free to VWU students, faculty, and staff.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

VMFA on the Road: An Artmobile for the 21st Century

Fascinating visit to “VMFA on the road” (Virginia Museum of Fine Arts) with Robert Lambeth, President of Virginia Private Colleges, and Elizabeth Ann McClanahan, a former Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia, former Chair of the State Council for Higher Education in Virginia (SCHEV), and the new head of Appalachia School of Law. VMFA’s new state-of-the-art traveling museum and art studio launched less than a year ago (looking forward to hosting a VWU visit). Read more here.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Shenandoah Center for Immersive Learning

Exploring the Shenandoah Center for Immersive Learning with President David Johns of Ferrum College. Look for information on the Virginia Wesleyan University Esports team debuting in January.

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Welcome New Board Members

Pleased to welcome Mavis McKenley '11, Vice President and Trust Officer at AMG National Trust Bank, and Doug Wilson '86, Executive Vice President of LifeNet Health, who have been elected to the Board of Trustees of Virginia Wesleyan University. They both bring enthusiasm to serve, support of our mission, and a desire to continue to contribute to the work of the University. Read more here.

Marlin SportSplash: September 24, 2019

Catch the latest in Virginia Wesleyan Athletics in today's edition of Marlins SportSplash: https://conta.cc/2mL9Lai

Monday, September 23, 2019

Longtime Friends of Virginian Wesleyan

Annie and I enjoyed dinner tonight at Saltine in The Main with some wonderful friends of Virginia Wesleyan University. Pictured with Martha Jo Wilson (wife of former Academic Dean, William "Bill" Wilson), and Alice Clarke (wife of former President Lambuth Clarke). So many great Virginia Wesleyan stories.

Scholarship Fair at VWU

Great turnout over the weekend in our Jane P. Batten Student Center for the eighth annual Scholarship and College Fair for area high school students. Virginia Wesleyan University has partnered with Scholarship Sharing (www.scholarshipsharing.org) to host the event for several years.

36th Annual Oyster Crush Charity Fundraiser

Enjoyable Sunday afternoon with Virginia Wesleyan University friends at the 36th annual Oyster Crush Charity Rotary Club Fundraiser at Ballyhoos. Pictured, top, with Keith Moore (VWU Vice President for Student Affairs), Jason Seward ‘05 (Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs), VB City Councilman Michael Berlucchi, and retired VWU athletic director Joanne Renn. Left, with VWU grad Richard Pulley ‘06, now an executive with Merrill Lynch in Virginia Beach. Right, with Jason Seward, Joanne Renn and VWU Professor Jayne Sullivan (who celebrated a birthday on Saturday). Jayne is a long time active Rotarian and Past District Governor. The event is sponsored by the Cape Henry Rotary Foundation.

Photo Gallery: President's List Reception

Enjoy photos from the President's List Reception where we celebrated full-time students who earned a 4.0 GPA for the spring 2019 semester. Congratulations again to these hardworking Marlins! View the photo gallery here: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmH2wZba

Nota Bene: Weekly Update

It is my pleasure to announce the election of two new members of the Virginia Wesleyan University Board of Trustees--Mavis McKenley '11, Vice President and Trust Officer at AMG National Trust Bank, and Doug Wilson '86, Executive Vice President of LifeNet Health. They both bring enthusiasm to serve, support of our mission, and a desire to continue to contribute to the work of the University. I've shared more information about our newest Trustees below.

Mavis (Escoffery) McKenley '11 earned a B.A in business from Virginia Wesleyan's Adult Studies Program in 2011. Mavis is vice president and trust officer at AMG National Trust Bank. She's also certified as an accredited estate planner (AEP), certified trust and financial advisor (CTFA) and a certified financial planner (CFP)--designations she is proud of. She serves as vice president for her local estate planning council and has served as board president for Samaritan House, an area nonprofit that provides advocacy and services to victims of domestic violence and homeless families. In addition to those roles, Mavis served two terms on Virginia Wesleyan's Alumni Council and currently serves as immediate past chair. Mavis enjoys playing tennis, painting and spending time with her son and her husband of over 30 years, Wayne. The family lives in Norfolk.

Doug Wilson '86 earned his B.A. degree in political science, with focus on communication from Virginia Wesleyan in 1986. Doug's entire career has been spent in biologics. He started working in transplantation as an administrator for a blood center and joined LifeNet Health in 1989. Beginning as a field representative, Doug went on to establish the marketing and sales departments at LifeNet Health. In August 2006, Doug was promoted to Executive Vice President and is responsible for the Marketing and Business Development, Corporate Public Relations (PR) and Legal Matters. He also serves as Vice President of the LifeNet Health Foundation, which provides resources for the research and donor family support missions of LifeNet Health. Doug has received the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Medallion Award for Excellence in Communications. In 2017, Virginia Wesleyan honored Doug with the Distinguished Alumnus Award, recognizing him for outstanding achievements in his profession. Doug and his wife Cindy, who is also a Virginia Wesleyan graduate, have two children and reside in Norfolk.

Please join me in welcoming Mavis and Doug to the Virginia Wesleyan University Board of Trustees! We are fortunate to have a strong Board that provides exceptional stewardship for our institution. I thank them for their commitment to VWU.

ET CETERA

Virginia Wesleyan Commemorates 18th Anniversary of 9/11
The Virginia Wesleyan community held its annual 9/11 Remembrance Service in the Peace Garden between Godwin and Clarke Halls. Commemorating the 18th anniversary of the attacks, Dr. Susan Larkin, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, shared a reflection, sophomores Cora Wilson '20 and Selena Chambers '20 offered powerful quotes and prayer, and Dr. Bryson Mortensen, Aleigha Johnson '21, Jennifer Vega '21, and Lindsay White '22 led the community in a performance of "America the Beautiful." University Chaplain Greg West closed the ceremony with remarks and prayer. Please enjoy photos from this meaningful event.

Virginia Wesleyan Celebrates Constitution Day

We proudly recognized Constitution Day last week to commemorate the signing of the U.S. Constitution on the seventeenth of September in 1787. To commemorate the occasion, an engaging exhibit--complete with miniature Founding Fathers--continues to be available at the Virginia Wesleyan University Hofheimer Library.

AROUND TOWN AND ACROSS CAMPUS

We recently recognized Virginia Wesleyan students who were named to the President's List for the spring 2019 semester at a reception in the Greer Environmental Sciences Center. These impressive students earned a grade point average of 4.0 while matriculating as full-time students, and we congratulate them! View photos from the event here and the President's List here.

Four-time Grammy winner Steve Buckingham recently gave a special presentation on campus. He discussed how music--particularly blues, jazz and soul music--shaped our country in the 1950's and 1960's, and impacted segregation. Steve teaches a course at Virginia Wesleyan entitled "Rhythm and Blues Tore Down the Walls of Segregation," in which he explores through archival films and photos, interviews, and extensive use of music. Read more in The Virginian-Pilot.

The first broadcast recording from the Goode Center, "Sonatas and Stories," aired recently on WHRO-FM and WHRV-FM. The event, hosted by WHRO and WHRV at the Goode Center, features VWU Performing Artist faculty and applied instructors Billye Brown Youmans (soprano), Lawrence Clemens (trumpet), Kirsty Barnett Green (violin), Elizabeth Richards (cello), Todd Holcomb (guitar), and Rachel Ordaz (flute), and also Professor Vivian Teter and VWU student Jayla Cross '20, each reading their own original poetry. In addition, there are several other musical performers and writers from the community. Listen to the broadcast recording here! Kudos to our talented faculty and staff for their contributions to this program. For more in The Arts at VWU, view this month's newsletter.

It was great to visit with benefactor and Trustee Emeritus John A. Trinder recently on campus. The Trinder Center, home to grass-field Marlin sports is named for John as is the Trinder Advancement Center in Godwin Hall. His son Ken currently serves as a Trustee of VWU.

Site preparation has concluded for Coastal 61 at Oxford Village and work crews from Marlyn Development have begun construction on two of the buildings. View photos here and learn more about this project at coastal61.com.

Virginia Beach Mayor Bobby Dyer was the featured speaker at the monthly meeting of the Virginia Beach Vision Board of Directors. I appreciated his shout-out to Virginia Wesleyan and his strong comments about the important role of educational institutions in the growth and prosperity of Coastal Virginia.

John Cook of George Mason University's Center for Climate Change Communication was the featured speaker at last week's Virginia Aquarium Foundation Board of Directors meeting. His presentation focused on "Making Sense of Climate Change Misinformation." It is such a pleasure serving on the Board of this important Coastal Virginia organization.

Members of the Virginia Wesleyan University Dining Services team were recognized on campus and featured in the Sodexo University Segment News, a national publication. We thank this hardworking team for their dedication to our campus!

I had the opportunity to see the new Virginia Beach Sports Center. Virginia Wesleyan looks forward to the opening of this beautiful new facility which is located adjacent to the Virginia Beach Convention Center.

A reminder that Homecoming and Family Weekend is less than two weeks away! View the schedule of events and more details at vwu.edu/homecoming.