Dialogue: Nota Bene: Weekly Update

June 21, 2021

Good morning,

The Induction of the 13th Class of the Virginia Wesleyan University Athletic Hall of Fame will take place in-person on Saturday, October 2 at 9:00 a.m. The event has been rescheduled to ensure an in-person celebration, so I open this week’s update with a reminder about the final date. We are excited to offer this event during Homecoming and Family Weekend and know it will be worth the wait.

The 13th Class includes benefactors Joan P. Brock H’10 and Tassos J. Paphites ‘79, along with Executive Director for Intercollegiate Athletics Emerita Joanne Renn and three former Marlin athletics greats, John “Jack” E. Lingo III ‘01, Brandon M. Massie ‘11 and Adam L. Nycz ‘12. Learn more about our new inductees here.

Ticket information will be forthcoming. In the meantime, mark your calendars and make your plans to join us for this event and the entire Homecoming and Family Weekend on October 1-3.

ET CETERA

I am pleased to share some personnel updates:

Anja Serby-Wilkens (pictured below, left) will join the Office of the President as Administrative Assistant to the President, effective June 24. Anja comes to the Office of the President after spending several years as the Administrative Assistant to the Vice President for Enrollment. She has a German vocational degree as an industrial business management assistant and over 20 years of office administration experience. She arrived at Virginia Wesleyan in May 2014 as a Student Services Specialist (Adult Studies Program) and joined the Enrollment Office in January 2016 as the Data Input Manager. She was named Administrative Assistant to the Vice President for Enrollment in May 2016. Originally from Bietigheim-Bissingen, Germany, Anja lives in Norfolk with her husband Gary, who is an Associate Professor and Department Chair at Norfolk State University, and their cats Peat and Finnegan.

Anja replaces Jodi Chaler who has been with the University since 2013 and the Office of the President since 2015. Malleri “Mal” Santiago (pictured below, middle left) has been promoted to replace Anja as the Administrative Assistant to the Vice President for Enrollment. Congratulations to Anja and Mal on their new roles, and best wishes to Jodi. I thank her for her many years of service to me and the University.

Congratulations, also, to April Christman ’14 (pictured below, middle right) who has been promoted to become Director of Student Health, effective July 1. She has most recently served as Executive Assistant to the Vice President for Campus Life and Operational Management and Coordinator of Student Health. Previously, she was Executive Assistant to the Vice President for Academic Affairs. She will be replaced by Kayleigh Poggioli (pictured below, right) who will be joining the Virginia Wesleyan family as the new Assistant to the Vice President for Campus Life. Kayleigh graduated with her M.S.Ed. in Higher Education from Old Dominion University and her bachelor’s degree from Radford University. Congratulations April, and welcome Kayleigh!

Jim Cooper, our Vice President for Finance and Administration the last four years, has resigned to take a similar position at Cabrini University near his home in Philadelphia, effective in mid-July.

A search for a new Vice President for Finance has started. In the meantime, Sylvia Schelly, Associate Vice President for Finance, will serve as the Interim Vice President for Finance.

Jim has been an important part of our transformation during his four years here, and I thank him for his friendship and outstanding service to the University.

AROUND TOWN AND ACROSS CAMPUS

Make Your Annual Gift by June 30

In a year that has created difficult circumstances for many, it is critically important that Virginia Wesleyan University raise money to support the future of our students. Your gift will be a direct investment in programs that open doors of opportunity for students such as student leadership, lifelong learning, and engaged citizenship. Make your tax-deductible gift by midnight on June 30 to offer students the opportunity to take their learning beyond the walls of VWU.

A special thank you to those who have already made their fiscal year gift. View The Excellence Fund Honor Roll of Donors here.

Trustee Emeritus George Birdsong Visits

On Friday, we were happy to welcome our good friend and Trustee Emeritus George Birdsong to campus. George and his family have been tremendous stewards and supporters of VWU since its founding in 1960. Birdsong Hall, Birdsong Field, Sue Benton Birdsong Entrance Gate, Birdsong Presidential Suite (in Godwin Hall), the Birdsong Community Service Endowment, and Birdsong Scholarship are among the many campus commemorations of his family and their support.

During his visit, we walked the grounds of campus, and George commented that the campus looked the best he’d ever seen. I thank all of our staff members, our friends at Aramark, and our Opus student workers who take pride in making this campus beautiful every day. Your hard work does not go unnoticed.

George is the CEO and General Counsel for the Birdsong Corporation of Suffolk, the largest peanut sheller in the United States.

Congratulations to our National Softball Coaching Staff of the Year

The Virginia Wesleyan Softball coaching staff was recognized as the Division III Coaching Staff of the Year by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA). Congratulations to Head Coach Brandon Elliott '03 and his outstanding team - Jim Quinn, Chris Smith, Mary Pilkington '16, and Bobby Wills. This is well deserved!

Welcome Chaplain Kotosha Griffin

We’re pleased to officially welcome Rev. Kotosha Griffin next week to the role of Chaplain of VWU and Pastor of Heritage United Methodist Church. Our new partnership with Heritage, located on the east side of our campus adjacent to VWU TowneBank Park, will open many opportunities for students pursuing careers in the ministry and also a variety of service learning programs.

“Leaders on Leadership” Podcast Available Now

I was honored to join the latest podcast episode of “Leaders on Leadership with Jay Lemons.” The podcast has been developed by Academic Search and the American Academic Leadership Institute who together support colleges and universities during times of transition and through leadership development activities that serve current and future generations of institutional leaders.

East Gate is Open Once Again

Members of the VWU community with approved security access cards are now able to use the East Gate to campus (located on Baker Road), which was closed during the pandemic. Constructed and opened in 2018, East Gate provides restricted access and exit to and from Baker Road. Security utilizes East Gate to alleviate campus traffic “stress” during large crowd events in the Jane P. Batten Student Center and the outdoor athletic complex. Access to utilize East Gate is restricted to those faculty and staff members with valid access cards. Please see the security office for more details.

Trails at Wesleyan Woods Expanded

We are pleased to offer a new Norfolk pathway to the Trails at Wesleyan Woods. The new trail, nearly a mile in length, starts on Norfolk Lane (leading to Facilities Management) on the west side of campus, which is the only portion of VWU situated in the City of Norfolk. The trail has been cleared and is open for pedestrian access. The path leads to the fence adjacent to I-64 and loops past Lake Taylor. Feel free to explore!

Welcome Back, Camp Red Feather!

Now in its 16th year, YMCA Camp Red Feather kicks off its 2021 summer camp season with record camper numbers. Over 400 youth from Coastal Virginia will be on campus this week participating in the first session of the YMCA's premiere youth day camp.

With its headquarters on campus in the Frank Blocker Youth Center, YMCA Camp Red Feather exposes youth ages 5 to 17 with their natural surroundings, unplugging them from the digital world. Campers participate in arts and crafts and archery, canoe on Lake Taylor, climb the 55-foot Alpine Tower, and explore Virginia Beach and beyond. Virginia Wesleyan's 300 acre park-like settings makes our campus the perfect setting for this long time partnership. We again welcome our friends from the YMCA of South Hampton Roads to campus for another exciting summer.

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REFLECTIONS

I hope you find these links useful to my recent columns and publications:

University Business