Dialogue: Nota Bene: Weekly Update

January 22, 2024

Good morning,

I’m delighted to share that our good friend and neighbor R. Perez Gatling, President of Virginia Beach Interdenominational Ministries Conference and Pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Virginia Beach, will be our 2024 Baccalaureate speaker. A distinguished figure in both education and ministry, Pastor Gatling has served as pastor of EBC, located at the corner of Wesleyan Drive and Baker Road, next to Coastal 61, since 2018.

Before answering the call to ministry in 2011, his professional journey began in education. He was an English teacher and coach at Deep Creek High School in Chesapeake and Heritage High School in Newport News. Following that, he held administrative roles in Virginia Beach City Public Schools. He has also co-authored notable works in education, including “Teaching Hope” and “An Inexcusable Absence: The Shortage of Black Male Teachers.” In addition to serving as an educator for 20 years, Pastor Gatling served as Minister of Music for several churches in the Coastal Virginia area for more than 20 years.

He earned a Bachelor of Arts in English Education from Fayetteville State University and a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership from Regent University.

He is married to Dr. Veleka S. Gatling, who has also been a good friend of the University. Together, their life is guided by a deep faith and commitment to service, and we are excited to hear his message of hope to the Class of 2024.

Baccalaureate will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, May 17 in the Joan and Macon Brock Theatre of the Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center as a part of the Spring 2024 Commencement exercises. This prelude to Commencement is a service of worship in celebration of and thanksgiving for lives dedicated to learning and wisdom. All graduates and their families are encouraged to attend.

In other good news, I am pleased to announce that Louise McCleary, NCAA Vice President of Division III, will be visiting campus this spring. This event is an incredible opportunity for our student-athletes and coaches to meet and learn from the top leader in NCAA Division III.

During her visit, Louise will offer invaluable insights into the world of collegiate sports administration. Marlins will have the unique chance to hear about the challenges and successes of managing NCAA Division III, which prides itself on providing comprehensive opportunities for student-athletes across the nation.

I’ve known Louise for many years through my active involvement in the NCAA. She’s a 1983 graduate of Norfolk Collegiate School, holds a bachelor's degree in political science and American studies from Wellesley College and a master's in sport management from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.

We’re proud to welcome her to Virginia Wesleyan on March 7. During her visit, she will also attend the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships at the Virginia Beach Sports Center.

ET CETERA

It was a busy week around Coastal Virginia celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The celebrations began last Saturday afternoon at New Hope Baptist Church as the Virginia Beach Interdenominational Ministers Conference celebrated MLK Day with a lunch and inspiring program led by our good friend State Senator Aaron Rouse (pictured with his mother Nadine). It was wonderful to see VWU friends like Virginia Beach Mayor Bobby Dyer; Virginia Beach City Council members Chris Taylor (VWU ‘06) and Jennifer Valentine Rouse (VWU ‘08); and Rev. Michael Daniels, retiring Pastor of Enoch Baptist Church located across from the East Gate entrance of VWU.

On Sunday, Gil Bland, President of the Urban League of Hampton Roads, hosted an enjoyable evening with some special friends at the oceanfront including former Virginia governor Douglas Wilder, Mayor Dyer; Delceno Miles, CEO of the Miles Agency and member of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) (pictured with Gil Bland); VWU Trustee Emeritus Lem Lewis, retired Executive Vice President and CFO of Landmark Communications, and many more.

On the morning of MLK Day, the Urban League hosted the 40th annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Awards Breakfast at the Virginia Beach Convention Center. I was proud to sit with our friends from SCHEV at their table as retiring Executive Director Peter Blake is one of the honorees (pictured). It was nice to catch up with interim SCHEV director Alan Edwards, Virginia Beach City Council member Worth Remick, and Virginia Beach Superintendent Donald Robertson, among many other friends.

At Virginia Wesleyan, we were proud to honor student Christopher Mercer-Garrett as the 2024 recipient of the Mavis McKenley ‘11 Award. Although Chris is still in his first year as a Marlin, he has already made a wonderful impact on our campus. He works as a Nonpartisan Democracy Fellow with the Campus Vote Project and has helped coordinate campus activities like Vote Early Day and Popcorn & Polls. He is a volunteer tutor at Luxford Elementary School, an activity he started as a part of his Work & Learn position but one that he has continued to pursue during his personal time. Way to go, Chris!

Once again, special thanks to our keynote speaker Mark Johnson, Trustee Mavis McKenley, and all of our students and special guests for joining us for our event. Read more about our event and view the photo gallery.

AROUND TOWN AND ACROSS CAMPUS

Eric Nyman Performance Golf Center

Learn more about the recently announced Eric Nyman Performance Golf Center, powered by Foresight Sports, here. Once again, we offer our sincere gratitude to Eric for making this state-of-the-art opportunity available for our community. We’re excited to see it in action!

Fostering Regionalism: A New Call for Collaboration in Coastal Virginia

Please enjoy my opinion piece from Sunday’s The Virginian-Pilot entitled, “Fostering Regionalism: A New Call for Collaboration in Coastal Virginia.”

Celebrating our Friends at Sodexo

We are proud to be a partner of Sodexo, which has a long and vibrant history on our campus and many dedicated team members.

John Roper is the Pizza Chef in the VWU Boyd Dining Center. During his 20 years at VWU, John has made 128,000 pizzas, and Tim Lockett has been General Manager of Sodexo Dining Services for every one of them!

For 30 years, “Miss Polly” has greeted the campus community with a big smile in the dining center. She welcomes students with a Happy Birthday on their special day, congratulates them when they excel on the courts or fields or even in a musical or the theater. Last week, Sodexo Dining Services and the VWU community say “thank you” to Polly Gaskins for helping to make our campus the special place that it is.

Enrollment Manager: How Should College Admissions Approach AI?

Artificial intelligence is changing the way we do everything, including college admissions. I hope you enjoy my latest article in Enrollment Manager, co-authored by Dr. Katelyn "Katie" Sanders, on the future of the college essay in the age of AI.

New Leadership at VFIC

Locke Ogens will serve as the new President of the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges (VFIC), effective January 29, 2024. Additionally, Teague Avey, Strategic Advisor & Head of the Virginia Offices at Brown Advisory, and VWU Trustee and alumnus Gary Bonnewell, Senior Vice President, Financial Advisor at Morgan Stanley, have joined the VFIC Board of Trustees.

We look forward to their leadership of this important organization that supports 17 selective private liberal arts institutions throughout Virginia, including VWU.

A Visit from the CIVIC Leadership Institute

Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Sue Larkin and I enjoyed discussing collaboration opportunities with our good friends and colleagues at the CIVIC Leadership Institute - Mary Kate Andris, President and CEO, and Tage Counts, Vice President of Strategic Engagement. Mary Kate once used her considerable talents as a member of the Virginia Wesleyan Trinder Center for Advancement, so it was delightful to welcome her back to campus and show her the wonderful progress we’ve made since her time here.

Exciting News for University Friend

Congratulations to our 2023 VWU Global Campus Commencement speaker Janice Underwood! Dr. Underwood will soon be joining the team at Disney Experiences as Vice President, Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, Talent Outreach & Development.

President to President: Sustainable Leadership

The sixth chapter of the 2023-2024 President to President thought leadership series is now available online. In “Applying Sustainability to Presidential Leadership,” Hood College President Andrea Chapdelaine, Ph.D., explores the value of a leadership approach that carefully balances immediate and long-term considerations. She delves into specific strategies, such as promoting collaborative decision-making and creating a culture of empowerment, to improve student satisfaction, faculty and staff retention, and financial stability. I have enjoyed editing this series for 20 years.

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP NEWS