September 30, 2024
Good morning, |
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We hope you’ve made plans to join us this weekend for an exciting lineup of events for Marlins and their friends and families during Homecoming and Family Weekend.
On Friday, the weekend kicks off with Marlin Spirit Day. We invite Marlins and friends to snap and share your pics in your favorite Marlin gear. The annual Virginia Wesleyan University Golf Outing tees off at Cypress Point Golf and Country Club, and then the day culminates with an alumni gathering at ShoreBreak Pizza & Taphouse on Shore Drive.
On Saturday, we’ll celebrate our annual FinFest with food trucks, live music, and family fun. We’ll cheer on the Marlins in athletic contests and alumni games and celebrate the best of VWU Athletics during the Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony that evening.
But the weekend isn’t just for athletes and fans. The fall theater production of Chicago will be performed on Friday and Saturday at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday at 2:00 p.m in the Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center.
It's a weekend filled with festivities, athletics, arts, and community spirit that you won't want to miss.
View the full schedule for 2024 Homecoming & Family Weekend. See you there! |
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Congratulations to Kelly Cordova, Chief of Staff/ Vice President for Strategic Initiatives, named to the Inside Business 2024 Top Forty Under 40 list. She will be celebrated on October 16 during the 26th annual awards ceremony, which highlights and celebrates the top young business professionals in Coastal Virginia.
As the driving force behind the scenes, Kelly leads the Trinder Center for Advancement, Marketing and Communications, and Institutional Research departments. She also oversees board relations, government relations, and church relations. With nearly a decade of dedicated service to VWU, Kelly’s contributions have been vital, consistently turning plans into reality and ensuring the university moves forward efficiently and effectively.
To be named to the Top Forty Under 40 list, awardees must also show engagement in their community. In addition to her role at Virginia Wesleyan, Kelly mentors college students through the Greater Norfolk Corporation, volunteers through her church, serves as an assistant editor for the national college presidential thought leadership series "President to President," and is a 5-gallon (and counting) lifetime blood donor with the American Red Cross.
I know you join me in congratulating Kelly on this well-deserved recognition. |
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AROUND TOWN AND ACROSS CAMPUS |
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Construction Update With construction in full swing for the new Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art (Virginia MOCA) at Virginia Wesleyan University building, heavy truck traffic will be present at the arts complex through December 2025.
Parking for Susan T. Beverly Hall and business functions in Bray Village have been shifted to the Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center lot. Students residing in Bray Village are encouraged to park in the student parking area along Smith Drive, along the Avenue of the Sciences, and the Honors Village lot. |
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VWU Celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month: September 15-October 15 Virginia Wesleyan is celebrating this Hispanic Heritage Month with a variety of special programming from the Off the Hook, the Latino Student Alliance, Wesleyan Engaged, and Sodexo Dining Services. See the full schedule of events here. |
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The 50 States Initiative We had a terrific turnout for The 50 States Initiative last week in Brock Commons. Presented by Truist, in partnership with VWU Global Campus, we hosted a one-day workshop offering access to government resources and sessions on financial literacy and best business practices for underrepresented and women entrepreneurs and small business owners. This program serves our mission to offer lifelong learning opportunities to our community. |
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Special thanks to Mark Johnson, Senior Vice President of Truist (pictured top with Dr. Deirdre Gonsalves-Jackson, Vice President for VWU Global Campus); and to Tiffany Boyle, Newport News Commissioner of the Revenue and VWU Class of 2014, and Lisa Olivia, Deputy Director at the U.S. Department of Treasury Office of Small & Disadvantaged Business Utilization (pictured below), for their invaluable support of this program.
Also, I'd like to extend my thanks to 13News Now and WAVY TV-10 for previewing this important event. |
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Welcome New Presidential Associates We are delighted to welcome graduate students Camille Jernigan ’25, Ashleigh Lockard ’25, and Adrianna Gunther ’25 as our 2024-25 Presidential Associates. Pictured here with Kelly Cordova, Chief of Staff/ Vice President of Strategic Initiatives. Learn more about the program here.
U.S. News and World Report Ranks VWU Among Nation's Top Liberal Arts Colleges Of the 1,500 colleges and universities in the nation, U.S. News and World Report has ranked Virginia Wesleyan University among the top 175 liberal arts colleges. VWU was 175th in the National Liberal Arts Colleges category. The University also ranked 114th in Top Performers for Social Mobility. Last week, Washington Monthly magazine ranked VWU 155th in the National Liberal Arts category. Additionally, in the performance metrics, VWU ranked 21st in Pell Performance and 67th in service. Find news coverage from Virginia Business. |
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Way to Go, Waylo! If you didn’t get a chance to read this delightful article about Marlin student Waylo Wilson, be sure to check it out. Captain of the VWU Men’s Basketball team, Waylo is doing great things on campus, both on and off the court.
Interim Tag Dropped, Alison Bryne Named Executive Director of Virginia MOCA The “interim” tag has been dropped and our collaborative partner, Alison Bryne, is the permanent Executive Director of the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art. Alison has been a good partner with the University in planning the construction of the new Virginia MOCA building, which will open on campus in January 2026. She has served in a variety of roles at Virginia MOCA over the past 20 years. |
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VWU Hosts Joint Forces Staff I was pleased to host leadership from Joint Forces Staff College last week at DeFord Manor: Maj Gen Thomas Crimmins (Commandant) and his support team of Dr. Charles Stuppard, Dr. Ilaria De Santis, and Lt Derya Happe, and with Vice President for VWU Global Campus Deirdre Gonsalves-Jackson. |
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NATO Change of Command Congratulations to former neighbor and good friend Colonel Stephan Pillmeier on his installation as Head of the German Delegation and German National Liaison Representative at NATO. I had the honor of attending his Change of Command Ceremony last week. Joining us for the picture is Gary Bonnewell, former VWU Board Chair and member of the Class of 1979, and his wife Debbie. |
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New Session of VWU Global Campus Talent Development Courses Begins The next session of VWU Global Campus talent development courses, offered in partnership with Virginia Beach Economic Development on campus, online or at The HIVE, begins on September 30. Check out the in-person and online course offerings. |
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Virginia Beach Schools Community Roundtable Last week, we hosted the Virginia Beach Public Schools Community Roundtable at DeFord Manor. With Kim Melnyk, Chair, VBCPS School Board; Superintendent Donald Robertson; Allison Byrne, Executive Director of the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art; and Nancy DeFord, Vice Chair of VWU Board of Trustees. |
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Remembering Mort Gamble, Former Senior Vice President Let’s take a moment to remember former Virginia Wesleyan Senior Vice President Mort Gamble. Mort was a mentor, teacher, and friend to me for 40+ years and to this campus community from 2016 until his passing in 2020. Last week would have been his 73rd birthday. Gamble Plaza outside the Monumental Chapel/ Beazley Recital Hall is named in his memory. Much of the success we now have in our Trinder Center for Advancement is a result of the model that Mort put in place. Pictured here with Kelly Cordova, Chief of Staff/ Vice President for Strategic Initiatives. |
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Presidential Leadership Council We had our first meeting of the Leadership Council for the new academic year this past week. This group is composed of staff members from various campus departments that gather to foster collaboration on key administrative initiatives. We thank them for their dedication to VWU.
It’s WINDSday The latest edition celebrating the power of wind, clean energy and a green environment is here. |
Virginia Beach Mail-In Ballot Voting Issue (Districts 3, 4, and 7) The City of Virginia Beach Voter Registrar’s Office has stated that a printing error occurred on the mail-in ballots for local elections in Districts 3, 4, and 7 for the November 2024 election.The Voter Registrar’s Office is now reprinting and remailing mail-in ballots. In-person early voting is not impacted. Learn more about the Mail-In Ballot issue here. Learn more about casting a ballot in Virginia here. |
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President to President: How Transparency Supports Successful Change In this year’s President to President thought leadership series, titled “Game Changers in Higher Education,” we explore the many paths that leaders take to ensure the continuing success of their campuses. In the second chapter, “Leading Change: Practical Lessons in the Implementation of a Multi-Institution Integration,” West Chester University President R. Lorraine Bernotsky, D.Phil., shares vital lessons from her experience as Interim President of Pennsylvania Western University during its transition from three distinct campuses into one integrated university. She highlights the power of transparency in change management, showing how it inspires hope and determination that ultimately lead to positive outcomes. |
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PARTNERS IN PROGRESS A Virginia Wesleyan University Community |
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See you at Homecoming and Family Weekend!
Sincerely, |
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