My post-secondary education began at Danville Community College near Southside Virginia. I received an associate's degree in pre-engineering and went on to graduate from Virginia Tech with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering. Nearly 30 years later, I can look back on a fulfilling career that began with this strong educational foundation. Community college – particularly the outstanding team of professors – led me on the path to this career, and I feel fortunate to have had this exceptional opportunity.

A Gateway to Four-Year Institutions

The Virginia Community College System (VCCS) has served students since 1966, offering a broad array of programs. Currently, VCCS provides college courses, workforce training, and continuing education to more than 300,000 students who attend classes either full- or part-time through 23 colleges at 40 locations.

Foundation Hall offers a gateway presence on the DCC campus. The building's design is reminiscent of an old pre-existing campus structure, known as "The Castle."

In today's economy, community colleges offer more value and play a more critical role than ever before. According to the American Association of Community Colleges, they serve almost half of the undergraduate students in the U.S. They prepare students to transfer to four-year colleges at a reasonable cost, and often enable them to stay close to home if necessary. In Virginia, community college students are guaranteed admission to more than 20 of the commonwealth's four-year colleges and universities if they earn an associate degree and maintain a grade point average that meets the institution's requirements.

The Importance of Workforce Education

Community colleges also do an excellent job of providing workforce education and preparing the next generation of skilled workers. In rural regions, like my hometown in Southside Virginia, this is especially important to foster successful economic development. A trained workforce, steady supply of skilled labor, and resources for continuing education are essential to many companies looking to build their businesses.

I credit my own community college experience with giving me a start toward my career. In recent years, I've had the opportunity to give back by serving on the board of directors of the Danville Community College Educational Foundation, and more recently it has been my honor to be appointed by Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell to the State Board of Community Colleges for a four-year term. Our goals for VCCS include increasing the number of students educated and trained in our community colleges to 423,000 by 2015, an increase of 50,000 over our 2009 enrollment.

Providing affordable education, job training, and the knowledge and skills to compete successfully in the global economy – Virginia's community colleges are prepared to meet this critical challenge. I look forward to contributing throughout the next four years and beyond.