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Tag: Northern Virginia Community College

MCC President Anne Kress to depart for Northern Virginia Community College

Anne M. Kress, president of Monroe Community College since 2009, has been hired to be the next president of Northern Virginia Community College.

Anne M. Kress
Anne M. Kress

An announcement at Northern Virginia, known as NOVA, said Kress would assume her new duties at the beginning of 2020. She will be the college’s sixth permanent president. The college has 75,000 students and six campuses, making it one of the largest community colleges in the nation.

“Dr. Kress’s proven leadership and commitment to student success align perfectly with NOVA’s strategic priorities,” said Rick Pearson, chair of the Northern Virginia Community College Local Board. “Her dedication and experience cultivating community partnerships will prove invaluable at addressing the workforce challenges facing our region. This makes her the perfect fit for NOVA.”

In a statement released by MCC, Kress said, “It has been a genuine privilege to serve as MCC’s president over the past decade, and I am honored to have been selected as the next president of Northern Virginia Community College. In the weeks ahead, I will work with MCC’s leadership team, Board of Trustees, and SUNY to assure a smooth and seamless transition. I have loved my time at MCC and in this community. My sincere appreciation goes out to every Tribune—students, faculty, staff, and alumni—for making MCC inspiring and to our generous community for supporting our students and our College.”

During Kress’ tenure, MCC has expanded its career-readiness programs and partnered with local employers to help create a trained workforce. She oversaw expansion of a downtown campus, renovating a former Eastman Kodak Co. office building into a modern college classroom building. She was also the first woman to serve as MCC’s president.

Barbara P. Lovenheim, chair of the MCC board of trustees, and a retired MCC professor, offered congratulations to Kress on her new appointment and thanks “for a decade of exemplary service.” She added, “Dr. Kress’s dedication to our mission and our students is among the reasons MCC is one of the nation’s top community colleges.”

Monroe County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo issued a statement with congratulations to Kress, adding, “Working hand-in-hand, we delivered a beautiful new Downtown Campus for our community, launched our nationally ecognized LadderzUp job training initiative, and just recently began work to build a first-of-its-kind Workforce Development Center in Monroe County. While our loss is Northern Virginia’s gain, I know the contributions that Anne made to our community during her time here will carry on for years to come.”

Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren said, “We all owe Anne a great debt of gratitude for her contributions to our community. She has been a good friend and partner to the City; working with us to close the skills gap and help our residents obtain jobs by providing affordable, viable training programs and serving as co-chair of Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council. I wish Anne all the best as she begins the next chapter in her career.”

Kress’ relationship with faculty and staff at MCC, however, has been contentious in recent years. In November, amid mediation on a faculty labor contract, the MCC Faculty Senate and Faculty Association passed a vote of no confidence in the president. Kress dismissed the vote as a negotiating tactic. A contract was eventually ratified five months later.

Kress is married to Ned Davis, executive director of the Friends and Foundation of the Rochester Public Library. Asked about how his wife’s new job would impact his current employment, he said, “My family and I are thrilled. That’s all I can say now.” Kress and Davis have a daughter, 17, and a son, 16, who attend Brighton schools.

NOVA’s search committee selected Kress from 80 applicants and three finalists, who all visited the campus in September to meet with constituencies. She will succeed Melvyn D. Schiavelli, who became interim president in the spring.

NOVA began as Northern Virginia Technical College in 1964 and was renamed two years later. Its first campus was built in Annandale, opening in 1967, and the college added others in Manassas, Alexandria, Woodbridge, Loudon and Springfield, the last of which opened in 2003. NOVA is the largest public college in Virginia.

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Kress a finalist for top spot at Virginia college

Anne M. Kress, president of Monroe Community College for the last decade, is one of three finalists for the presidency of Northern Virginia Community College.

The college in Richmond, Va., has 75,000 students on six campuses, making it about four times larger than Rochester’s community college. MCC has two campuses and additional off-site learning centers.

“Northern Virginia Community College is one of our nation’s largest, most diverse, and most dynamic community colleges,” said Glenn DuBois, chancellor of Virginia’s Community Colleges. “That’s reflected in the pool of candidates who applied for this presidency and the group of finalists moving on to the next step. These are seasoned and successful higher education leaders, and each of them is ready for the unique opportunities and challenges of leading NOVA.”

The finalists are due to visit the college for a series of introductions and events next week, including a formal interview with the NOVA board of trustees.

Anne M. Kress, president of Monroe Community College
Anne M. Kress, president of Monroe Community College

Besides Kress, the candidates are Paul Broadie II of Orange, Conn., and Joaquín G. Martínez of Hollywood, Fla. Broadie is president of two independent Connecticut community colleges, while Martínez is a vice-provost at Miami Dade College.

In a statement issued Thursday afternoon, Kress said, “Northern Virginia Community College is a dynamic, innovative institution committed to student success and to serving a diverse and growing regional economy. It is an honor to have been nominated for consideration as NOVA’s next leader and to have been selected as a finalist in its presidential search. While that search moves forward, I remain focused on serving and advancing MCC, as I have each day for more than ten years. ”

According to the Richmond college, the finalists were selected from a pool of 80 applicants.

“We were diligent in noting that NOVA’s next leader must be one that ensures that the college’s structure and culture are aligned while engaging all community constituents for the highest level of success,” said Rick Pearsons, chair of the NOVA College board, in a statement.

MCC’s board president, Barbara P. Lovenheim, said, “Anne Kress is the nationally recognized and respected leader of an institution that is among the top community colleges in the country, so it is not a surprise that she would attract the interest of Northern Virginia Community College.”

If selected, Kress would be the sixth president in the Virginia college’s history, and the second woman to hold the position. She is MCC’s first female president.

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