Chancellor David Doré listens as RCC welding instructor Bill Pittman explains what students are working on. ( Photo By Clement Britt, VCCS Photographer)
Since beginning his role as Chancellor of the Virginia Community College System on April 3, Dr. David Doré, embarked on a listening tour to the 23 Virginia community colleges. His tour culminated on May 9 with a visit to Rappahannock Community College’s Glenns and Warsaw campuses.
Doré began his day at the Glenns campus, meeting with RCC’s Executive staff, followed by an inperson and Zoom “Welcome” address to staff. “I see my role as one who supports and elevates the work you do for our students,” said Doré. “The faculty, staff, and personnel of the College are the heart of everything we do. I’m also here as an advocate—a liaison with the General Assembly in Richmond—to garner more funding for our community colleges.”
The Chancellor then met with dually-enrolled welding students and a Chesapeake Bay Governor’s School biology class. He toured the campus, talking with students, faculty, and staff, and learning about the various programs and training opportunities RCC provides. After his visit at Glenns, the Chancellor then traveled to Warsaw to meet with faculty, staff, and college supporters. Doré asked the faculty what challenges they face and how it affects the students. Several mentioned the lack of reliable internet connections and the need for mental health support. RCC offers free telehealth for 24/7 counseling however there is a lack of resources in the community for follow up care. “The College is the lifeblood of the community. We need to support that as much as we can,” said Doré.
Dr. Shannon Kennedy, RCC president, had the chance to meet with the Chancellor and share with him the successes and future plans of RCC, such as adding a diagnostic medical sonography degree, adding welding at New Kent, expanding diesel mechanics and HVAC, and building a facility to improve health sciences instruction. And with those successes and future goals come challenges, especially financially to recruit and retain faculty and students. “Dr. Doré was interested and receptive. He truly enjoyed meeting the students, faculty, and staff, and hearing their stories about how they arrived at RCC,” said Kennedy.
“We enjoyed giving Dr. Doré a tour of the Warsaw campus,” said Sunshine Booth and Summer Chamberlain, Warsaw campus student ambassadors. “He asked thoughtful questions and was interested in seeing the campus.”
“Our learners are becoming more diverse,” said Doré. “They are working learners and learning workers. It’s up to us to continue to support them.”
The Chancellor provides day-to-day leadership for a system that serves more than 200,000 degree-seeking and work-force-career training students annually. He was a first-generation college student and believes that every learner can succeed if the conditions are right. He has focused on serving diverse and underrepresented populations to foster inclusive learning communities, supporting open access, student success, and economic mobility.
Dr. Doré came to Virginia from Tucson, Arizona, where he served as President of Campuses and Executive Vice Chancellor at Pima Community College. He earned his Doctor of Education degree at Pepperdine University; Master’s degrees at Georgetown University, Boston College, and Santa Clara University; an advanced degree in Philosophy from Gonzaga University; and his Bachelor’s degree from Gannon University.
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