New community college system chancellor kicks off tour of all 23 schools

David Doré started his new job as chancellor of the Virginia Community College System on Monday. He’s already two stops into his itinerary to visit all 23 of the commonwealth’s community colleges. 

On Tuesday morning, Doré visited Central Virginia Community College in Lynchburg, where he toured the school’s career and technical education and STEM facilities. 

Then he headed to Virginia Western Community College in Roanoke for a similar visit in the afternoon. After a closed discussion session with students, Doré was guided through three buildings at VWCC, where he stopped frequently to snap smartphone photos of campus features. 

Doré said it was important for him to see the state’s community colleges with his own eyes, and to do so before the spring semester ends. “I’m intentionally talking with students, faculty and community members as well,” he said. “For me to advocate for this system I really need to take the time to get to know the people who work here.” 

He added that visiting the community colleges allows him to get to know the presidents of each one in their own environment. Doré said he intends to continue learning about each campus more thoroughly after his initial tour.

Doré joins VCCS from Tucson, Arizona, where he most recently served as president of campuses and executive vice chancellor for student experience and workforce development at Pima Community College, which has five campuses. 

Other past roles include dean of instruction for career and technical education at Mesa Community College in Arizona and dean of the business school at the City College of San Francisco.

A first-generation college student, he earned a bachelor’s degree at Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania before going on to get two master’s degrees and a doctorate in education.

Doré is the first VCCS chancellor to be named in more than two decades. He takes over from Sharon Morrissey, the interim chancellor since July 2022 when Glenn DuBois retired. 

The search for the next chancellor drew attention last spring, when Gov. Glenn Youngkin wrote a letter to Nathaniel Bishop, chair of the State Board for Community Colleges, to express his concerns with the process. He wrote that the chancellor should be “aligned with the governor” on issues including workforce development. 

At that time, former secretary of education and current Virginia Department of Education board member Anne Holton was expected to be named to the role, but she later removed herself from consideration. The board then named Russell Kavalhuna as chancellor, but he ended up staying at Henry Ford College in Michigan, where he is president.

The Virginia Community College System serves about 200,000 students each year. The system has not been immune to enrollment challenges that have faced two- and four-year institutions across the country: Ten years ago, VCCS enrolled nearly 280,000 students annually.

In an interview, Doré stressed the need for community colleges to serve “the new majority of learners,” to include parents, veterans and older people as well as recent high school graduates. He said he’s keeping an eye out during his visits for successful programs that can be replicated across the state system, to help Virginia meet its workforce needs.  

Doré’s tour continues with visits to New River Community College in Pulaski County on Thursday, and Piedmont Virginia Community College in Albemarle County on Friday. His travels conclude on May 9 with visits to Rappahannock and Germanna community colleges.