Clinton Hayes has been named president of Southwest Virginia Community College, effective July 1.
He will be the fourth president of the school in Cedar Bluff.
The Virginia Community College System announced the appointment on Thursday. “We’re excited to welcome Dr. Hayes to lead Southwest Virginia Community College, and we know he will continue to provide the kind of dynamic leadership that has made SWCC such a cultural center and economic driver in its region,” said David Doré, chancellor of VCCS.
Hayes will take over from interim President Victoria Sue Ratliff. The college’s previous president, Tommy Wright, left last fall to become senior vice chancellor for finance and operations at VCCS.
He is currently provost and senior vice president of academic affairs at Somerset Community College in Kentucky. He has worked in various roles at the college since 2007. Hayes also has taught biology at Somerset and at Eastern Kentucky University.
Hayes holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Eastern Kentucky University and a doctorate in education from University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Kentucky. He began his higher education journey at Somerset Community College, where he earned an associate of science degree.
“As a first-generation college student from a rural community whose life was shaped by the education and support I received at a community college, I understand firsthand the transformative power of institutions like Southwest Virginia,” Hayes said in a statement.
Southwest Virginia Community College was founded in 1967 and serves Buchanan, Dickenson, Russell and Tazewell counties. It also offers classes in Lebanon, Bluefield, Southern Gap and Grundy.
The main campus in Cedar Bluff is home to the first community college student housing in the state, which opened in 2022.
