Welcome back to Extra Credit, a weekly roundup of education-related news from across Southwest and Southside Virginia.
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Study: Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center generates $30 million annually for local economy
The Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center in Abingdon generates nearly $30 million in annual economic activity for Southwest Virginia, according to a recent study.
The center, which opened in 1991, supports 148 regional jobs and contributes more than $4 million in local tax revenue each year according to BRIDGE, a nonprofit focused on regional growth and economic development.
“For more than 35 years, the Higher Education Center has served as a catalyst for educational opportunity, workforce development, and economic growth in Southwest Virginia,” Executive Director David Matlock said in a statement. “This study helps quantify the value the Center brings to the region and demonstrates that investments in education and workforce development create lasting benefits for our communities.”
For every $1 invested at the center, $8 is generated in economic activity, and for every job located at the center, the regional economy gains 1.03 additional jobs, according to the report.
The analysis did not factor in student spending, student wages earned after graduation or the long-term economic benefits generated by graduates of the center, according to the release.
Multiple public and private partner institutions offer degree programs, certificated and professional development classes at the center including the Appalachian College of Pharmacy, Emory & Henry University, King University, Radford University, Virginia Tech, the University of Virginia’s College at Wise and Virginia Highlands Community College.
The economic impact analysis was compiled by BRIDGE using IMPLAN software with data sourced from the center, according to the news release.
Bell named president of Virginia Early Childhood Foundation
Susanne Bell, previously of the Danville Regional Foundation, has been named president of the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation.
Bell most recently served as the program director and senior program officer for education and workforce at the Danville Regional Foundation. During her tenure, she established the Out-of-School Time Leadership Lab, partnered with the United Way of Danville and Pittsylvania County to establish the Dan River Region Out-of-School Time Network and led multimonth learning experiences for after-school professionals, according to a news release.
[Disclosure: The Danville Regional Foundation is one of our donors, but donors have no say in news decisions; see our policy.]
Bell will lead the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation following the retirement of Kathy Glazer. She will be responsible for driving the organization’s strategy and focus.
“I’m thrilled and grateful for this opportunity to lead VECF, an organization that I have long admired, into its next chapter,” Bell said in a news release. “I look forward to collaborating alongside the talented staff and the highly committed board of prestigious statewide leaders in our shared mission to build a strong and sustainable early childhood care and education system in Virginia.”
The statewide nonprofit organization works to improve early childhood care and education and strengthen the state’s early childhood systems, policies and practices.
Some of its major initiatives include Ready Regions, a statewide network of nine regional organizations that coordinate early childhood services to improve quality and connect families with resources; working with state lawmakers and advocating for funding and supporting the early childhood workforce.
Bell has spent time on Capitol Hill and with the national Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, First Book, the National Summer Learning Association, Johns Hopkins University and the Division of Policy and Advocacy for the American College of Surgeons. She is also currently an MBA candidate at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business.
“As our board reviewed the list of distinguished candidates for the position of president, Susanne quickly rose to the top,” said Gary Thomson, chair of VECF’s board, in a news release. “We were impressed by her collaborative approach to engage a broad range of community stakeholders in creative initiatives to improve education outcomes for children and students throughout her career. Above all, Susanne shares our strong conviction that every child in the Commonwealth deserves the opportunity to thrive.”
Days-long power outage planned for the University of Lynchburg
The power will be out at the University of Lynchburg from July 27-31.
The scheduled outage is necessary to upgrade aging infrastructure, including replacing the university’s “Vista switch,” according to a news release.
These heavy-duty, underground distribution systems are a staple in electrical grids — and vital to the institution’s infrastructure.
“This planned power outage seeks to address aging electrical infrastructure on our campus,” Michael Vaughan, assistant vice president of operations, said in the release.
The entire campus will be affected by the shutdown but there should be minimal impact to traffic patterns, according to the release.
The university is working with the city of Lynchburg and urges students and faculty to contact the Office of Campus Safety and Security at 434-544-5555 with any concerns during the shutdown.
