“The Fredericksburg region will be the focus of Amazon Web Services’ multi-billion-dollar investment in data centers announced Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin Wednesday. The move represents the largest single economic development investment in the state’s history, according to Governor Glenn Youngkin,” reports the Fredericksburg Free Press.
Davis retired from his job as head of Germanna’s Educational Foundation and Gullickson’s Special Assistant for Institutional Development on March 1 to take a volunteer position replacing Ron Branscome as Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Mary Washington Healthcare, a $1 billion health system with two hospitals and 42 additional facilities across the Fredericksburg region.
“Bruce brought more than fundraising skills to his job as he led efforts to build the Stafford Center in North Stafford and a health science building in Locust Grove,” said Germanna Community College President Janet Gullickson in a press release. “He also brought a huge heart with a deep well of empathy for our students. His sense of genuine caring opened doors for students even in difficult economic times like the pandemic. Because of his commitment to students and passion for the work, Bruce succeeded in doing much more than allowing Germanna to expand. He allowed us to help students in need not only with money to help them cover tuition payments but also with basic needs like car repairs and gas and food.”
The Mary Washington Healthcare Board of Trustees has 15 members from varying industries, including healthcare, education, printing, and construction.
Mary Washington Healthcare is a fully integrated regional medical system that provides inpatient and outpatient care through over 40 facilities and services, including Mary Washington Hospital, a 451-bed regional medical center, and Stafford Hospital, a 100-bed community hospital. Mary Washington Healthcare is a nonprofit health system.
Since Gullickson appointed Davis as Special Assistant to the President for Institutional Advancement in 2018, the foundation’s assets have grown nearly 500 percent to just under $30 million. The growth consisted of increased endowed funds and the value of the Center Street campus Germanna, which will open in North Stafford in the fall of 2024.
At the gala, Davis was honored with the title of Emeritus Germanna Educational Foundation Board member, and it was announced that the annual GCCEF Golf Tournament is being named for him.
Germanna Community College: “On Monday, Dec. 4, 2023, Transurban North America, operator of the 95, 395, and 495 Express Lanes, celebrated the imminent completion of the 95 Express Lanes Fredericksburg Extension with a $250,000 grant to the Virginia Infrastructure Academy at Germanna Community College.”
“Joined by the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education, the Virginia Department of Transportation, elected officials, and community members, Transurban presented the contribution that will go toward the Infrastructure Academy’s mission to train military veterans for a career in infrastructure.”
“A significant portion of the funds will go toward outreach, recruitment, and employment efforts to get more veteran students into road and bridge construction careers. Other elements of the award, including a Virginia Infrastructure Academy Coach, will support all students pursuing credentials and careers in the area of road and bridge construction.”
“In coordinating existing infrastructure training across the Commonwealth, the Infrastructure Academy offers short-term industry training and credentials leading to employment for thousands of Virginians—building long-term career development and overall economic growth. Virginia companies are currently trying to fill more than 260,000 jobs, fueled by record-low unemployment and a shrinking workforce.”
“Transurban’s contribution to VIA rounds out over $500,000 in community grants throughout Fredericksburg and Stafford County, supporting more than 80 nonprofit organizations committed to community strength, environmental sustainability, and improved safety.”
Press Release: “Last week the Virginia Board of Education took a step toward closing the state’s K-12 teachers gap by unanimously approving Germanna Community College’s Future Educators Academy.”
“Lab schools are partnerships between colleges and public-school divisions that don’t charge tuition. The state has earmarked $100 million for 20 lab school startup grants. The lab schools can receive up to $1 million toward startup costs.”
“Germanna’s Future Educators Academy is an early college program that will jumpstart teaching training in Virginia by allowing students to earn associate degrees in the field while in high school, free. They may then transfer to a university with no student debt and earn a bachelor’s degree just two years after high school graduation.”
“FEA is an innovative model in collaboration with Germanna, Laurel Ridge Community College, and James Madison University focused on an acceleration track for high- teachers in the region. The lab school is intended to reinvigorate the pool of teachers in Virginia.”
“It will employ innovative opportunities through hands-on practicums and streamline the pathway to teacher licensure by prioritizing an associate degree in high school and allowing students to complete their bachelor’s degree in as little as two years after high school graduation.”
“The Virginia Department of Education is working with 20 lab school higher education partners toward 2024 openings.”
“But she says it may be hard to persuade young people to vote in 2024.”
“Dr. Lennahan was one of only two national winners of the Standout Faculty Member award, along with Sanne Rijkhoff, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.”
Virginia Governor’s Office: “The Virginia Board of Education today approved two new lab schools, Germanna Community College’s Future Educators Academy and University of Mary Washington’s Academy of Technology and Innovation. With three approved lab schools among 20 lab school applicants across the Commonwealth, Virginia is becoming a top national leader in lab school development.”
“The Board unanimously approved of Germanna Community College’s Future Educators Academy. FEA is an innovative model in collaboration with Germanna Community College, Laurel Ridge Community College, and James Madison University focused on an acceleration track for the next generation of high-quality teachers in the region. This lab school reinvigorates the current teacher cadre with innovative opportunities through observations and hands-on practicums and streamlines the pathway to teacher licensure by prioritizing an associate’s degree in high school and allowing students to complete their Bachelor’s degree in as little as two years after high school graduation.”
“The Board also unanimously approved of University of Mary Washington’s Academy of Technology and Innovation. This lab school will focus on the reciprocal relationship between computer and data science fields, exploring the intersection and distinctions across the fields through an interdisciplinary curricular approach. Students will participate in robust, hands-on learning experiences that will involve project-based learning, performance-based assessment, and hands-on service-learning opportunities.”
The Center Square: “Tuition is increasing at Virginia community colleges for the first time in five years due to a unanimous decision from the State Board of Community Colleges.”
“Virginia’s 23 community colleges are increasing their tuition by $4.61 per credit hour, about 3% of the previous in-state tuition rate. For most of them, tuition will be $158.61 per credit hour for the 2023-24 school year or $2,379.15 for a 15-credit-hour semester. Other mandatory fees will vary, depending on the college.”
“Eight of the colleges decided not to modify their tuition differential rates. Though the tuition increase is the same for those schools, the total tuition rate is not, and their tuition rates will be posted on their websites.”
Jack Rowley of Stafford County was the Germanna Community College winner of the 17th Annual Chancellor’s Award for Leadership in Philanthropy last week in Richmond.
More than two dozen individuals, families, and organizations were honored with the 2023 Chancellor’s Award for Leadership in Philanthropy.
The annual event, hosted by the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education, recognizes philanthropists from each of Virginia’s 23 community colleges and the statewide foundation. Recipients are nominated for their commitment to the growth and development of Virginia’s community colleges and their respective foundations.
This year’s class contributed $14 million to Virginia’s Community Colleges.
“Jack was involved with the Stafford EDA when they helped fund Germanna’s first little, tiny center in Stafford in 2009,” Davis said. “That facility was overwhelmed with students within three months of opening. Jack was then integrally involved in Germanna moving to a much larger rental facility which has served the school well up to the present,” Davis said.
“With the spectacular growth in Stafford, Jack has led the Germanna Real Estate Foundation effort to purchase two office buildings totaling 40,000 square feet recently,” Davis added.
The two buildings will open in 2024. One will be dedicated to the Germanna Nursing and Health Sciences program to double the number of graduates by 2027. The other building being primarily dedicated to the Germanna cybersecurity program, allowing students to work on their degree program while at the same time interning for defense and intelligence contractors based in Stafford.
Rowley has served on the GCC Educational Foundation board for 25 years and is the Stafford appointee on the Germanna Local College Board.
On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson took the field with the Brooklyn Dodgers, breaking the Major League Baseball color line.
Win Germanna Community College – Fredericksburg Nationals Scholarships by entering the college’s annual Jackie Robinson Essay Contest open to juniors and seniors at high schools in Germanna’s service region (Fredericksburg City, Stafford, Spotsylvania, Culpeper, Orange, King George, Madison, and Caroline counties).
The essay should be 500 words or less and explain how the student used one of the nine values Jackie Robinson said were key to his success in dealing with a problem in their life: Courage, determination, teamwork, persistence, integrity, citizenship, justice, commitment, and excellence.
The prizes will be five $1,042 scholarships awarded by the FredNats to students taking classes at Germanna, either in person or online. The classes may be transferred to universities.
Students may click here to enter before May 15. Winners will be introduced on the field at the FredNats game on June 2.
