I’m honored to serve as your new president. My first year will be guided by a simple yet purposeful approach: Listen, Link, and Lead. I believe effective leadership begins with listening–hearing from those who care deeply about this College and the region we serve. By building connections and fostering collaboration, we will shape a bold vision for Virginia Western’s future, rooted in student success and community impact. I look forward to learning from you and leading together.
Dr. Laura J. Treanor
Month 8 – Continuing the Momentum of the Spring Semester
Colleagues,
As we move further into Spring semester, I remain encouraged by the energy and collaboration I see across our campus and throughout the region. The past several weeks offered many opportunities to listen, connect, and strengthen partnerships that support our students and community. I am grateful for your continued dedication, expertise, and shared commitment to our work at Virginia Western, and am pleased to share a few highlights and reflections from recent activities.
Highlights and Themes
On campus, I continued meeting with internal leaders and partners to support key academic and institutional initiatives. I also hosted stakeholder listening sessions with employee groups across the college and appreciated the open and thoughtful dialogue that took place. These conversations created space for employees to share perspectives and ideas, and they will help inform our continued work to strengthen the College and the experience we provide for our students and one another. Engaging in this kind of dialogue is central to the Listen, Link, Lead framework that guides my commitment to meaningful engagement across our campus community.
Partnerships across our region continue to create meaningful opportunities for the communities we serve. I joined partners at the EnVision Center as Member One Federal Credit Union presented a $10,000 check in support of community initiatives, highlighting the collaborations that expand opportunities for the individuals and families we serve.
Another highlight centered on student success and workforce preparation. I accompanied our Student Activities Coordinator, Natasha Lee, and five Virginia Western students to Richmond for Student Advocacy Day, where we met with members of our state delegation, including Delegates Sam Rasoul and Terry Austin, Senator Chris Head, and Chancellor Doré. It was a powerful opportunity for our students to share their experiences and highlight the impact of community colleges across Virginia. I also participated in the signing of a new CDL partnership agreement between Mountain Gateway Community College and Virginia Western, which expands opportunities for students pursuing careers in commercial driving and strengthens regional workforce training.
For more details about my recent activities, I invite you to continue following along on my Listen, Link, Lead webpage at virginiawestern.edu/president. You may even find that you’ve made a photo appearance from one of these recent events.
Looking Ahead
As we move through the remainder of the semester, I am pleased to move into the operational launch of our Academic Impressions leadership development initiative with a pilot group of internal campus leaders. After some earlier logistical delays, I am excited that this work is moving forward and look forward to seeing how the program supports continued leadership development across the College.
I remain focused on strengthening the connections between Virginia Western, our students, and the communities we serve. The conversations taking place through our employee listening sessions and with our regional partners continue to reinforce the importance of collaboration, innovation, and engagement as we shape the future of Virginia Western.
Thank you for the dedication and care you bring to your work each day. I look forward to seeing many of you around campus in the weeks ahead as we continue building momentum together with focus, collaboration, and optimism!
Sincerely,
President Treanor
Highlights
- Traveled to Virginia General Assembly to participate in Community College Advocacy Day with a cohort of Virginia Western students and met with Senator Chris Head and Delegates Sam Rasoul and Terry Austin.
- Met with a student veteran to review insights from the Student Veterans of America National Conference (NatCon).
- Toured the EnVision Center and accepted a $10,000 contribution from Virginia Credit Union during a formal check presentation at the center.
- Connected with regional leaders at the Roanoke Regional Chamber’s annual meeting, as well as individual meetings with John Hull (Executive Director of Roanoke Regional Partnership), Shawn Spencer (Learning Specialist for City of Roanoke), Jamie Greenawalt (Chairman and CEO of Foot Levelers), Dr. Ken Nicely (Superintendent of Roanoke County Public Schools), and Todd Putney (Chair of the Virginia Western Local Advisory Board).
- Contributed to the VCCS “one system” plan during the ACOP strategy session in Richmond, focusing on creating a consistent student experience.
- Launched internal listening sessions with two teaching faculty sessions; attended numerous internal meetings, including College Council, BTT Faculty business meeting, and executive leadership meetings.
- Formalized a partnership with Mountain Gateway Community College via an MOU to bring Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) training to the Virginia Western service area.
- Represented the college on the national stage at ACEx2026 in Washington, D.C. and began a leadership term on the ACE Women’s Network Executive Council.
Stay Connected
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