FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DCC STAFF & OTHER REGIONAL LEADERS

ATTEND MEETING ON RURAL DEVELOPMENT

            DANVILLE, VA, October 10, 2002 -- Several Danville Community College administrators participated in the First Annual Rural Community College Alliance national meeting, Oct. 7 - 9, in Memphis, TN. Using the theme, “Building Institutional Capacity”, the conference is a national learning event for rural community colleges and their community partners. The RCCA member institution work to improve educational and economic prospects for their communities.

            Representing DCC at the conference were: President Carlyle Ramsey, who serves as chair of the Rural Community College Alliance; Martha Walker, Director of Institutional Advancement, who served as a member of the planning committee; and Scott Barnes, Director of the Regional Center for Applied Technology and Training.

The RCCA traces its roots to the Rural Community College Initiative, a national demonstration program of 24 community and tribal colleges initiated by The Ford Foundation in 1994 and managed by MDC Inc. Danville Community College was one of the 24 colleges involved in the Rural Community College Initiative. Through RCCI, the college embraced four long-range goals dealing with access and economic development. The RCCA builds on that experience, helping more colleges to partner with other entities in their communities to improve educational opportunities and assist with economic development.

Following the conference, a group of Danville, Pittsylvania County and Halifax County representatives participated in a post-conference trip to Tupelo, MS, led by Dr. Vaughan Grisham, author of “Tupelo: The Evolution of a Community.” Graham, who also is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Mississippi, has been documenting the economic development strategies and success of this North Mississippi city and other rural communities for more than 30 years. The area representatives learned about the remarkable long-term community development process that transformed this town from the poorest place in Mississippi to one of the most prosperous. 

Representing the Danville area included:  Danville Councilman Sherman Saunders; Starling McKenzie, Pittsylvania County Community Action; Ron Bunch, Danville Economic Development Office; Carol Motley, Pittsylvania Economic Development Organization; Fred Blair, Blair Construction; Chapman Brown III, Blair Construction; Tim Clark, Blair Construction; Scott Barnes, Danville Community College; Laurie Moran, Danville-Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce; Nancy Poole, Halifax County Chamber of Commerce; Mark Gibson, Danville Community College; Donald Merricks, J.W. Squire; Randy Arno, Weldon Cooper Center; Carthan Currin III, Virginia Tobacco Commission; and Darren Conner, Dewberry & Davis.