MECC Foundation Announces Scholarship Honoring Roger Daugherty Big Stone Gap — Roger Daugherty, a longtime MECC Foundation Board member and the originator of the Buccaneer Scholarship Fund, has been named the MECC 2021 Hall of Honor Recipient. For the second year, MECC’s Annual Hall of Honor Gala was cancelled due to concerns of COVID-19 spread in the region. However, Daugherty is being honored with the establishment of a scholarship in his name, celebrating all that Roger has done to further education for students in southwestern Virginia through Buccaneer Scholarships. The Roger Daugherty Hall of Honor Buccaneer Scholarship will benefit Union, and former Powell Valley, Appalachia, or East Stone Gap High School graduates that attend MECC. Roger’s portrait will hang in the Hall of Honor located in the Slemp Commons of Phillips-Taylor Hall on MECC’s campus. “Roger Daugherty is to be commended for his tireless work to promote scholarships for MECC students,” said MECC Foundation Executive Director Amy Greear “Although he no longer resides in Big Stone Gap, Roger has never forgotten his roots. He is dedicated to creating educational opportunities for students in our region and has created a legacy that will remove barriers to obtaining a college degree for MECC students for years to come.” Roger graduated in 1956 from Big Stone Gap High School, where the mascot was a Buccaneer. He helped create and fund Buccaneer Scholarships through the multi-class reunion held each June. Roger spearheaded the effort and assembled a Scholarship Committee, which has administered the program since 2003. Due to the generosity of Buccaneers, enough funds were raised to award three scholarships the first year. From those humble beginnings, the Buccaneer Scholarship endowment at MECC has grown to more than $800,000 and more than $600,000 in additional estate pledges. With the new scholarship in Roger’s honor, the total number of Buccaneer Scholarships will be sixteen. Approximately 120 students have been awarded a Buccaneer Scholarship since it inception. The Foundation deeply appreciates Roger’s vision and passion for the Buccaneer Scholarship program, his heart for students and providing for their education, his exemplary work ethic, and his ability to arouse enthusiasm among his peers. Roger is as passionate about the Buccaneer Scholarship program today as he was in 2003. To donate to the Roger Daugherty Hall of Honor Buccaneer Scholarship, please visit www.meccfoundation.org/give or send a check to MECC Foundation, 3441 Mountain Empire Road, Big Stone Gap, Virginia 24219. For information on making an electronic bank debit, please contact the Foundation office at 276-523-7466. MECC Kicks Off 50th Anniversary Celebration Big Stone Gap – Mountain Empire Community College will kick off its 50th anniversary celebration on Friday, October 1 with a picnic commemorating the initial groundbreaking of the Big Stone Gap campus. The picnic, to be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Phillips Taylor Hall’s Goodloe Center, will feature a special video highlighting the college’s 50 years, along with guest speakers, games, and activities for all. Food will be catered by Pratt’s BBQ. The event is free and masks are required in indoor and outdoor spaces. “We are excited to honor the contributions and sacrifices of those who came before us and paved the way for MECC’s current and future success, and I am grateful and honored to be in a position, along with our incredible MECC Family, to recognize their contributions and lead MECC in the continuation of our transformative mission for years to come,” said MECC President Kristen Westover. MECC’s 50th anniversary activities will continue October 2021 – December 2022. Additional scheduled events include a community concert featuring Grammy nominated singer/songwriter Darrell Scott and If Birds Could Fly in May 2022 and a 50th Anniversary Gala in October 2022. The MECC Foundation, which exists to support the mission of the college, has set a goal to raise $2M to support scholarships, infrastructure improvements, and other needs to commemorate this special anniversary. For almost half a century, Mountain Empire Community College has served as the primary career training center for residents of Wise, Lee, Scott, and Dickenson County and the City of Norton. Thousands of students have furthered their education and skillsets to provide a better life for their family and community by earning credentials at MECC. From humble beginnings, the College first opened in 1972 with 507 students taking classes in one building at its Big Stone Gap campus. MECC was developed from a statewide initiative to increase educational attainment rates for the Commonwealth. In 1966, the Virginia Assembly enacted historic legislation establishing a statewide system of comprehensive community colleges. This legislation brought most post high school education below the bachelor’s level into one system and broadened the base of higher education in the state. As comprehensive institutions, community colleges endeavor to serve all segments of society and are charged with providing open access to higher education for all students. In Southwest Virginia, a committee comprised of local business, civic, industrial, and political leaders was appointed by the local governing bodies of Lee, Scott, Wise, and Dickenson Counties and the City of Norton for the purpose of establishing a comprehensive community college. In April of 1970, the college Board had its first meeting at which Judge William C. Fugate was elected chair. Funds for construction were allocated by the State Board for Community Colleges and construction began in 1971. Today, more than 1,300 students are enrolled full-time, and more than 3,000 students are enrolled part-time at MECC. The Big Stone Gap campus has expanded to include five buildings accommodating more than 100 academic programs of study in traditional classroom formats, as well as online and hybrid offerings. In 2019, MECC opened the Center for Workforce and Innovation of Appalachia (CWIA) in Appalachia to house its power lineman, commercial driving license, smart farming, advanced manufacturing, and dental assisting programs. Future plans include the development of culinary programming at the CWIA. In addition to MECC’s career training focus, the College has served as a primary resource for the preservation of the region’s rich cultural and musical heritage. For fifty years, the College has hosted the annual Home Craft Days festival every third weekend in October, highlighting Appalachian traditions. MECC also hosts its annual Mountain Music School, which provides students age 10 and up with the ability to learn traditional mountain music during a one-week camp the last week in July. The MECC Foundation annually hosts the John Fox Jr. Literary festival highlighting Appalachian writers with a featured poetry and short story contests for the community. The CWIA library will feature Appalachian archives to include collections of Melungeon records and the Wise County Historical Society. The Wampler Library on the College’s main campus houses the Slemp Gallery, featuring a rotating exhibit of regional and national art installations. MECC is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The College’s Enrollment Services Division, Student Services, Business Office, Library and all other services can be reached by calling (276) 523-2400. For more information on MECC’s th50 anniversary, visit www.mecc.edu/mecc50. For more information on MECC’s career pathways, please visitwww.mecc.edu/pathways . To enroll, please visit www.mecc.edu/apply. For information on giving to the college’s efforts to train Southwest Virginia’s workforce, please visit the MECC Foundation at www.meccfoundation.org/give. MECC Announces Administrative Appointments Big Stone Gap — Mountain Empire Community College is pleased to announce the appointment of several administrative positions following the retirements of key personnel. “We are extremely pleased and excited about the addition of our new administrators. This is a group of highly dedicated and qualified educators who are excited to share the educational opportunities we have available and to assist students in successfully meeting their educational goals,” said MECC President Kristen Westover. Dr. Bill Brownsberger has been appointed as Vice President of Academic Affairs and Workforce Solutions at MECC following the retirement of Dr. Vickie Ratliff. Brownsberger has more than twenty years of experience in higher education. He most recently served as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio. He earned his doctorate in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome in 2001 and has taught in Italy, Texas, and rural Missouri. Brownsberger and his wife Francesca have been married for almost 25 years and have seven children, one of whom is a dual-enrollment student at Mountain Empire this year. He and his family are excited to be a part of the Mountain Empire and Appalachian communities. Matthew Rose has been appointed Dean of Industrial Technologies following the retirement of Thomas Clements. Rose formerly served as Director of Testing for the Virginia Department of Corrections. He has been an educator, tester-evaluator, and is a National Center for Construction Education and Research Master Trainer. Rose holds a BA in Mathematics from UVA Wise, MA Theology and Ministry – Welch College and an MS Education/Educational Leadership from Old Dominion University. Rose his wife Mirandy have four children and reside in Coeburn. Dr. Derek Whisman has been appointed as the Dean of the Arts and Sciences division following the retirement of Dr. Harriett Arrington. Dr. Whisman is a long-time member of the MECC family, serving as a teaching faculty member since 2011 and being promoted to the rank of Professor in 2019. Beyond his teaching career, Dr. Whisman has served the college in numerous capacities during his tenure. His work as a Grant Writer for the MECC Foundation has led to multiple grant awards for the College.