Dr. Jean Runyon has been named the next president of Piedmont Virginia Community College. Runyon’s hiring concludes a national search that attracted nearly 100 candidates.
“Jean Runyon is an impressive and experienced community college leader and I believe she is ready to lead the faculty and staff of PVCC and together do great things,” said DuBois. “Jean offers multi-state leadership experience. She has led innovative efforts to connect adult learners with short-term training programs, which is increasingly important for our colleges, and she has been a successful leader in transfer education.”
Currently, Runyon is the campus vice president of Front Range Community College in Colorado, where she is the top executive of the Larimer campus, a role she has had since 2015. From 2007 to 2015, she worked at Anne Arundel Community College in Maryland, holding successive leadership roles in the college’s Learning Advancement and the Virtual Campus. Prior to this in 2000, she became the director of the Innovative Teaching Center at the College of Southern Maryland where she was also a professor.
She earned her bachelor’s degree from Bloomsburg University, her master’s degree from George Washington University, and her doctorate from Northcentral University.
Runyon will succeed Dr. Frank Friedman, who is retiring this year after having served as the college’s president since 1999. Runyon will be the sixth president in PVCC’s history.
“Hiring a new college president is a long, detailed and daunting process, but ultimately well worth it given the phenomenal candidates we got to meet along the way,” said Lola Richardson, chair of the PVCC College Board. “We want to offer Dr. Runyon our warmest welcome. We are excited to begin working with her this summer and welcoming her into the PVCC family.”
Established in 1972, PVCC is a nonresidential two-year institution of higher education that serves Central Virginia – principally residents of the City of Charlottesville and the counties of Albemarle, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa and Nelson.
PVCC is one of 23 community colleges in Virginia that comprise the VCCS. The scenic PVCC campus is located in Albemarle County, Virginia. Classes are also offered at the PVCC Eugene Giuseppe Center in Stanardsville (Greene County) and the PVCC Jefferson School Center in Downtown Charlottesville.
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Chris Graham
