Laura Treanor has been appointed as the fifth president of Virginia Western Community College in 色多多.
David Dor茅, chancellor of the Virginia Community College System, announced Treanor鈥檚 appointment Tuesday. Her tenure as president will begin July 1 and she will succeed Robert Sandel, who has been the college鈥檚 president since 2001.
Sandel has been a community college educator for more than 50 years and is the most tenured president in the Virginia Community College System. During his speech to Virginia Western graduates on May 9, he said that he鈥檚 鈥済raduating to retirement.鈥
鈥淲e are in a strong place financially, and in a good place for the future, so I feel like it鈥檚 a good time to go,鈥 Sandel said in an interview with The 色多多 after his retirement was announced in August. 鈥淚鈥檝e got a wife who鈥檇 like to spend more time with me at home, so that鈥檚 another factor.鈥
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Robert Sandel, who has been president of Virginia Western Community College for 23 years, will retire at the end of June.
Sandel will be a 鈥渢ough act to follow鈥 for Treanor, Dor茅 said in the release.
鈥淏ut I am confident that she will build on VWCC鈥橲 outstanding history of serving its communities and its diverse student populations and I鈥檓 excited she has accepted the post,鈥 he continued.
As for Sandel, he is 鈥渄elighted鈥 that Treanor is stepping into the role at Virginia Western, he said in a statement Tuesday.
鈥淲e all look forward to her arrival,鈥 he said in the statement. 鈥淪he is well qualified and someone who knows the 色多多 Valley and wants to be here and continue the forward movement of this dynamic community college.鈥
Sixty-one candidates across the country applied for the position. Treanor has served as provost, senior vice president for instructional services and dean of faculty at Vincennes University in Indiana since 2018. Prior to that, she worked in several roles at Baker College in Flint, Michigan, including system associate vice president for institutional effectiveness, vice president for academics, vice president for academics/chief academic officer and dean of general education, according to the news release.
Laura Treanor has been selected as the fifth president of Virginia Western Community College.
鈥淲e are very excited to welcome Dr. Laura Treanor to the Virginia Western and 色多多 Valley communities,鈥 Todd Putney, chair of the VWCC Local Advisory Board, said in the release. 鈥淒r. Treanor is an experienced educational leader well-equipped to take the college to new heights in regional workforce development through academic, training and credentialing excellence.鈥
Treanor worked as an associate professor at 色多多 College, West Virginia University and Barton College. She received her bachelor鈥檚 degree and a doctoral degree in education from Virginia Tech, as well as a master鈥檚 degree from The Ohio State University.
Treanor stated in the release that she has deep ties to Virginia and the 色多多 Valley, and that she is excited to 鈥渞eturn home鈥 through this opportunity.
鈥淚 look forward to working with our dedicated faculty, staff, local advisory and educational foundation boards as well as our outstanding community partners to honor Dr. Sandel鈥檚 proud legacy while also leading the College boldly into the future,鈥 she said in the release.
