New VGCC President receives warm welcome at reception
Dr. Stelfanie Williams, the president of Vance-Granville Community College, was the guest of honor at a reception on April 16 in the college’s Civic Center that served as an opportunity to officially welcome her to the community. Williams became the college’s sixth president in February, and was selected to lead VGCC after several years at Central Carolina Community College in Sanford, N.C., where she most recently served as the Vice President for Economic and Community Development. At the reception, President Williams greeted a large number of community leaders and citizens from throughout the four counties served by the college: Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren.
Williams wanted the reception to showcase the work of talented VGCC students. A roving robot created by students in the Electronics Engineering Technology program, a bookcase built by a former Carpentry student, cubist-style collages by students in an Art Appreciation class, and even art by the young children at the Day Care Center on the college’s Main Campus were among the examples of student projects on display. Entertainment was provided by student musicians and music instructor Michael Stephenson, and some appetizers for the reception were prepared and served by VGCC Culinary Arts students.
During the reception’s brief formal program, Donald C. Seifert, Sr. of Henderson, the chairman of the VGCC Board of Trustees , welcomed attendees and recognized members of President Williams’s family and other special guests. Rev. Dr. Richard Henderson, a member of the VGCC Endowment Fund board of directors, said he was excited both about Dr. Williams’s leadership and about the leading role the college is playing in the future of the community. Dr. Scott Ralls, the president of the North Carolina Community College System , described Williams as smart, knowledgeable, motivated and hard-working. “Stelfanie Williams has not only a great head but also a great heart, and she will have a heart for this community,” Ralls said. “I congratulate the board of trustees on making a wonderful selection to move this college forward.” During her remarks, Williams reflected that throughout her career in education, there were certain principles that have been instrumental to her leadership. She characterized them as “to inspire, to question and to serve.” Williams said “to inspire is the true purpose of education” and that her job “will be to continue to inspire our faculty and staff so that they may inspire our students.” She said that constructively questioning “is the process by which learning occurs and by which continuous improvements are made.” Finally, she emphasized the importance of serving and engaging with others, and “in fact, it is this engagement that may set community colleges apart from other educational institutions.” Williams concluded, “I am here to lead this institution, but I am also here to inspire, to question and to serve. I look forward to working with each of you, the members of the college and members of the community, in this quest.”
Above: Dr. Scott Ralls, the president of the North Carolina Community College System (at podium, left), makes remarks during a reception in honor of VGCC President Dr. Stelfanie Williams as, seated from left, college Board of Trustees chairman Donald C. Seifert, Sr. and Williams listen. (VGCC photo)
