Among the most recent VGCC retirees honored Dec. 18, 2013 were, seated from left, Sylvia Jones of Durham, Vanessa Jones of Norlina, Maria Bailey of Henderson and Lydia Powell of Oxford; standing, from left, Curtis Tyndall of Henderson, Paul Giddings of Henderson, Nwamaka Uchebo of Durham, Brenda Gant of Henderson and Bobby Van Brunt of Henderson. Not pictured: retirees Mary Anderson, Denise Davis, Laurel Holmes, Robert Litzenberger, Laura Peace, Gene Purvis, and Aaron Randall. (VGCC photo)
Vance-Granville Community College celebrated employees who had retired from the college — and particularly those who retired in 2013 — during the holiday social for faculty and staff, held on Dec. 18 in the Civic Center on the college’s Main Campus.
Dr. Stelfanie Williams, the president of VGCC, thanked all employees, past and present, for their dedicated service to students and the community. She then called upon various college leaders to make presentations to their divisions’ newest retirees.
Vice President of Finance & Operations Steve Graham paid tribute to Paul Giddings, a VGCC Main Campus custodian who retired after seven years of service and also earned a GED from the college at age 69.
Dean of Arts and Sciences Maria Bailey saluted several faculty members, including Mary Anderson, who retired after ten years as a full-time instructor of English, Humanities and Developmental Studies; Lydia Powell, who served as an instructor, head of first the Education and later the Psychology program, and finally Social Sciences department chair over a career spanning 31 years; and Aaron Randall, who was an instructor for Social Sciences for almost 24 years and at one time headed the Sociology program.
Vanessa Jones, Dean of Special Projects, Dean of Warren Campus and former Dean of Academic & Career Pathways, praised retirees Brenda Gant, a full-time instructor for the VGCC Adult Basic Skills department for more than 11 years; Denise R. Davis, who served students for 27 years as a Workforce Investment Act educational specialist; and 23-year VGCC staff member Sylvia Jones, who retired as director of the WIA department.
Dean of Business & Applied Technologies Angela Gardner-Ragland recognized Robert Litzenberger, who retired after almost 16 years as an instructor for Computer Information Technology, most recently at the college’s South Campus; and Nwamaka Uchebo, a Cosmetology instructor at South Campus and later Franklin Campus, who retired after more than 13 years of service.
Dean of Continuing Education Dale Fey acknowledged the contributions of Laurel Holmes, a full-time instructor for VGCC’s Occupational Healthcare Programs for eight years until her retirement this year; Laura Peace, who retired as an instructor and coordinator of the Occupational Extension Computer Center after 15 years of full-time service; and Curtis Tyndall, retired coordinator of Public Services, who worked full-time at VGCC for 17 years.
Finally, Vice President of Academic & Student Affairs Dr. Angela Ballentine expressed her appreciation to four senior administrators who retired in 2013. They included Maria Bailey, with over 19 years of full-time service to VGCC students; Vanessa Jones, who retired after 25 years at the college; Gene Purvis, who retired as Dean of Student Development after a 32-year career in public education (including 22 years at VGCC); and Bobby Van Brunt, who served as a dean for six years.