VHCC’s President Selected for the Aspen Institute’s New Presidents Fellowship
One of 26 Leaders Selected Nationwide for Prestigious Program
Abingdon, August 26, 2022 –Virginia Highlands Community College (VHCC) is proud to announce that President Dr. Adam Hutchison is one of 26 leaders selected for the 2022-23 class of the Aspen New Presidents Fellowship. This prestigious program, made possible with support from JPMorgan Chase, supports community college presidents in the early years of their tenure as they work to achieve student success in higher education.
The fellows, selected through a competitive process, will work closely with other transformational community college presidents and Aspen leaders over nine months to learn from field-leading research, analyze their colleges’ student outcomes, and clarify their visions for excellent and equitable outcomes for students while in college and after they graduate.
“The quality of our nation’s community colleges depends on the quality of our college presidents,” said Josh Wyner, executive director of the College Excellence Program. “I am continually inspired and motivated by the dedication and expertise that our fellows bring to the work of advancing excellence and equity on their campuses, and I look forward to seeing the changes they make in real time to improve outcomes for their students.”
According to the Aspen Institute, this class of fellows reflects the diversity of the nation’s community colleges – collectively serving over 250,000 students at colleges across the nation, in urban, suburban, and rural areas. The incoming class of New Presidents Fellows is 46 percent female and 65 percent are people of color. Located in 19 states, their institutions are also diverse, from a tribal college with fewer than 300 students to an urban college that educates more than 35,000 each year.
Hutchison said, “I’m honored to be selected for this cohort of the Aspen Presidential Fellowship, and I’m especially appreciative of the opportunity to learn from colleagues around the country and national experts in such a dynamic and immersive program. Several of my Virginia colleagues are alumni of the Fellowship, and I’ve benefitted from their experiences. I look forward to representing our region and sharing the great things happening in Southwest Virginia with such esteemed colleagues.”
Dr. Hutchison joined Virginia Highlands Community College in January 2020, as its seventh president. Before coming to Virginia, he worked in higher education in Texas as a faculty member and administrator for more than 20 years. Dr. Hutchison serves on several community, regional, and statewide boards promoting education, economic development, and the rich culture of Southwest Virginia. He’s passionate about rural community colleges and honored to work for the students, faculty, and staff at VHCC. Dr. Hutchison holds two undergraduate degrees in aviation, a Master’s degree in management, and his doctorate from Old Dominion University.