Now that the General Assembly is in session, select groups from each of the 23 community colleges in the Virginia Community College System visit with their jurisdictions’ legislators in Richmond as part of “Every Day is Community College Day.”

On Jan. 28, PDCCC representatives, including students and local business persons, visited with Delegate William Barlow and Senators Louise Lucas and Fred Quayle — and were introduced in the Senate Gallery by Sen. Lucas. On Feb. 18, another group will visit with Delegates Chris Jones, Roslyn Tyler, and Lionell Spruill.

February author event

On Feb. 9, the College will host local author and farmer Rex Alphin in the Technology Theater at PDCCC’s Regional Workforce Development Center, beginning at 7 p.m., when he will read excerpts from his recently published book of essays, titled “The Nature of Things: Stories from the Land” and discuss his writing. He also will entertain audience questions and be available afterwards for book signings. (Books can be purchased at the event.)

Alphin has been a weekly columnist for The Tidewater News since 2006, contributing richly worded essays about the land that are now collectively featured in his new book.

He works 1,000 acres of peanuts, corn, cotton and soybeans on Sunset View Farm in Isle of Wight, which his grandfather purchased in the ‘30s.

Davenport joins task force

The Virginia Community College System’s recent announcement of the creation of a reengineering taskforce to optimize the way community colleges operate came at the same time community colleges are managing unprecedented enrollment growth in tandem with state funding reductions.

Chancellor Glenn DuBois said, “When it comes to costs for both the students and the taxpayers, our community colleges already provide the most efficient service of all Virginia’s higher education sector. However, there is a need for our community colleges to do more, to serve more businesses, to serve more students and to produce more graduates for Virginia’s economy. Ensuring that our operations are lean, modern, technology savvy and properly focused is essential to meeting that need.”

Community college representatives across the state, including PDCCC’s Beverly Davenport, computing services manager, were appointed to the task force chaired by the president of Northern Virginia Community College and co-chaired by the president of New River Community College.

The task force seeks new ways of doing work, becoming smarter in investments of people and talent and technology, restructuring work patterns and habits, and breaking down barriers to change and improvement without changing fundamental governance and organizational structure.

While the task force should be finished by November 2010, recommendations that emerge from the committee’s work could be implemented before that time.

For information on options available at Paul D. Camp Community College, call 569-6700 or visit the website at www.pdc.edu.