SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The second finalist for the president’s job at BridgeValley Community and Technical College in Kanawha County is in from out of town this week, although she is very familiar with West Virginia.
Dr. Camille Reese, whose husband is from Hinton, spoke with BridgeValley faculty, staff, students, and others during stops Tuesday at the South Charleston and Montgomery campuses. Reese follows up Acting Bridge Valley President Dr. Casey Sacks and precedes Dr. Philip Klein with West Virginia Northern Community College for finalist interviews for the position.
Reese is the current vice president at Mitchell Community College in Statesville, North Carolina. She told MetroNews that BridgeValley and West Virginia feel like home.
“This college is similar to the college I am at now, in terms of academic programs. I see lots of opportunities to increase enrollment, increase academic programming,” Reese said.
“It is close to my family in North Carolina. I feel like I bring a lot to the position and feel like I would be a really good fit.”
Reese holds a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership. Her background includes many years in faculty leadership roles at Winston Salem State University in North Carolina, where she held the role of BSN Program Coordinator and Assistant Professor, and at the Northwest Area Health Education Center/ Bowman Gray School of Medicine in North Carolina, where she was the Associate Director of Nursing Education.
During an open forum with students Tuesday, Reese told them that being a ‘nurse by trade’ meant she likes to take care of people. She said student support would be a top priority.
“We want to make sure we are offering students every opportunity for good services and academic support so they can be successful. Everything at the college level needs to focus on student success,” she said.
She also said that she would target the adult learners that make community college special and make them feel welcome.
“We put a lot of effort and energy on our students who come directly out of high school. But those adults who’ve never had an opportunity to go to college or some who went to college and didn’t finish their degree. We need to make sure we reach out to them and let them know that we have something for them, as well,” Reese said.
VIEW: BridgeValley presidential search page
Reese said part of her accomplishments at Mitchell include leading the institution through accreditation and starting 12 new academic programs. Reese also served nine years as Dean at Mitchell.
If given the opportunity, Reese said her first priority would be to build relationships with faculty, staff, business leaders in the Kanawha Valley, and the community.
Philip Klein, the vice president of economic and workforce development at West Virginia Northern Community College in Wheeling, will visit the campuses on Dec. 2 for his interview.
Sacks interviewed Nov. 3 for the position. Sacks has been serving as interim president since June when the BridgeValley Community and Technical College Board of Governors fired Eunice Bellinger as president.