Friends:

Challenges, it's often been said, are opportunities in disguise. It's the many opportunities awaiting Virginia Wesleyan College at this crossroads in its distinguished history that attracted my wife, Annie, and me to Coastal Virginia after eight memorable years at Bethany College in West Virginia. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your warm welcome. We are delighted to be here, and we look forward to becoming an integral part of this remarkable community.

Today, Virginia Wesleyan is a place of tremendous possibility and potential. In its 54-year history, VWC has had just three presidents who have positioned the College well for forward momentum. Recent examples of this momentum include the addition of Birdsong Field, a new synthetic turf field opening this fall that will bring new life to VWC Athletics and intramural sports; modernization of the College's natural sciences building, Blocker Hall; full renovation of the Floyd E. Kellam Jr. Social Science Lab in Village II; and the announcement of the forthcoming Greer Environmental Sciences Center, a state-of-the-art facility scheduled for completion by fall 2017. It is inspiring to be a part of VWC's growing legacy, and I am eager to enact fresh vision and positive change.

As I write this, just one month into office, it is clear that while I have much to learn, there is virtually no limit to what we can accomplish by working together with a shared mission. The difference between dreams and their realization, however, is strategic planning and goals. In addition to Virginia Wesleyan's strategic plan, VWC2020: Pathway to Prominence, a recently completed Institutional Review will help provide a framework as we progress. You will hear more about this as I meet and speak with many of you in the weeks ahead.

In my 24 years as a college president, I've learned that synergistic partnerships are key to advancement. The College recently formed a partnership with US-China Century Education Group Corp. and established the American Culture and Tourism Management Internship Program, a relationship that will increase cultural exchange opportunities campus wide. In July, Virginia Wesleyan hosted the NABT/BSCS Biology Teacher Academy, a magnificent opportunity to showcase VWC's growing sciences program and all it has to offer for students from the Commonwealth and beyond.

As we get to know one another, I'll be soliciting your ideas for mutually beneficial relationships that will be a win-win for the College and the region. There is tremendous energy in likeminded people and organizations working together for the common good--the total is most certainly greater than the sum of its parts.

I am energized by the opportunities and challenges that characterize Virginia Wesleyan College today, and as you--students, alumni, faculty, staff and friends--become increasingly engaged, I'm convinced that we can transform possibilities into realities.

I invite your enthusiasm, investment of your time, talents and treasures, and your sense of possibility as we move forward together.

Cordially,