RICHMOND —The State Board for Community Colleges announced Wednesday it has hired David Doré to serve as the next Chancellor of the Virginia Community College System (VCCS).
“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Doré to lead Virginia’s Community Colleges at a time of transformation as our colleges prepare to take on an even larger role in preparing Virginians for successful careers and meeting the needs of Virginia’s businesses for workers with the right skills for the 21st-century marketplace,” said Douglas M. Garcia, Chair of the State Board for Community Colleges.
Doré is in his twenty-seventh year serving community college students in progressively responsible roles, working with students as an instructor, director, department chair, dean, president, and executive vice chancellor, according to a VCCS press release. Currently, he serves as President of Campuses and Executive Vice Chancellor for Student Experience & Workforce Development at Pima Community College in Tucson, Arizona.
Doré will be the tenth person to lead Virginia’s system of 23 community colleges, succeeding Sharon Morrissey, who has served as Interim Chancellor since July.
“Dr. Morrissey not only has provided a steady and experienced hand during this transition, she also has accelerated the momentum of progress to meet the evolving needs of widely diverse regions across the state,” said Garcia. “We also want to thank Virginia Secretary of Education Aimee Guidera, who engaged deeply in and contributed significantly to our chancellor search process.”
Doré expects to begin his new duties in Richmond on April 1.
“I am honored to be selected to serve this great system, and excited to begin work with the State Board for Community Colleges to implement the forward-thinking vision they have set in alignment with Gov. Youngkin and the General Assembly to accelerate the development of a highly-skilled workforce to meet the growing needs of business and industry in Virginia,” said Doré. “This is both a challenging and exciting time for higher education, and I am looking forward to working with the dedicated and innovative faculty, staff, and administrators of the 23 colleges to serve our learners and collaborate across the rich ecosystem of the Commonwealth to ensure economic mobility for all Virginians.”
According to the release, Doré was a first-generation college student. He earned his Doctor of Education degree at Pepperdine, a Master of Business Administration degree at Georgetown, his Master of Education at Boston College, a Master of Theological Studies (Ethics) at Santa Clara, his Licentiate of Philosophy in Ethics at Gonzaga, and his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy at Gannon.
He was a 2017-18 Presidential Fellow of the Aspen Institute’s College Excellence Program.
“The race for talent is on,” said Gov. Glenn Youngkin. “The Virginia Community College System must be the linchpin of the Commonwealth’s skills development system by bringing together employers, K-12, and higher education to prepare every Virginian for success in our changing economy. I look forward to working with Chancellor Doré to advance our mission of every high school graduate in Virginia being equipped with a credential in an in-demand industry and to ensure that the Virginia Community College System becomes a best-in-class national leader.”
