Local Government, Civic Affairs and Education
Some of the many ways Afira’s first name was misspelled – a parting gift from her staff-UWRV photo
Friday is the last day on the job for the United Way of Roanoke Valley’s President and CEO of the past four years – as she moves to a worldwide platform. WFIR’s Gene Marrano has more with Afira DeVries:
Click below to hear our in-depth conversation with Afira DeVries:
NEWS RELEASE: The Roanoke County School Board has named Dana Stevens as the new principal at Mount Pleasant Elementary School. Stevens replaces long-time principal, Ellen Walton, who retired at the end of the previous school year. Stevens first joined Roanoke County Public Schools in 1989 as a teacher at Clearbrook Elementary School. In 1991, she moved to Mount Pleasant Elementary School where she was a teacher until 2013, when she became the assistant principal at W.E. Cundiff Elementary School. In 2017, she moved to William Byrd Middle School as an assistant principal. Stevens holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Radford University and a Master’s Degree in educational leadership and policy studies from Virginia Tech.
“I’m pleased Dana is returning to Mount Pleasant as the school’s new principal. She was an excellent teacher at Mount Pleasant and a great assistant principal at W.E. Cundiff and William Byrd Middle School. I am confident she will continue the standard of excellence at Mount Pleasant,” said Dr. Ken Nicely, superintendent of Roanoke County Public Schools.
While speaking about the Mueller Report, Roanoke-area Republican Congressman Ben Cline scolded Democrats for waiting too long to address the humanitarian crisis at the southern border. WFIR’s Ian Price has more:
Hollins University has announced that President Emerita Nancy Oliver Gray has been named the school’s interim president for the 2019-20 academic year, beginning August 12. Gray, who was president of Hollins from 2005 to 2017, will serve in that capacity while the University conducts the search for a new president to succeed Pareena Lawrence, who resigned as president effective June 30.
“We are extremely grateful to be able to benefit from Nancy’s leadership and institutional knowledge during this time of transition,” said Alexandra Trower, chair of the Hollins Board of Trustees and a member of the class of 1986. “She left an indelible mark on our campus as Hollins’ 11th president.” Among her many achievements, Trower noted that Gray “facilitated innovations in our undergraduate and graduate programs, oversaw major campus renovations and improvements, masterfully managed the University’s budget, and spearheaded the largest fundraising campaign in Hollins’ history and doubled the size of the endowment.”
Since her retirement two years ago, Gray has been a senior consultant at Gonser Gerber, where she helps colleges, universities, secondary schools, and other non-profit organizations nationally with institutional leadership and advancement. She will continue this work while assuming her new role at Hollins. “When the Board of Trustees approached me to serve as interim president, I knew I had a responsibility to return to this special place and community during this time of presidential transition,” Gray stated. “I will do all I can to help Hollins move forward as the search for the 13th president of Hollins is conducted
The former executive director at Transitional Options for Women was live in-studio this morning (with her successor), talking a about partial rebranding for her non-profit. More from WFIR’s Gene Marrano:
click below to hear the complete conversation with Dorothy Owsley and new executive director Glen Dalton:
