Reynolds Culinary Student honored at 4th Annual Elby Awards

Congratulations to Reynolds Culinary Arts student Holly Mitchell who was selected as one of two Culinary Students of the Year at this year’s Elby Awards on January 25 at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

The Elby Awards recognize and honor the work of local chefs, restauranteurs and culinary students.  More than 500 guests attended this year’s event, named after Master Chef Paul Elbling.  The theme for the evening was “Studio 804”, in honor of New York’s former Studio 54. 

Nominees were chosen by local members of the dining scene. A separate panel of judges made up of chefs and food writers from outside Richmond selected the winners for each category.

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Reynolds Executive Vice President Dr. Genene LeRosen named one of 2015’s Outstanding Women by the YMCA of Richmond

(Dr. LeRosen is pictured bottom row, at the right)

Congratulations to Reynolds Executive Vice President Dr. Genene LeRosen for being named one of 2015’s Outstanding Women by the YMCA of Richmond.

For more than three decades, the YWCA has hosted the Outstanding Women Awards, an event that recognizes women in Greater Richmond who have made significant contributions to our community through their exceptional leadership qualities, as well as for excellence, achievements, and dedication in their careers and society.

Beginning her profession in the classroom in 1977, Dr. LeRosen has dedicated her life to expanding educational opportunities for young people. First as a public school teacher in Henrico County and community college instructor, then as a college dean and now as the Executive Vice President for Reynolds. Her passionate and deliberate approach has created numerous new educational opportunities, particularly for those that have been traditionally underserved by our educational system.

Dr. LeRosen currently leads the academic, student services, technology and institutional effectiveness teams at Reynolds and is leading a college-wide team on improving advising, a challenge across the higher education spectrum for colleges and universities serving tens of thousands of students with limited resources.  

Reynolds President Gary L. Rhodes considers her the college’s “Chief Operating Officer”. “Dr. LeRosen,” he states, “runs the operations of our college and enables me to engage more extensively in the business community. Together, we ensure our college is serving students, the community and the Richmond region’s workforce needs effectively.”

Prior to her career at Reynolds, she served as the special assistant to the Chancellor of the Virginia Community College System. She has also held positions with Northern Virginia Community College, the Virginia State Council for Higher Education, the College of William and Mary, and Henrico County Public Schools, touching the lives of tens of thousands of students across the Virginia.

Dr. LeRosen has authored and co-authored a number of publications on topics such as Workforce Development, the transfer of academic credit, ways to relieve critical teacher shortages, and preparing a skilled workforce for the 21st century. Her many speeches and presentations have included topics such as “Change, Faculty, and Web-Page Design: A Case Study,” “What is a Virginia Community College,” “Tech Prep in Virginia,” “Gender Equity in Higher Education,” and “Classroom Management Training and Discipline,” in addition to many other topics.

Congratulations, Dr. LeRosen!!!

New Dean of Students Hits the Ground Running

Wendy Bolt began her new role as Dean of Students at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College this past September. Bolt is no stranger to the community college experience – she started her higher education journey as a non-traditional student at New River Community College after working the first four years after high school. After a year of working and going to school part-time, Bolt decided she was ready to go to school full-time, transferring to Radford University where she earned a Bachelors in Psychology and then a Masters in Counseling Psychology. When asked how she knew higher education was the right career fit, Bolt said, “The thing that hooked me was when I was completing my Masters at Radford. I had an intense 30 hours-per-week internship in their university counseling center and that is what hooked me. I wanted to use that skill set and stay in higher education.”

Armed with a Master’s degree, Bolt went on to work at colleges and universities all across the county from DePauw University in Indiana, to Berea College in Kentucky. She eventually ended up back in a community college setting, noting “I was thrilled to come back into the VCCS because it’s a great system and I was also thrilled to come back home to Virginia.”

Bolt said “I think for me, I am really drawn to the community college for numerous reasons and personally, I don’t think I would have attempted to go to a four-year institution right off the bat. I was a first generation college student so it was very scary for me. I think community college gives a lot of opportunities to people that are hesitant to take advantage of certain educational possibilities.”

As Dean of Students, Bolt works behind the scenes but also serves as an open resource for student success. “I get to work closely with several different departments that report through me such as the student success centers, first year initiative programs, student life, as well as the career and employment transfer center.” There also may be students that can use the Dean of Students as a resource to point them in the right direction to answer a problem and figure out a solution.

The take-away for students should be to know that the Dean of Students provides an umbrella of resources to provide help and opportunities to ensure the success of Reynolds’ students. Bolt went on to say that “one of the things I strongly think about for students, no matter where they are in their education -- beginner student, almost graduated, and anywhere in between -- understand that there are a lot of supports available to help you be successful.” She went on to explain that, “If you don’t know something, don’t hesitate to ask us because 9 times out of 10 if not more than that, there is something available to assist you.”

Wendy Bolt has personal as well as working knowledge of how community college students achieve at their educational pursuits. Her experience has led her back to a Virginia community college where she knows that the missions and opportunities Reynolds’ provides students are ample in producing successful students.