2015-2016 President’s Annual Report
BOARD CHAIR’S MESSAGE
From Marion Harris It is an honor for me to represent an outstanding Board of Trustees in thanking our dedicated administration, faculty, staff and students for their various contributions as we report on the accomplishments of College of The Albemarle (COA) for the 2015–2016 fiscal year. Our objective, as a college, is to provide opportunities for all citizens in our service area to improve their lives, as well as the lives of their families, which leads to better communities. We are a student centered college and work daily to achieve our goal of preparing students for the jobs of today and tomorrow. Out of the 58 community colleges across the state, we are very proud to have been ranked as “The best community college in North Carolina” by Schools.com. This is a testament to the great things happening at College of The Albemarle. COA is accessible to anyone in our seven county region. If anyone has a need for the many services we provide, please contact the college.
Our staff can, without a doubt, help you achieve your goals. This is evidenced by the more than 14,000 graduates and countless others who have taken advantage of the offerings of the college throughout its history. I also want to thank our president, Dr. Kandi W. Deitemeyer, for her vision and leadership that led to the college’s outstanding performance this past year. Dr. Deitemeyer is quite passionate about how COA can help students and is always committed to that goal. She continuously represents the college in a very positive manner and is a true champion for the impact any community college can have on an individual. As chair of the trustees, I want to thank our many community partners and supporters for making COA a life changing institution for more than 55 years. I encourage you to continue to support our college as we move toward the future.
“We are a
student centered college and work daily to achieve our goal of preparing students for the jobs of today and tomorrow.” Marion Harris
Chair, Board of Trustees
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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
From Dr. Kandi W. Deitemeyer It is always an honor to extend sincere gratitude to you personally for your continued and generous support of College of The Albemarle. Without each member of our community, Board of Trustees, and faculty and staff, our exceptional institution could not continue to make such a significant contribution in the lives of so many in northeastern North Carolina. Once again, I am proud to report to you that it has been another incredible and impactful year. It has been such a privilege to see many of our transformative initiatives come to fruition. Each of these initiatives has an intentional purpose to construct the next few years as we transform lives. Our bold new Strategic Plan 2016-2021: Engage, Transform and Invest was a significant year-long undertaking that has redefined our focus. It truly is a recognition that everything about the students’ experience must be re-examined so a new generation of students can be reached. It also emboldens our belief that access, or the open door, can no longer be our sole focus. Much of our intentionality, as you will see, focuses on attracting students to the college, engaging them in new and relative programs, and ensuring their success through reimagined retention strategies. As part of our work, we set about creating a new brand logo and tag line. What an audacious task to rebrand an institution that so many have counted on, admired, loved or recognized as — The College. Yet, we learned that there was an openness to creating a brand mark that would be a more inclusive symbol of our region, resonate a more modern look and become a spark for much conversation. We have received such positive feedback, so thank you for embracing the new COA! Our tag line was more likely the easier task as we know the transformative power of the educational opportunities of the college. So, developing a new buzzword, encapsulating the impact of the college, truly came from our students and their success stories. As you enjoy this publication, I hope you will appreciate the intentionality and the strong pillars of our brand and its enduring influence. It is the strong history and broad impact of COA that drew me here several years ago. As the college’s ninth president, it has been my honor and privilege to serve each and every day of my tenure. As I write this, I am entering the last days of my service. By the time you receive it, I will be serving elsewhere within our great North Carolina Community College System. But, you can be assured regardless of where I am serving, I remain a true champion and advocate for the northeast and our COA. I will forever be grateful for my time here. To the Board of Trustees, thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve for almost seven years. I sincerely appreciate your trust and support. To the Foundation Board of Directors, thank you for the opportunity to create new business partnerships and our signature annual event; both have reinvigorated our viewpoint on philanthropy.
Most importantly, to the faculty and staff, you are the heart and soul of what makes COA a great college. You are absolutely the catalyst or spark of inspiration that every student needs for their reimagined future. Never forget that you make a difference. I stand in awe of each of you, individually and collectively. It has been my privilege to call you colleagues and friends. Each of you are tremendous individuals who give tirelessly to the college, you are to be commended for your efforts. As the college moves forward, I wish you God speed and many blessings.
College of The Albemarle (COA) has completed one of the most far-reaching and comprehensive strategic plans in its 55-year history, and COA President Dr. Kandi Deitemeyer said it has the potential to transform lives. Reflecting the community college’s commitment to its new axiom – Transform Your Tomorrow – the focus of the blueprint that will guide the institution through the next five years, is also about transforming lives. Dr. Deitemeyer said three themes were identified – Engage, Transform and Invest – but all have the same goal. “The Transform theme is really the center,” said Deitemeyer, adding that each segment of the plan feeds that goal. “Really figuring out how to be more intentional about student persistence and how to help them through those gateway classes.” Dr. Evonne Carter, COA’s vice president of learning, is leading the committees included under the Transform theme of the strategic plan. She said currently, those committees are meeting to discuss ways to increase adult enrollment in selected career and technical education programs by 10 percent over the next three years, as well as focusing on ways to increase the number of military and veterans who are enrolled each fall.
Increasing student persistence is another big goal COA has outlined within the Transform theme and it aims to boost fall retention rates by five percent over the next three years. COA considered statistics related to the numbers of students completing different courses and programs, and discovered that if students finished their general education courses in math and English, there was a higher rate of completion in their academic programs as well. “We’re looking at ways to increase success in those (general education) courses,” Carter said. “We’re identifying what’s keeping students from successful persistence.” If students are going to be successful in their academic goals, the college realized it needs to not only engage them through their academic programs but also ensure they feel connected to the college. Pamela Federline, COA’s director of planning, research and effectiveness, helped distill the feedback COA received from various groups of stakeholders in crafting its strategic plan. One of the most important goals under the Engagement theme, Federline said, is a commitment to building a student life plan and increasing student connectivity to the college. “We’re trying to build a culture where students feel connected,” Carter said. “We’re trying to find ways for students to be engaged with others across campuses.” The Engage theme of the strategic plan also identifies ways for COA to support its employees. The institution wants to increase the percentage of its full-time employees reaching their threeyear employment anniversary to 80 percent by 2021. Currently this number hovers around 60 percent.
“We’re trying to make sure members of the military know we can support them,” Carter said, adding that the community college is also working on expanding its Continuing Education course offerings, based on what area businesses need. Over the next three years, COA hopes to increase its business, industry, health sciences and applied technologies programs by 40 percent. “We’re looking to get people to begin at COA,” Carter said, “and then progress by putting Continuing Education courses together in a way that continues an individual’s credentials or certifications.”
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Dr. Evonne Carter and Pamela Federline discuss the progress being made on COA’s 2015-2021 Strategic Plan
COA also hopes to focus on ways to engage the community during the next five years by increasing its numbers of students and donors. COA wants to increase its full-time student enrollment by 8.5 percent, and plans to increase the number of foundation donors by 25 each year, for the next five years. Carter said the college plans on meeting this goal by building on the external relationships it already has, as it continues to identify possible contributors and supporters of the foundation.
Employee engagement with the plan began at Fall 2015 convocation
Finally, the community college has made a commitment to investing both in its faculty and staff and in innovation. Already meeting one of the biggest goals outlined in the Invest theme of the strategic plan, COA recently received a $35,000 grant to start an Innovation Center. This new center will be used by the college’s employees to support the development, implementation and adoption of innovative projects and technology to encourage new ideas. Using mini-grants from the Innovation Center – which will be approved by a committee – will enable faculty and staff to fund their new ideas and implement them into their programs and departments. The center will be where these ideas can be shared with others. COA also plans on keeping track of faculty, staff and departments who earn recognition or distinction at the state or national level by creating a system for monitoring recognition. The college has also established a Stewardship Committee to help identify ways to implement sustainable and environmentally responsible practices. Federline said COA is working to earn a bronze rating through the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System™ (STARS), a rating system used by colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance, to demonstrate COA’s commitment to responsible stewardship. Deitemeyer said the development of its strategic plan was the completion of year-long process that included surveying internal and external groups at COA and in the community. In order to put the plan into action, faculty and staff have been divided into nine committees that are each charged with finding ways to implement their specific goals. Many of them have already identified their objectives.
“Every single one of the nine faculty and staff subgroups is a critical and essential piece and will
really change how we’re doing things.” Dr. Evonne Carter
Vice President of Learning
“Every single one of the nine subgroups is a critical and essential piece and will really change how we’re doing things,” Carter said. “The process has engaged people to think about what they do in their positions. People are stretching and thinking of more engaging things we can do together.” Reflecting on the plan that will guide the community college through 2021, Deitemeyer is also pleased with the goals faculty and staff have outlined and is confident they will position the institution well over the next five years. “It’s probably one of the most comprehensive plans we’ve ever developed,” Deitemeyer said. “It really dives deep.”
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College of The Albemarle (COA) has been transforming lives in our region for more than 55 years. But through the strategic planning process we completed last spring, we found many in our communities weren’t sure who we really were, what we stood for and what we offered. It was time to reintroduce ourselves to those communities. We began the process of rebranding by meeting with and listening to students (both current and potential), faculty and staff, and community members. One of the words they used to describe COA over and over was “catalyst” – we believe every person, every student and every community has a spark of potential within. Sometimes that spark is hidden. But we believe it’s there, and our confidence in that potential becomes a catalyst to ignite the spark in ways that transform lives. That concept of a catalyst led us in the development of a set of Brand Pillars, a new logo and a new visual language that unites our communications and represents us in a fresh, distinctive way. The beauty and power of our new logo resides in the apparent simplicity of circles – seven circles representing the seven counties we serve – that come together creating complexity, depth and beauty. A spark radiates outward from the center, representing the spark of possibility in each of us that the COA experience transforms. We hope you’ll take a moment to view the brand reveal video we’ve used to reintroduce COA and share our transformational story. Check it out at www.albemarle.edu/brandvideo. Students picked up free T-shirts and other logo swag at our new brand reveal party on October 29, 2015.
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“The collaborative process we went through to develop all aspects of our new brand allowed us to
BRAND PILLARS Our pillars focus on what makes us unique and what we are focusing on.
engage with our students, employees and community
TRANSFORMATIVE We strive to make a transformative difference in the life of every student and fuel positive transformations in our region. MENTORS AND CHAMPIONS We strive to really know our students, to hone their interests and fuel the spark in them – we encourage, guide, challenge and champion them. UNITED IN OUR DIVERSITY There is a rich diversity at the heart of COA’s identity, a myriad of people, perspectives and opportunities all united to serve communities across the region that are distinct and yet interwoven. EXCELLENCE AND VALUE COA offers students an outstanding value in terms of both financial affordability and educational quality in our curriculum and continuing education programs alike. VESTED AND ENGAGED Since our founding as North Carolina’s first community college, we have been committed to serving the evolving needs and interests of the students, employers and communities who compose our seven-county service area.
in a new way.”
THE LOGO The logo is the anchor point of our new visual identity. Fresh versions of our traditional blue and orange, modern typefaces and dynamic visual elements will help us tell the COA story in a new way.
The spark symbolizes the spark of potential that lives within every student, every county, every person we serve. College of The Albemarle is the catalyst that breathes life into that spark, mentoring and championing our students as they transform their potential into purpose.
Dr. Kandi Deitemeyer
President
The movement of the mark radiates outward from the center, just as the transformative power of a COA education radiates outward in the lives of our students, their families, their workplaces and their communities.
The visual mark, composed of seven circles, creates a system of “sevens” symbolizing the seven counties College of The Albemarle serves.
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the new www.albemarle.edu These days, one of the keys to a successful college visit may mean rolling out the virtual red carpet, since prospective students often first visit colleges online, before scheduling a face-to-face visit.
Now, visitors looking for information on tuition, will see a tab simply labeled “cost”, Gone is the more ambiguous “academics” tab, now replaced with a “programs and classes” tab, where students can click to find the information they need.
“The website is your campus visit these days,” said Matt Walters, account director with VisionPoint Marketing, the firm that assisted with College of The Albemarle’s rebranding and website redesign. “You want visitors’ website experience to be exactly the same as a guided experience.”
These were just a few of the tweaks made by the interdisciplinary committee that was formed to direct the new site’s development. The goal of the redesign was to make the site easier for visitors to use and find the information they needed, as well as improving its visual appeal.
Eager to make sure this first online visit is a successful one, College of The Albemarle decided to revamp its website and make sure its visitors are – literally – plugged in to what COA has to offer. The new site was launched in June. It was designed from a prospective student’s point-of-view, instead of the college’s.
Over the years, the previous website had been slowly added to, with updates on new programs and information. The result was a piecemeal design that made it hard for visitors to find the information they were looking for.
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To fix that, the development team looked at the website from a visitor’s needs, examining the site structure and site content and reorganizing it based on the information prospective and current students would want and need.
Before, users had an online experience that was very informational, but not very promotional. The new website combines both elements, with the creation of compelling and creative content.
“We restructured the main navigation of the site and tried to build it with clear topics of navigation,” Walters said. “The words we used were more straightforward and we used less jargon.”
The new website has paid off, said Patrick Detwiler, creative director at COA. These days, the college gets fewer calls from students about how to have their COA transcripts sent to other colleges. It’s easy to find out about that process on our new site, Detwiler said. There are also fewer students asking about how to locate information about the college’s different academic programs, as that information is clearly identified.
Visitors to the website will also notice more expansive, colorful images on COA’s homepage. The site is now populated with pictures of students doing things alongside their professors – engaged in activity. “That shows a little about the educational experience you’ll get at COA,” Walters said. The photos, he added, show how COA’s faculty works closely with the students.
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“Visitors are spending more time on the site and they’re finding the information much easier,” Detwiler said. “A lot of material is just one or two clicks away, making it more useful for our potential and future students.”
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COA Success Coach Eushekia Hewitt is leading the implementation of the First In The World Grant, which aims to increase student retention and success.
“We are inventive
our approaches
with
to working with students, and we are delighted about this opportunity to learn from expert partners and nine other North Carolina community colleges.� Lynn Hurdle-Winslow
Vice President Student Success and Enrollment Management
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A coach can make a big difference – whether it’s in sports or in a community college classroom. Starting this fall, half of all College of The Albemarle’s new students – and all returning students who had timed-out for three semesters or more – will be assigned their own Success Coach. Research shows this proactive intervention is just one way community colleges can improve student retention and success rates. Last fall, COA became one of 10 NC community colleges to receive federal funding aimed at improving these rates at the institution. The funding is part of a $9.2 million statewide research study funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s First In The World grant. In fall 2015, COA received $600,000 in grant funding to use over the next three years, allowing it to support and develop innovative solutions to address the challenges facing student retention and completion.
“At College of The Albemarle, we know how significant an individualized Success Coach program can be and the impact it can have on student retention and completion,” said COA President Dr. Kandi W. Deitemeyer. “The college and our Student Success and Enrollment Management staff are eager to provide proactive advising and counseling for our at-risk students. We are tremendously grateful for the opportunities this project will provide for our students and across the state of North Carolina.” In fall 2013, Central Carolina Community College began examining issues it was having with student success and retention. They implemented Success Coaches and an early alert advising system that proactively let faculty and staff know if a student was struggling academically. The school then tracked the data from these two initiatives for two years.
And there is another benefit to being included in this research study. By having partner colleges from across the state included in the grant, the institutions can easily share ideas and best practices on improved student success. The study’s eventual goal is to replicate this proactive Success Coach model and improve outcomes statewide. “We are inventive with our approaches to working with students, and we are delighted about this opportunity to learn from expert partners and nine other North Carolina community colleges to improve our student learning environment,” said Lynn Hurdle-Winslow, vice president of Student Success and Enrollment Management.
“They raised their retention rate,” said Eushekia Hewitt, COA’s new Success Coach hired through the First In The World grant. “So they put together a package to the federal government to expand the student success model and it was funded.” Specifically, the grant funds 10 state community colleges – COA among them – enabling them to implement Success Coaches and an early advising system at each institution, as well as providing partner colleges the training and professional development they may need to improve retention and student success. More than 230 students will make up the first cohort participating in this innovative proactive advising program in Fall 2017
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Daniel Midgette juggled a lot of books - and much more to make history at College of The Albemarle. Last May, Midgette became the first student to earn a COA associates degree while attending traditional high school. Daniel worked toward both a high school diploma at John A. Holmes High School in Edenton and degree while active in school activities and three sports. Although COA has dual enrollment partnerships at high schools throughout northeastern North Carolina, Holmes High is not one of them. It meant Midgette’s goal of simultaneously working toward both his diploma and degree would be a tougher task for him than for his counterparts at other schools that have partnerships with COA.
“I realized I was doing it for me. When an
opportunity presents itself, you don’t let it go to waste.” Daniel Midgette
COA Dual Enrollment Program Graduate
Midgette needed to complete the 61 credits for his Associate in Arts degree. It meant he had to take them online at school or in person at COA’s campus. All the while, he still juggled his required high school classes, sports and extracurricular activities. Initially, Daniel said he decided to pursue a college degree in high school at the urging of his mom, who realized how much it would save him later in the pursuit of his four-year degree. “She said it would save a lot of money,” Midgette said. “But then I realized I was doing it for me. When an opportunity presents itself, you don’t let it go to waste.”
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The key to his success, said Steve Wood, principal of Holmes High, was Midgette’s unwavering commitment to his academic goal. “He was a three-sport athlete, and very active in most activities,” said Wood. “He was dedicated to making sure all assignments were turned in on time.” Midgette’s hard work paid off in May, when he graduated with his associates degree a few weeks before his high school graduation. This fall, he will be a student in University of North Carolina Charlotte’s mechanical engineering program. Usually, Midgette said, it’s nearly a six year program, but with two years already behind him, he anticipates graduating in three-and-a-half years. “I don’t have to take general education classes – I already took those,” Midgette said. “Being dual-enrolled at COA also helped me with my ACT scores, which helped me get into the mechanical engineering program I wanted.” “It was not an easy track to follow,” Wood said. “Basically, he had to bore his way through the forest to make his path. He is our poster child and we’re encouraging students, who have the capacity and the opportunities, to do this.”
Associate in Engineering Degree Launched College of The Albemarle students were able to get a head start on their engineering studies in fall 2015, when the community college began a new program, offering students the opportunity to pursue an Associate in Engineering degree. The new program is largely the result of Mathematics and Engineering Assistant Professor Muffy Vestal’s and department chair of Mathematics and Engineering Rhonda Watts’ combined efforts. COA previously had an articulation agreement with East Carolina University’s College of Engineering which provided a pathway to one of the five NC engineering universities. It wasn’t until shortly after Vestal was hired – when administrators realized that not only did she earn a Master’s in Engineering from University of Virginia but had also spent years working in the field as a nuclear engineer – that Watts and Dean Roughton, dean of COA’s Arts & Sciences division, proposed Vestal utilize COA’s share of a Golden Leaf engineering grant money to develop two engineering courses to be offered in fall 2013. This was the beginning of what would eventually become the COA Associate in Engineering degree. Vestal was eager to jump in and pursue the engineering vision proposed by the North Carolina Engineering Pathways Organization. Engineering Pathways is a joint project of the North Carolina Community College System and the University of North Carolina engineering programs to develop
pathways for students to begin engineering studies at a community college and then transfer as seamlessly as possible to one of the UNC engineering programs. Vestal participated as COA’s liaison to the NC Engineering Pathways organization meetings where the final agreement between the community colleges and the engineering universities was hammered out. She currently serves as the Vice President of the NC Two Year College and University Engineering Pathways organization. In an effort to ensure COA’s engineering courses are comparable to the equivalent university courses Vestal communicates regularly with university engineering professors during her visits to the five North Carolina university’s offering engineering degrees. These ongoing visits provide insight into what COA’s students will face when continuing their studies and provide information about the available engineering opportunities at the university level. “Because of this communication, the universities have recognized we have a quality program in place,” Vestal said. “There were many engineering NC community college faculty interested in getting this engineering degree in place,” Vestal continued. “We finally got it off the ground and it’s very exciting. I consider it a privilege to have helped advance COA’s Associate in Engineering degree from a goal to a reality.”
“The universities have recognized that we have
a quality program
in place.” Muffy Vestal
Assistant Professor, Engineering & Mathematics
Engineering students explore the fundamentals of both motion and dynamics by creating their own robots.
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High school students from Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Pasquotank and Perquimans Counties, as well as several home school groups, participated in COA’s second annual Advanced Manufacturing Event in April.
NUTURING THE GROWTH OF STEM PROGRAMS Last April, College of The Albemarle held its second annual Advanced Manufacturing Event, part of North Carolina’s Advanced Manufacturing and STEM Careers Awareness Week. Approximately 100 high schoolers watched demonstrations by students at COA’s Regional Aviation and Technical Training Center and learned about local science, technology, engineering and math related career opportunities. “The students got to watch a Darth Vader head be made out a block of metal using different drill bits put into a machine,” said Suzanne Ott, COA’s director of recruitment and community outreach. “Our Computer Aided Design (CAD) students designed the computer program to tell it what to make.” The day-long event attracted many local high school students who learned about COA’s computer integrated machining, welding and aviation programs in addition to CAD. Current COA students showcased their skills and provided a glimpse into their respective industries to attendees. Several local employers at the event were able to talk to the high school students about their need for graduates from these programs. T. David Chambers, COA’s Computer Integrated Machining program coordinator, said the local employers provided information on how a degree or certificate from any of the showcased programs, can be used in the workforce. “I did have some high school students enroll in the programs we highlighted,” Chambers said. Students in COA’s welding program demonstrated their skills and Michael Lopes, the Welding Technology program coordinator, talked about the job outlook and how welding is evolving. Aviation students also had their knowledge on display as they helped high schoolers put a rivet through a piece of sheet metal using a rivet gun. Michelle Waters, dean of COA’s Business, Industries and Applied Technologies division, said the interactive demonstrations were one of the reasons the event was so successful with a much larger crowd than the previous year. “This year, we revamped and expanded the event,” Waters said, adding that even more local employers will be brought in next year. “We really want to show the connection between college and career,” she added. “Seeing the labs and current students in the program is very motivating.” 14
Some deserving College of The Albemarle computer integrated machining students can learn their trade this fall, without fretting about the cost of tuition and books. Thanks to a $15,000 grant COA received from the Gene Haas Foundation, in November 2015, the college is able to provide funds for all educational expenses for several machining students. The Gene Haas Foundation, the charitable division of Haas Automation (one of the country’s largest machine tool manufacturers), earmarked the funds for the 2016-2017 academic year.
“Employers are always calling for students. I’m hoping this grant will give students a path to an excellent career.” T. David Chambers
Computer Integrated Maching Program Coordinator
“The grant’s main intent is to develop trained machinists. It pays for a student’s tuition, books and tool set for all three semesters,” said T. David Chambers, coordinator of COA’s Computer Integrated Machining program. The college’s Computer Integrated Machining diploma is a three-semester program. Using the money, COA has created several student scholarships that were awarded this fall. The money has to be used in the 2016-17 academic year, but Chambers plans on resubmitting an application to the Haas Foundation, in hopes of securing additional funding. “I’m hoping it will give students a path to an excellent career,” said Chambers. “Employers are always calling for students,” Chambers said, adding that sometimes there are more machining jobs available than there are students to fill them. “Machining is at the base of all manufacturing.”
Because of the level of skills they have mastered, most of College of The Albemarle’s Computer Integrated Maching program students have multiple job offers upon graduating.
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Interactive Simulator Makes Emergencies Real Ambulance lights are flashing, and there are accident victims in need of medical attention. Since February, students in College of The Albemarle’s Paramedic and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) classes have come across this jarring scene as they entered the classroom. Thanks to a new $50,000 piece of equipment, their classroom has been transformed into an interactive accident scene, which they quickly have to assess as they set to work providing medical attention to those in need. They are able to glimpse the interior of an ambulance, with all its equipment and radios – which sits in the classroom. The college’s new EMS simulator is designed to look and function exactly like an ambulance. It was delivered earlier this year and Sam Mickey, COA’s EMS Education Coordinator, couldn’t be more excited. “The simulator looks and works like the back of the ambulances used in this area,” said Mickey, a local Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) with 40 years of experience. “The students were surprised to see the lights flashing and the back of an ambulance in their classroom.” The simulator has been on Mickey’s wish list since he was named coordinator of COA’s EMS program in 2012. Mickey, who has taught EMS courses at COA for 35 years, said this high-tech technology has only been around a few years. Having it to help teach COA’s EMS students, he said, has provided invaluable experience that closely mimics the real-life medical situations they will face as emergency responders. This new, interactive piece of equipment has kicked the school’s program into the 21st century. “It definitely helps students,” Mickey said. “Now, they arrive on a virtual scene which makes a big difference in their thought process and how they handle a situation.” “The change is,” he added, “it makes the flow process of the call and the students’ actions much easier for the instructor to evaluate.” COA’s EMS program already has interactive, talking mannequins that can be programmed to exhibit different symptoms and maladies. Being able to use both technologies together, Mickey said, has provided students with training that mirrors what they will actually face. “If you put those two things together, the students are in a very realistic situation,” Mickey said, adding that the new simulator has enabled students to identify equipment on the ambulance and learn how to use it. The high-tech simulator is also outfitted with cameras inside the cabin which record the students, so instructors can show them what they are doing correctly, as well as show areas of improvement. Five courses at COA – EMT Basic, Advanced EMT, Paramedic, Emergency Medical Responder, and Basic Law Enforcement First Responder – will use the new simulator as part of their programs. Next on Mickey’s wish list is radio communications equipment, which allows students to get the feel for calling in accident reports, and an ambulance driving simulator that teaches how to calculate the stopping distance and turning distance needed to drive an ambulance. The driving simulator costs about $150,000, Mickey said, but it has great potential in the EMS classroom. For now, he couldn’t be happier with the EMS simulator and the interactive instruction it has provided COA students. “It’s proven,” Mickey said, “that new technology definitely helps students in this line of work to see and feel what will be expected of them in the field.”
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“It’s proven that
new technology definitely helps students in this line of work to see and feel what will be expected of them in the field.” Sam Mickey
EMS Education Coordinator
Although the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Training Center – now located on College of The Albemarle’s Elizabeth City Campus – may be small in square-footage, its outreach has been huge since opening last October. COA operates the facility which was previously housed at Sentara Albemarle Medical Center. Michael Whitehurst, Training Center Coordinator, also transferred with the facility and now manages it for COA. A position he’s held since 2002, he’s familiar with
running the facility, which has grown under this new partnership between the hospital and COA.
requirements. Advanced CPR classes are also available for nurses and paramedics in need of certification.
“The Training Center was located at the hospital since the late ‘90s,” Whitehurst said. “The college has picked up the role that the hospital played. The training center’s outreach in the seven-county service area is significant.” COA’s AHA Center has more than 200 instructors who teach first-aid and basic or adult CPR courses for those seeking the training for job
This new partnership, Whitehurst said, aligns with the mission of both organizations in reaching out to the community to provide basic training. Stephanie Loftis, the facility’s Education Operations Coordinator, also worked at the Training Center when it was located at the hospital in the same role she holds now. She arranges the basic life support classes offered at COA, and coordinates offcampus training at different businesses and agencies, using Training Center instructors. The transition, she said, has been a good one. “I feel like we’re reaching new people,” Loftis said. “We’re attracting more people since we’ve been here, which is good.” This fall, Loftis said there are plans to continue growing their reach throughout the region. “What we’re hoping to do,” she said, “is to expand classes to COA’s Dare County and Edenton-Chowan campuses, in the upcoming year.”
Catherine Rajnes is one of the instructors for the American Heart Association Training Center at COA who trains health professionals and community members in a range of life saving techniques.
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In March, College of The Albemarle’s annual Open House events set attendance records, attracting more high school students than ever before, to both its Elizabeth City and Dare County Campuses. But it wasn’t just luck that drew in students. It was the result of a year-long effort by Suzanne Ott, COA’s director of recruiting and community outreach. Last year, the college created Ott’s position to focus on student recruitment and the decision has paid off. “Having this position dedicated to recruiting and letting people know that we’re here – and just the community outreach – will really help to grow and build enrollment,” Ott said. Besides the huge Open House turnout, COA also had higher rates of faculty and staff participation at the events, with instructors from every academic program available to answer questions about their curriculum. Ott said approximately 75 instructors and department heads were at the events.
“We had a really big faculty turnout for their programs,” Ott said. “Everybody is excited about their program, so they were there and ready to talk about it.” To ensure prospective students learned about many of COA’s academic programs, they awarded several scholarships to students at both Open Houses. In order to qualify for the scholarship giveaway, students had to visit six tables during the event and learn about different degree, certificate or diploma programs. Stephanie Loftis, education operations coordinator for COA’s new American Heart Association Training Center, was one of those on-hand during both Open House events. She wanted to make attendees aware of the variety of CPR classes and certifications the center offers. It was time well spent, Loftis said.
Ott also spent much of her time during the 2015-16 academic year, visiting area high schools throughout COA’s seven-county service area. She arranged Lunch and Learn programs, allowing interested students to spend their lunch periods hearing from different COA program coordinators who pitched their curriculum and the types of jobs they could land with the degrees or certifications. Ott also set up a table in area high school lunchrooms, answering questions and making the students aware of the community college. Advisors from COA also visited the schools regularly, to check on students’ test scores, talk about program requirements and more. “It was that continuous presence we had with high schools all year long,” Ott said, “and a lot of students saw the Open House as a continuation of that process.”
“We had several calls after that,” Loftis said. “If they didn’t already know, they now knew we were part of the college.”
The March Open House at COA’s Elizabeth City Campus gave professors like Roger Rossman, Psychology, the chance to talk to potential students about the quality programs the college offers.
18
Caden Trueblood
Last year, College of The Albemarle welding students Caden Trueblood and Quavare Moore received the new Hockmeyer Equipment Annual Scholarship that not only assisted with their educational expenses, but also resulted in full-time jobs upon their graduation. Moore and Trueblood were awarded $1,500 each, which allowed them to pursue the welding program at COA. They were the first students to benefit from the Hockmeyer Scholarship, which included a 16-week internship at Hockmeyer in Elizabeth City. There, they mastered many welding and drilling skills while also earning one credit hour toward their one-year welding certificates. It wasn’t easy, balancing classwork and their 160-hour internship, but both students agree, it was definitely worth the effort. In June, they graduated with their welding certificates, and something else. “Once they completed the program, we offered them fulltime employment,” said Human Resources Administrator for Hockmeyer Equipment Tanya Sylvester. “They really worked out well. They were learning, producing and enjoying what they were doing.”
Quavare Moore
Now, Moore and Trueblood are 3rd Class Welders at Hockmeyer. It’s a win-win situation, said Mike Lopes, program coordinator for COA’s Welding Technology program. The scholarship allows students in one of the college’s work-based learning programs – such as machining, welding, computer-aided design, business administration or computer integrated technology – to participate. Students are chosen based on academic performance, demonstration of natural talent, interest in the area of study and ability to work as a team member. Applicants submit a letter of recommendation from a faculty member in their program of study and must be enrolled for at least 12 credit hours, while maintaining a 2.75 grade-point average. “Hockmeyer lets COA know what they need,” said Michelle Waters, dean of COA’s Business, Industry and Applied Technologies division. “It’s based on whatever is the best fit for their needs each semester.” This year, Hockmeyer has determined it needs students from welding and machining. In addition to the financial assistance the scholarship provides, students gain work experience that makes them marketable after graduation. Lopes said the work-based learning internship is beneficial for both the students – who learn the skills they need after graduation – and for Hockmeyer which gains qualified employees that are getting harder to find.
“The employer is
getting quality, and that’s what they are looking for.” Mike Lopes
Welding Technology Program Coordinator
“Employers are worried, as many experts are retiring, and young people have not been trained to fill the need,” Lopes said. “It can bankrupt a company if they don’t have enough people to make their products.” The new Hockmeyer Scholarship program, he added, is just as important for the employer as it is the students. “The employer is getting quality,” Lopes said, “and that’s what they are looking for.” 19
“My education at
COA completely prepared me to enter ECSU as a junior. I got a great start.” Dawn Cressman
2016 President’s Cup Winner
Dawn Cressman was nearly 40 when she decided to pursue her dreams of higher education. The idea of starting college after such a long hiatus – she earned her GED from College of The Albemarle (COA) in 1995 – nearly made her abandon her academic ambition before she started. “But Derek Meredith was a very big support in my life,” said Cressman, referring to COA’s former resource specialist (now coordinator of secondary education), who counseled Cressman through those tough moments, encouraging her to register in the fall of 2014. “He said age was just a number.” “I was hesitant and was very nervous,” she added. Last May, Cressman was named the President’s Cup Winner and graduated with her Associate in Arts degree. And she is forging ahead with her education, no longer nervous about whether or not she can handle the rigors of college. Currently, she is a student at Elizabeth City State University working toward her Bachelor’s in Early Education. “My education at COA completely prepared me to enter ECSU as a junior,” Cressman said. “I got a great start.”
20
She gives a lot of credit for her success to her COA family, she said, reserving a healthy dose of gratitude to Meredith in particular. During her two years at COA, Cressman relied on Meredith’s advice and he became a trusted friend. “He’s actually, still to this day, my rock,” said Cressman, who is now co-workers with Meredith. A few years ago, while Cressman was a student at COA, she took a part-time job as a receptionist in the admissions office at the school. She likes her job and her co-workers so much, she has no plans on going anywhere once she completes her degree in Early Education. She feels like assisting COA’s students with their questions about academic programs or the enrollment process, is still helping to educate students as she intended. “I’m trying to mold not just young minds, but minds of all ages,” Cressman said. “I love seeing the students excited.” And she likes the idea of being a support to new students, just as Meredith and others at the community college were to her – both as a GED and associate degree student. “I needed the support and you get a lot of that here,” Cressman said. “They always encourage you.”
Edenton-Chowan Campus Nicholas Fair had no intention of pursuing his education beyond his Culinary Arts Diploma, but a College of The Albemarle instructor from the Basic Skills program changed his mind. “She pulled me aside and told me I had a lot of potential and she wanted me to live up to it,” said Fair, who in August began working toward his Associate’s in General Education. Now, Fair is a full-time student and works at COA as a culinary lab assistant. He earned his Culinary Arts Diploma with a perfect 4.0 GPA and was COA’s 2015-16 Campus Cup Winner for the Edenton-Chowan Campus. Fair plans to pursue his Bachelor’s Degree in Hospitality and eventually his Master’s in Business Administration. His new goal is to run a resort eventually. Fair doesn’t need long to pick his favorite part of being a lab assistant: “It’s a good way to give back and to create the same kind of opportunity I was given, for a new class.”
Dare County Campus Oleysa Phkakina earned her Associate’s Degree in Applied Science while enrolled in the Dare Campus’ Professional Crafts Jewelry program. The Russian-born Phkakina was due to go back to her native country at the end of the summer in 2012 when she saw a poster offering placement tests at the community college. Phkakina took a placement test, enrolled that fall and after a year as a COA student earned a merit-based scholarship based on her high GPA. Her academic success – she graduated with a 3.8 GPA – earned her another honor. In May, she was named the Campus Cup winner for the Dare Campus. These days, she spends her time working with the Dare County Art Council, displaying her copper and silver necklaces, rings and cuff bracelets at several Nags Head galleries. She is also busy getting her own jewelry website – Darling Jewelry – up and running. “This is not just a hobby,” Phkakina said. “It’s my bread-and-butter.”
Regional Aviation and Technical Training Center Gilbert Brickhouse enrolled at College of The Albemarle in 2013 and earned his Basic Skills diploma – completing one of his longtime goals. But his academic wish list didn’t stop there. While working on his Basic Skills diploma, Brickhouse took a computer-integrated machining course and was hooked on a new career. “I figured it would give me an opportunity for a higher pay scale down the road,” said Brickhouse, COA’s 2015-16 Campus Cup winner for the Regional Aviation and Technical Training Center. In May, Brickhouse graduated with a Computer Integrated Machining diploma and he did so with flying colors. He maintained a 3.8 GPA and said completing the program was one of the best decisions he’s ever made. “It was a good choice,” said Brickhouse, who now works as a manual machinist for Hoffer Flow Controls Inc. in Elizabeth City. “I like where I’m working and what I’m doing.” 21
TEACHER OF THE YEAR When Kathryn Osgood started the jewelry program at College of The Albemarle 11 years ago, the classes were housed in the back of the Department of Transportation office in Wanchese. A far cry from the program’s humble beginnings, the Roanoke Island Campus is now home to the jewelry program’s stateof-the-art student and professional art gallery. The space houses several studios filled with soldering stations, polishing equipment and a digitally-controlled burnout kiln. Here, students learn to fashion all types of jewelry, taking advantage of the school’s welding, woodworking and ceramics studios. “When we first came in, we were in a temporary space,” said Osgood, associate professor in the professional crafts jewelry program and COA’s Teacher of the Year. “Now we have a permanent space with a gallery.” Over the past 11 years, Osgood has developed the jewelry curriculum into a polished program. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern Maine and a Master of Fine Arts degree from East Carolina University. Today, she stays current in her field by attending national and state metalsmithing conferences each year. She always brings back plenty of new techniques and ideas to the classroom. Students learn to work with faceted stones and set them into rings and other jewelry. They practice casting a wax or and use it to create metal versions of their designs. Osgood’s students work mostly with copper, brass sheets or wire which they transform into their intricate designs.
“I feel so fortunate that I have had this opportunity. COA is such a good school and I’m excited
to share what I know with students.” Kathryn Osgood Teacher of the Year
Osgood said in Dare County most professions revolve around tourism but this program allows students to pursue a career in another industry. After two years, students can earn a diploma in Professional Crafts Jewelry, or a basic or advanced jewelry making certificate in on year. “I have one student who A copper, sells her work all over the enamel and silver pendant by world on Etsy,” she said. Kathryn Osgood entitled “Ocean” “Students are able to support themselves with something they really love. Many start their own businesses, so it’s like an entrepreneurship program.” Having the chance to shape the crafts jewelry program, Osgood said, has been a great opportunity. “I feel so fortunate that I have had this opportunity,” she said. “COA is such a good school and I’m excited to share what I know with students.”
51 20
Professional Development Award Lucretia White may be a professor at College of The Albemarle, but she is also committed to being a lifelong learner. She loves teaching, but she also enjoys being the student said this year’s COA Professional Development Award winner. Last year, White – program coordinator of COA’s Developmental Reading, English, DRE and ACA college success classes – attended countless professional conferences, workshops and seminars, all with the aim of learning new skills.
“This year we did our awards a little differently. The ‘COA Prize Patrol’ surprised each winner in their own workspace.
Their reactions were priceless
and we captured them all on video which we posted on our website at www.albemarle.edu/ awards” Dr. Kandi Deitemeyer
President
“It’s all about growing as a professional,” White said. “It helps me grow and become an effective leader and instructor.” White learned about new ways to enhance student success as an attendee of last spring’s North Carolina Association for Developmental Education Conference. She also attended the North Carolina Community College Leadership Program, which taught her the skills to become a leader within the state’s community college system.
Excellent/Innovative Teaching Technique Award Innovadora – the Spanish word for innovative – is a perfect description of Ekaterina Younger. The assistant professor of foreign languages and chair of the Humanities and Fine Arts Department at College of The Albemarle wanted her online Spanish classes to have the same face-to-face interactions as regular classes. “I wanted to collaborate better and have the students interact with each other,” said Younger, who recently received COA’s Excellent/Innovative Teaching Faculty Award. Younger’s solution was to use a new app called VoiceThread. Students use it to create presentations and audio and video files of them speaking Spanish. The presentations can be shared, and students can comment on the work. “It imitates the face-to-face classroom a lot,” said Younger, who began working at COA in 2012. “Before it was just a recording that students submitted.”
Service Award Muffy Vestal, assistant professor of Engineering and Mathematics, joined College of The Albemarle’s faculty as a math instructor, but she has made her mark in engineering. Last May she was awarded COA’s Service Faculty Award for her efforts in helping create an Associate’s Degree in Engineering. Vestal, who came to COA in 2012, earned a Master’s in Engineering from the University of Virginia and worked in the field as a nuclear engineer. So she was the perfect fit to help COA create the new degree. The faculty award “sort of shocked me,” said Vestal, who was surprised with cake and balloons while teaching a class. “I thought it was for one of my students.” In addition to now serving as an academic advisor to the community college’s engineering students, Vestal also teaches several engineering courses in the new program and she continues to serve as vice president with the NC Engineering Pathways organization. 23
State Staff Person of the Year Nominee Ginger O’Neal, in the past four years, has helped start 54 businesses and created 112 jobs as director of College of The Albemarle’s Small Business Center. “Those are impressive statistics for northeastern North Carolina,” said O’Neal, who was recently awarded COA’s Staff Person of Year award. O’Neal now goes on to compete for the same award at the state level. Since 2000, when she was hired as assistant director of COA’s Small Business Center, O’Neal has poured her energy into assisting small businesses and entrepreneurs throughout COA’s sevencounty service area. She has provided confidential business counseling and helped them locate start-up funding and put together cash-flow projections. “It’s so rewarding,” O’Neal said. “My counseling sessions will start with a dream and it’s my job to guide them along the pathway.”
24
Professional Staff Person of the Year During the past decade Michelle Waters has transitioned from instructor to administrator, and last spring, her skillful evolution was recognized when she was named COA’s Professional Staff Person of the Year. Waters, dean of COA’s Business, Industry and Applied Technologies division and campus administrator of the Regional Aviation and Technical Training Center in Currituck, has relished her path. She has learned new roles – and learned more about the community college – with each step. “Each time you’re given a new responsibility,” Waters said, “it is an opportunity to learn not only personally, but also professionally. “It’s given me the opportunity to work with different people at the college and that’s one of my favorite parts about taking on new opportunities or roles and responsibilities.”
Para-Professional Staff Person of the Year Shirley Blount began working at College of The Albemarle 23 years ago – just weeks after the Edenton Campus opened. Blount, who received her Associate’s in General Office Technology from COA, has remained since that start – assisting the staff and students on the Edenton Campus. “People know me, and that’s a good feeling,” Blount said. During the past two decades, Blount has earned Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Business Administration. Last summer, she was named Academic and Financial Aid Advisor for the Edenton Campus and was recognized as COA’s Para-Professional Staff Person of the Year. Among Blount’s roles is serving as a recruiter, visiting students at John A. Holmes and Gates County high schools. She always reminds those students to find her on campus. “On the first day, they come, they look for me,” she said. “And I make sure they are doing okay. It makes me happy to know they’re happy.”
Institutional Staff Person of the Year Ronnie Riddick was used to keeping things tidy as a custodian at College of The Albemarle. So it was no surprise that he cleaned up with a staff award before his recent retirement. Riddick, who spent nine years as a custodian at COA, was awarded the Institutional Support Staff Person of the Year earlier this year. “I was surprised because when I came in and was making my rounds it was presented to me with flowers and a cake” Riddick said. Riddick enjoyed his time at COA interacting with coworkers and especially students. Before beginning at COA, Riddick worked as a custodian and bus driver for Northeastern High School. Often, he’d see his former passengers walking the halls. “It was good to see the kids excelling and working on a degree,” Riddick said. “Since retiring, I miss the people I worked with,” Riddick said. “They were all really good people.”
COA Makes Waves ... Literally A year has many highs and lows soon forgotten by most, but thanks to an incredibly unique sculpture created in October 2015 by the College of The Albemarle’s art department, the exact ebb and flow of a year’s worth of waves along the Outer Banks was captured in COA’s Making Waves installation. During a three-day Design, Art, Science, Humanities (DASH) Symposium, the sculptural installation was on display at COA’s Dare Campus. The project theme was “ripples and waves” and was inspired by 365 days of wave data, collected from the UNC Coastal Studies Institute’s Oregon Inlet buoy and the website Surfline’s wave observations from Jennette’s Pier. COA was a partner in presenting the DASH Symposium, which was sponsored by the UNC Coastal Studies Institute. Event organizers said the goal of the program was to get the arts and sciences communities together using data to create a visual interpretation. “Our goal was to expose art students to an art-science activity to show them how scientific data can be visualized,” said Gale Flax, former department chair for COA’s Fine Arts and Humanities. Flax coordinated the community college’s participation in the event. The resulting sculpture was 365 wave-shaped pieces of wire mesh, hand-shaped by 85 students and community volunteer. The wire wave forms were then suspended from the gallery ceiling in COA’s Professional Arts Building, each positioned to the actual max wave height recorded on each day. Over 700 data points were suspended in the three-dimensional space. “The data was put into a spreadsheet by scientists,” Flax said, “to see the patterns.” Flax said the art students learned that bigger waves travel at slower frequencies and wave size was evident based on the season, a principle that was apparent from the sculpture. “You could see visually where there had been a storm,” Flax said, referring to the wave data collected from August 2014 to August 2015. “That was actually a pretty low wave year.” Kathryn Osgood, associate professor and program coordinator for COA’s professional crafts jewelry department, said creating a hand-formed sculpture – based on scientific data – was a way for art students to work in a different context. Besides the Making Waves installation, DASH attendees were treated to two hands-on exhibits coordinated by COA in an effort to show off the college’s gallery spaces. Some learned, and tried their hand at Suminagashi, a Japanese paper marbling process using floating inks on water to create beautiful stationary. They were also able to learn about saltwater etching, a process allowing artists to decorate copper sheets with a design, using a saltwater bath. “It was a wonderful and educational event for us and involved a lot of people,” Flax said.
“Our goal was to expose art students to an art-science activity to show them how scientific
data can be visualized.”
Gale Flax Former Department Chair Fine Arts and Humanities
23 The Making Waves sculpture installation in the Professional Art Gallery at COA’s Dare County Campus.
2015-2016 FINANCIAL REPORT 10%
4%
Student Tuition & Fees $2,208,006.81
Grants & Gifts $797,349.44
1%
Other $275,842.68
14%
Student Financial Aid $2,980,993.69
Revenues
11%
Total: $21,378.446.98
County Appropriations & Capital Aid $2,387,094.64
411
60%
State Appropriations & Capital Aid $12,729,159.72
471 10%
Utilities $575,669.45
6%
14%
Depreciation $1,271,051.25
Services $2,876,287.11
6%
Expenses
Total: $21,142,583.29
52
Students Earned Multiple Degrees
23
Career & College Promise Students Earned Degrees or Diplomas
61%
Salaries & Benefits $13,013,217.12
Fiscal data for the year ending June 30, 2016
26
Degrees, Diplomas & Certificates Awarded
3%
Scholarships & Fellowships $2,107,945.44
Supplies & Materials $1,298,412.92
Students Graduated
“The scholarships I received from the COA Foundation have given me the ablility to worry less about how my tuition was going to be paid for and think more about how my degree
will better my future.” Casey Bundy
Associate in Arts Student
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
From Jeffrey A. Aldridge The College of The Albemarle (COA) Foundation Board of Directors is proud of our role in providing the financial assistance and support for many COA students as they pursue their higher education and career goals. The COA Foundation works diligently to ensure that our donors’ contributions for student scholarships, educational activities, renovation projects, programs and technology needs are significant and meaningful investments in the success of our students and our region. Generous contributions from individuals, alumni, businesses and organizations throughout northeastern North Carolina have been crucial to the success of College of The Albemarle and the COA Foundation. The college’s state budget provides resources to sustain only essential operations. Donors’ support, which totaled $356,084 last fiscal year, helps provide the additional measure of excellence in student support, employee development, programs and facilities. Much of the COA Foundation’s success can be attributed to the college leadership team and the unwavering support of its board of trustees, donors and college faculty and staff who support the Foundation’s events, campaigns and activities. During the 2015-2016 fiscal year, 194 Foundation scholarships were awarded to 138 COA students with a value of more than $179,550. As President of the COA Foundation Board of Directors, I have enjoyed a long-standing relationship with the college and I am honored and privileged to work with such an august group of board members to assist College of The Albemarle in delivering on its promise to transform lives and communities in northeastern North Carolina.
Foundation
27
2015-2016 FOUNDATION GIVING
0.5%
5.6%
$1,723
$20,285
Currituck
Chowan
15.4%
4.1%
$54,895
$14,660
Dare
Camden
0.1%
Gates $160
49.4%
Pasquotank
2015-2016 FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPS
Giving by County Total: $356,085
$175,715
Scholarships Awarded From
78
Funds
22.3%
Outside COA Service Area $78,918
2.7%
Perquimans $9,729
194 28.2%
23.3%
College Support
Scholarships
Types of Giving 48.5%
Unrestricted
The purpose of the College of The Albemarle Foundation is to aid, strengthen and further in every proper and useful way, the work and services of College of The Albemarle, and to provide broader educational opportunities to is students, faculty and staff, and to the residents of the seven county service area served by the college. We hold more than $9M in assets designated for scholarships and college support. Our goals include securing new donors and raise more funds each year for the college, which helps close the gap between the college’s needs and our state funding.
28
Scholarships Awarded
131
Students Received Scholarships
Value of Scholarships Awarded
$179,570.85
Guests enjoyed a glittering good time.
Dolphins Club
Event Sponsor
CenturyLink Colony Tire & Service Dr. Zack D. Owens & Martha Anderson Owens Trust DRS Technologies, Inc. Jones Printing Service, Inc. Long and Foster Real Estate Perry Auto Group Saslow’s Jewelers TowneBank of Currituck Vidant Chowan Hospital Walmart
East Carolina Radio Mildred’s Florist Shop The Daily Advance
$5,000
Blue & Orange Partner The 2015 fundraising Gala was held at the Kermit E. White Center in Elizabeth City.
$3,500
Chick-fil-A of Elizabeth CIty G. R. Little Agency, Inc. Systel Business Equipment
Premier Partner $2,500
B&M Contractors, Inc. Biggs Cadillac Buick GMC Trucks, Inc. Elizabeth City Area Convention & Visitors Bureau First Citizens Bank J.W. Jones Lumber Company, Inc. Regulator Marine Sussex Development Corporation TCOM, L.P. Whichard & Woolard Wealth Management Group
$1,500
Event Patron $1,000
BB&T Fairfield Inn and Suites Gateway Bank IdentifyYourself McDonald’s Mr. & Mrs. Simon & Nancy Rich Palladium Sentara Albemarle Medical Center Southern Insurance Agency Telephonics The Willey Agency Vector CSP
Friend of COA $500
Ace Hardware Outer Banks Hospital Hornthal, Riley, Ellis & Maland Mann Custom Boats Carolina Furnishing + Design SAGA
29 The Bling Ring Experience winner receives her prize.
PRESIDENT’S CLUB $10,000+
Dr. Zack D. Owens & Martha Anderson Owens Trust Mrs. Frances A. Gaither Gene Haas Foundation Mr. and Mrs. James and Deborah Millis
FOUNDATION CIRCLE $7,500 - $9,999 Wells Fargo
DOLPHINS CLUB $5,000 - $7,499
CenturyLink Colony Tire Corporation DRS Technologies, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey and Gloria Emmerich* Mrs. Harriette Howard Jones Printing Service, Inc.* Long & Foster Real Estate Perry Auto Group Saslow’s Jewelers** TowneBank of Currituck Vidant Chowan Hospital Mr. and Mrs. Matthew and Holly Wood
BLUE AND ORANGE ADVOCATES
$3,500 - $4,999
Chick-fil-A of Elizabeth City** Elizabeth City Morning Rotary
30
G. R. Little Agency, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. Andy and Lisa Johnson* Mr. and Mrs. William and Laura Owens* Mr. and Mrs. Charlie and Tapp Robinson Systel Business Equipment*
PARTNER
$2,500 - $3,499
B & M Contractors, Inc. Mr. Carl Curnutte and Mr. John Buford* East Carolina Radio** Elizabeth City Area Convention & Visitors Bureau Mr. and Mrs. Oliver and Linda Etheridge First Citizens Bank Hockmeyer Equipment Corporation Mrs. Ann Hoffman and Mr. Chuck Martin* J. W. Jones Lumber Company, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. Warren † and Theresa Judge* Motion Sensors, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. Chris and Tammy Perry Mr. Bill Pitt and Ms. Glenda McRary Sussex Development Corporation TCOM, L.P. Manufacturing Walmart Elizabeth City* Walmart Kitty Hawk Whichard & Woolard Investment Group
CHAMPION
$1,000 - $2,499
Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey and Sharon Aldridge Atlantic Realty BB&T Investment Services, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. Bruce and Anna Biggs Dr. Evonne Carter* Mr. and Mrs. Dave and Kathy Curtis The Daily Advance Mr. Warren B. Davis Dr. and Mr. Kandi and Gary Deitemeyer
Graduates received a high five from faculty as they exited Commencement on May 11.
Mr. and Mrs. Richard L. Durren, Jr. Mr. Rex Etheridge* Fairfield Inn and Suites* Mr. and Mrs. George and Gale Flax Follett-COA Bookstore Mr. and Mrs. Philip and Brandy Foreman Mr. and Mrs. Douglas and Diana Gardner Gateway Bank Gregory and Associates, CPAs, PC*** Harman Law Firm*** Mr. and Mrs. Marion and Wilma Harris
Ms. Essie K. Horne Mrs. Lynn Hurdle-Winslow IdentifyYourself* Island View Corp Foreman House Bed & Breakfast Mr. and Mrs. Joseph and Ann Lamb Mr. Russell Lay Mr. and Mrs. Mark and Lillian Maland Mr. and Mrs. Garry and Abbey Manning Manteo Lions Club, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. Don and Roberta McCabe Mr. and Mrs. Michael and Lynne McLain* Mildred’s Florist Shop** The NAP Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Edward and Bonnie O’Neal* Mr. and Mrs. William and Nannette Orr Outer Banks Hospital Palladium Partners, Inc. Mr. Wayne M. Perry Red Sky Travel Insurance Mr. and Mrs. Simon and Nancy Rich Rotary Club of Hertford Sentara Albemarle Medical Center Dr. and Mrs. Julian and Betsy Selig** Mr. and Mrs. Mark and Stacy Small Southern Insurance Agency † Denotes deceased * Denotes monetary and in-kind gifts ** Denotes in-kind gifts *** Denotes Performing Arts Center sponsor
Dr. and Mrs. William and Patricia Sterritt Tandem, Inc. Telephonics Corporation Mr. and Mrs. George and Mary Thomas Mr. James Turdici** VectorCSP Mr. John Ward** Miss Emily J. White The Willey Agency
Area middle schools students explored COA programs on Aspire Day on April 26.
PATRON
$500 - $999
ACE Hardware Albemarle Family YMCA** Biggs Cadillac Buick GMC Trucks, Inc* Mr. and Mrs. Scott and Toni Blanchard Mr. Neal Blinken Dr. Lynn A. Butler and Dr. Greg Warren Camden County Carolina Furnishings and Design Mr. and Mrs. James and Phoebe Cartwright City Beverage Company, Inc.** George S. Converse, Mr. and Mrs. Seth and Michala Craven Dr. Karen Weurtz** Mr. and Mrs. Raymond and Maureen Donnelly* Dow Corning Corporation Matching Gifts Program Mr. and Mrs. Daniel and Patrice Dwyer Dr. and Mrs. Edward and Nancy Eadie Edenton Motors, Inc.**
Elizabeth City Area Networking Entrepreneurs Mr. and Mrs. Vidal and Georgene Falcon** Mr. and Mrs. Albert † and Conna Gesler Mr. and Mrs. Charles Hardy Mr. and Mrs. Dan and Pat Hardy Ms. Robin Harris Mr. and Mrs. William and Jane Harris Mr. and Mrs. James and Linda Harris Hornthal, Riley, Ellis and Maland, L.L.P. Dr. and Mrs. Alex and Sally Kehayes Kenyon Bailey Supply, Inc.** Mr. and Mrs. Charles and Ruth Lacefield Mr. Michael Lopes Mann Custom Boats, Inc. Mrs. Lisa McVey*
Mr. and Mrs. Aaron and Valerie Mueller Outer Banks Family YMCA** Outer Banks Woman’s Club Mr. and Mrs. Frank and Beverly Palm Dr. and Mrs. Joseph and Carolyn Peel* Mr. and Mrs. Dickinson B. Phillips Mr. and Mrs. Fred and Jan Riley River City Fraternal Order of Police SAGA Construction and Development Ms. Marian Stokes** Mr. and Mrs. Taylor and Nancy Sugg Mr. and Mrs. Tim and Claudia Sweeney Thompson & Pureza, P.A.** Todd’s Pharmacy
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Mr. and Mrs. Nelson and Elizabeth White Donna H. Winborne, CPA, P.C. Wolf’s Den Taxidermy** Mr. and Mrs. Fred and Lisa Womble
CONTRIBUTOR Up To $249
COA Student Theater (COAST) Players performed the musical “Oliver!” as part of the the Performing Arts Center’s 2015-2016 season.
Mr. and Mrs. Francis and Patricia Toolen Total Wine** Trio Wine** Village Realty** Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher and Linda Willey Mr. and Mrs. David and Holly Wright
FRIEND
$250 - $499
Mr. and Mrs. Bobby and Carol Adams Barefoot Wood Work** Mr. and Mrs. Joshua and Monica Bass Mrs. Phyllis Bosomworth** Mr. and Mrs. Kevin and Wendy Brickhouse Mr. and Mrs. Roger and Caroline Bright Commander and Mrs. Bruce and Vonda Brown Mr. David Buchanan and Ms. Meg Dawes
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Mr. and Mrs. James and Jessica Bursenos* The Carolina Club** Mr. Billy Caudle** Mr. and Mrs. Philip and Kathy Donahue Eclectic Jewelry Designs** Mr. and Mrs. Hood and Anne Ellis Mr. and Mrs. Daniel and Rhonda Gregory Ms. Sarah Hair** Ms. Kelli Harmon Mr. and Mrs. Justin and Jenna Hatfield Hilton Garden Inn** IBM International Foundation Mr. Joseph Inqui and Mrs. Bren O’Sullivan Jewelry By Gail** Mr. and Mrs. Jason and Allison Jones Kilmarlic Golf Club** Mr. and Mrs. Sean and Allison Lavin Mr. and Mrs. John and Lee Leidy
Mr. and Mrs. Jack and Peggi Leonard Ms. Elizabeth Long Mr. and Mrs. James Mason Mr. William H. Morgan, Jr.** Jim Perry and Company Pfizer Foundation Photography by Jill** The Pointe Golf Club** Mr. and Mrs. Charles and Carole Purser Ramada Plaza** Mr. Jim Raper** R. O. Givens Signs, Inc. Mr. Dean Roughton The Honorable and Mrs. Herbert and Annette Small Ms. Angela Smith Mr. and Mrs. Dennis and Deanne Smith Smith and Sons Farms** Dr. and Mrs. Dwayne and Kathy Stallings Mr. Tony Stimatz Mr. and Mrs. C. Everett and Dru Thompson Mr. and Mrs. Frank and Audrey Wal
309 Bistro and Spirits** Mr. and Mrs. Tye and Sherry Adams Albemarle Area United Way Arts of the Albemarle** Always ‘n’ Bloom** Ambrose Furniture, Inc. Mr. Kevin Argo Ms. Louise Artman Mr. and Mrs. Steve and Joan Atkinson Avon by Christa** Ms. Jean Baker Mr. and Mrs. Proctor and Nancy Baker Ms. Kay Barefoot Mr. and Mrs. Stephen and Carolyn Basnight Basnight’s Lone Cedar** Beach Bums** Belk** Ms. Janet L. Benton Mr. and Mrs. Maurice and Faye Berry Ms. Gail Bey Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Binns Mr. and Mrs. Richard and Patricia Bittner Blount’s Mutual Drugs, Inc.** Ms. Amelia Y. Bond Ms. Susanna Lorraine Bousson Dr. Karl Brandspigel and Dr. Nita Coleman Ms. Karen J. Brandt Mr. and Mrs. Brian and Lynn Braymiller Brew-Thru Brew 2 Rescue Cafe Mrs. Vivian Bridgers Mrs. Maureen Brinson Mr. Michael Brisson Mr. and Mrs. Charles and Mariola Brohawn Mr. and Mrs. Kelvin and Sharon Brown
Ms. Donna M. Brown Ms. Janice P. Bryant Bryon’s Hot Dog Stand** Mr. and Mrs. John and Lynn Bulman** Mr. and Mrs. Bryan and Kate Bunn Mr. and Mrs. Robert and Susan Burgess Dr. Travis Burke Byrum Gift Shop** Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas and Linda Calabro Calvio Nails** Captain Bob’s Restaurant** Mr. and Mrs. James and Monica Carawan Carolina Services, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey and Melanie Carter Mr. William Carter Mr. and Mrs. John and Katherine Caveney Mr. and Mrs. William and Sharon Chappell Mr. and Mrs. Roger and Teresa Cheeks A.R. Chesson** Cheveux Salon and Spa** Christian Book Seller** Ms. Cathy Clair Ms. Tina Clancy** Ms. Lori Clark Mr. Kenneth Clark Coastal Accents** Mr. and Mrs. Cobb Corner Market Auctions Ms. Susan B. Cox Ms. Debra Crehan Ms. Dawn Cressman Mr. and Mrs. Tom and Valerie Cummings Mr. and Mrs. Henry and Nancy Cuningham Ms. Margene O. Curtice Cypress Creek Grill** Ms. Maggie Daidone Mr. and Mrs. Rufus and Andrea Dance Mrs. Melissa Davenport Mr. and Mrs. Don and Mechele Davis Mr. and Mrs. Richard and Phyllis Davis Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. Mr. Patrick Detwiler* Mr. Matthew Dixon Ms. Terri D. Dixon
Dockside Day Spa** Downtown Cafe and Soda Shoppe** Edenton Bay Trading Company** Edenton Coffee House** Edenton Farmers Market** Edenton Historical Commission** Elizabethan Gardens** Ms. Hazel Elliott Mr. and Mrs. James and Angela Ermi Mr. and Mrs. Henry and Joan Ernst Ms. Amanda J. Everett Mr. and Mrs. Tom and Sara Ewen Ms. Kathryn Fagan Famous Franks** Ms. Trudee Farley Mr. and Mrs. Archer and Janet Farmer Mr. and Mrs. Raymond and Nancy Farmer Ms. Pamela Federline Dr. Evan Fiedler Firehouse Subs** Mr. Brian FitzSimons Mr. and Mrs. Danny and Wanda Fletcher Ms. Heather Forbes** Mr. Paul Foreman** The Framery** Ms. Jennifer J. Frost Ms. Stella B. Gallop Mrs. Susan Gentry Mr. and Mrs. James and Kathy Gibbons Dr. and Mrs. Michael and Mary Gilbert Mr. and Mrs. Edwin and Karen Gilbert Mrs. Renee Gladden Mr. and Mrs. Raymond and Teresa Godfrey Gordon Biersch** Mr. and Mrs. David and Diane Goss Drs. Wesley and Rachel Gragson Mr. and Mrs. Russell and Lisa Gregor Mr. and Mrs. Tim and Joanne Gregory Dr. and Mrs. Lloyd and Mary Griffin Ms. Carlton G. Griffin
“Being a COA student has provided me the
opportunity to grow and the
college faculty have assisted me so that I will reach the goals I’ve set for myself. COA isn’t just focused on its own but it’s focused on serving the local communities as well.” Jackson Osebreh
Associate Degree Nursing Student
At COA, students enjoyed the heathy competition of intramural sports ranging from basketball and flag football to weight lifting and volleyball.
Mr. and Mrs. Michael and Denise Hall Ms. Mandi Hamel Hardy Moving and Storage Ms. Janie Harrell Mr. Robert Harrell Ms. Elizabeth Harrington Mr. Randolph Harris Mr. and Mrs. Wayne and Kathy Harris Mrs. Shirley Harris Mr. and Mrs. George C. Haskett Mr. Thomas Erie Haste, Jr. Ms. Susan Hayhurst Mr. and Mrs. Ronnie and Nancy Heiniger Mr. and Mrs. Edouard and Christine Henninger Mr. David Henthorne Mr. and Mrs. David and Kelly Herr Mr. and Mrs. Robert Heyl Mr. and Mrs. William and Patricia Hoggard Ms. Ann Hollowell Dr. and Mrs. Walter and Barbara Holton Honey & Hive** Mr. and Mrs. L. P. Hornthal, Jr. Mr. Thomas R. Hoskins Mr. and Mrs. Lennie L. Hughes Dr. and Mrs. Kurt and Bobbi Hunsberger I-Max Security** In Stitches** Islander Flags** Mr. Wade Ivey Ms. Rena R. Jackson Mr. and Mrs. George and Blair Jackson Mrs. Lynn Jennings Mr. and Mrs. Karl and Carol Jennings Ms. Sara Johns Mr. and Mrs. J.W. and Nan Johnson Mrs. Martha Johnson Mr. and Mrs. David and Beatrice Johnson Mr. and Mrs. Donald and Virginia Johnson Miss Kayla Johnston The Jolly Roger**
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Mr. and Mrs. James and Leah Jones Dr. Stacey F. Jones Mr. and Mrs. Carl and Leah Jonson Josephine’s Sicilian Kitchen** Mr. and Mrs. Donald and Sherry Jordan JoVon Fashions** Jus’ Teazin’ Salon** Kathy’s Kreations** Kellogg Supply** Mr. and Mrs. Brewster and Barbara King Mrs. Kiesha Knight Mr. and Mrs. Ernest and Anne-Marie Knighton Mr. Kerry Krauss Kristy’s Place Mr. and Mrs. Reinhard and Linda Kruegel Mr. Joseph T. Lamb, III Dr. W. Roger Lambertson Mr. and Mrs. John and Dorothy Larson Ms. Norma Laughmiller Mrs. Jan Lauten Mrs. Lois Lavery Ms. Dee Lewis Ms. Leslie Lippincott Lowes** Mr. and Mrs. Robert and Pamela Lowney Mr. and Mrs. Sean and Lindsey Lynam Mr. Charles Malieswski Ms. Hope Malott** Manuli Internal Medicine** Mr. Paul Martin** Ms. Mary Ann Mason** Mr. Andy Mason** Ms. Cynthia Nixon Mastro Mr. John V. Matthews, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Richard and Patricia McCall Mr. and Mrs. Joe and Kathleen McCaslin Mr. Peter McDermott Mr. and Mrs. Kevin and Lucille McGrath Mr. and Mrs. James and Anne McKell Mrs. Lisa Williams Meads Mr. and Mrs. Charles B. Meads, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Raymond and Bettye Meiggs Merle Norman**
Mr. and Mrs. John and Ginette Mitchener Mr. and Mrs. Frank and Dorothy Mizak MMT Printers, Inc. Montero’s Restaurant** Ms. Laura Morrison Mr. and Mrs. Dave and Vicki Moulson Muddy’s Coffee Shop** Mrs. Barbara K. Mueller Mr. and Mrs. Muir Mr. and Mrs. Edward and Joanne Muzzulin Mr. Ken Myers Ms. Brenda Newbern Ms. Dana Newton Mr. and Mrs. Fred and Lynne Nichterlein Nixon’s Family Restaurant** Norman Young Tire** Mr. and Mrs. James and Frances Norrell North Carolina Aquarium** Nygaard Fine Jewelry** Ms. Myrtle Faye Oliver Mr. and Mrs. Richard and Gayle Olson Ms. Jerilyn Oltman Mr. and Mrs. Paul and Sharon O’Neal Mrs. Ginger O’Neal O’Reilly Auto Parts** Page After Page** Party and Equipment Rental Mr. and Mrs. Wayne and Lorraine Payne Mr. John Peel** Mrs. Jennifer Perez Mr. Cecil Perry Mr. and Mrs. Christopher and Brianne Perry Mr. and Mrs. Jay and Patti Peterson Mr. and Mrs. Fredric and Elaine Pfaff Mr. Jason Phelps Ms. Shirley H. Phelps Mr. and Mrs. Norman and Tamera Phillips Pineapple Cafe** The Pines** Pitt Road Express Lube** Ms. Michelle Portoukalian Mr. and Mrs. John and Barbara Purcell Mr. and Mrs. David and Pam Pureza
Mr. Bill Rea Red Drum Taphouse** Dr. and Mrs. Robert and Amelia Reiheld Ms. Laura Rhodes Mr. and Mrs. J.B. Riddick Ms. Courtney Riddick Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth and Shirley Ries Mr. and Mrs. David and Sandra Rigby Roanoke Island Historical Foundation** Ms. Annette Roberson Dr. and Mrs. Denauvo and Jan Robinson Mr. Eric Robisch Mr. and Mrs. Dennis E. Robinson Rocky Hock Playhouse** Mrs. Laura Rollinson Ms. Elizabeth Rondone Rooster’s Southern Kitchen** Mr. and Mrs. William and Linda Ross Mr. and Mrs. Rodger and Jane Rossman Mrs. Jessica Roughton Mr. and Mrs. Eugene and Dawn Rountree Mr. and Mrs. Jesse and Veronica Rountree Mrs. Kirbie Rovolis Mr. and Mrs. Charles and Paula Saje Sanctuary Vineyards** Ms. Sudie Sawyer Saunders Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth and Lorraine Saunders Ms. Phyllis H. Sawyer Mr. and Mrs. Earl and Margie Sawyer Mr. and Mrs. Nathan and Mariah Schierer Mr. and Mrs. Mark and Christine Sclafani Mr. Mathew Scribner Mr. and Mrs. Christopher and Kathy Seawell Serenity Art Studio** Mr. and Mrs. Ed and Renee Shannon Shay Leslie Boutique** Shear Classics-V** Shear Pleasure Hair Styling Salon**
A splendid time was had by all at the COA Foundation’s first fundraising gala held on the Outer Banks in April 2016. With support and assistance from local Dare businesses and residents, the event allowed Foundation staff and board members the opportunity to talk with local residents who may not have known much about the college. Held at the Hilton Garden Inn, gala guests enjoyed dinner and drinks, dancing to live music, and great live and silent auctions.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert and Linda Shelton Shoppes on Broad** Sidney’s Cafe & Bistro** The Silly Monkey** Ms. Alice Bridge Silver The Silver Fox of Hertford** Mr. and Mrs. Francis and Margaret Simonds Mr. Kermit Skinner, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Warren and Russlyn Smith Mr. and Mrs. David and Alice Smith Sound Feet Shoes** The Spa at Waterloo** The Space in Between Yoga Studio** Ms. Brenda Spruill Mr. and Mrs. Key and Clara Stage Ms. Edla Stevens Ms. Chrissy Stocks** Mr. Marvin Stokely Ms. Georgia K. Swayne Tankini Salon** Mr. and Mrs. Gary and Virginia Teachey Ms. Sandra K. Thigpen Mr. and Mrs. Alfred and Susan Thompson Ms. Linda Thornton Mr. and Mrs. Arthur and Pam Tillett Mrs. Penny R. Tillett Tractor Supply** True Images Salon** Mr. and Mrs. Joseph and Ayako Turner Mr. and Mrs. Russell and Rosabelle Twiford Mr. and Mrs. Graham and Gloria Twine TW’s Bait and Tackle** Upscale Furniture Resales** Dr. and Mrs. John and Gwen Van Duyn Mr. and Mrs. Arie and Celia Vandermeulen Vaughan’s Fine Jewelry & Gifts, Inc.** Ms. Muffy Vestal Ms. Mary K. Vidaurri Vitality Massage** Ms. Rebecca Walker Dr. Andrew Walser Mr. and Mrs. Derek and Michelle Waters
Waterman’s Grill** Dr. and Mrs. James and Judith Watson Mr. and Mrs. Norman and Rhonda Watts Mr. and Mrs. Eric and Anne Weil Weeping Radish Farm Brewery** Mr. and Mrs. John M. Wells Mr. and Mrs. Gerald and Sara White Ms. Elouise White Ms. Alicia Renae White Mr. and Mrs. Wayman and Simona White Ms. Lois Holley White Ms. Kay White Mr. Glenn E. White White’s Dress Shoppe** Mr. and Mrs. William and Helen Wilcox Dr. and Mr. Grace and Thomas Wilson Mr. and Mrs. Joseph and Sandy Winslow Mr. and Mrs. L. C. Winslow, Jr. Mrs. Etta Winslow Mr. and Mrs. Edward and Jewel Winslow Ms. Patricia Winter Dr. Timothy Witwer** Woodard’s Pharmacy, Inc.** Mr. Fred Yates Mr. and Mrs. Skip and Robin Zinsmeister
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C A M D E N
•
C H OWA N
Dare County Campus 132 Russell Twiford Road 205 S Business Highway 64/264 Manteo, NC 27954 252-473-2264
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C U R R I T U C K
•
DA R E
Edenton-Chowan Campus 800 North Oakum Street Edenton, NC 27932 252-482-7900
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G AT E S
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PA S Q U OTA N K
Elizabeth City Campus 1208 North Road Street Elizabeth City, NC 27909 252-335-0821
www.albemarle.edu
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P E R Q U I M A N S
Regional Aviation and Technical Training Center 107 College Way Barco, NC 27917 252-453-3035