Nov 23, 2021 BOS Special Meeting 11-23-21

[00:02:04]

PUT YOUR MIC DOWN THERE.

[II. 2:00 PM, Call to Order]

WE'LL CALL TO ORDER THE NOVEMBER 23RD, 2021 SPECIAL MEETING OF THE HOUSTON COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.

AND WE'LL START IN LIKE WE DO ALL MEETINGS WITH THE INVOCATION THIS TIME, UH, LED BY SUPERVISOR NEIL SPOON HOUR.

AND THEN, UH, MR. PETERSON WILL LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE AND THEN WE'LL ROLL RIGHT INTO WHAT SHOULD BE A PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD, SHORT MEETING.

BUT THANK YOU.

THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR ATTENDING.

AND PLEASE STAND AS APRIL.

[III. Invocation: Supervisor Neil Spoonhower]

WE JUST COME TO YOU SPECIFICALLY THIS WEEK IN A WEEK OF, THANKS GOD.

WE HAVE SO MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR SAFETY OR HEALTH, THIS WONDERFUL COMMUNITY THAT WE SERVE.

GOD HELP EACH OF US UP HERE TO REMEMBER THAT WE DON'T DESERVE THESE ROLES.

THESE ROLES HAVE BEEN TRUSTED TO US BY OUR CITIZENS AND BY YOU AND HELP US TO HONOR YOU THROUGH THE DECISIONS AND THE WORK THAT WE DO FOR OUR CITIZENS.

AND FOR YOU, IT'S IN YOUR SON'S NAME.

WE PRAY.

AMEN.

I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE JUSTICE FOR ALL.

THANK YOU, GENTLEMEN.

UM, THERE'S A BRIEF SPOT ON THE AGENDA FOR CHAIR'S COMMENTS.

AND THE ONLY COMMENT I HAVE IS WE'RE GOING TO MOVE IN THE NEW BUSINESS.

[V. Chair's Comments]

SO, UH, MR. ALVAREZ, I THINK YOU HAVE SOME BRIEF CHAIR YET.

MR. CHAIRMAN, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO REMIND EVERYBODY AND INVITE THEM TO ATTEND.

SORRY.

I'D LIKE TO INVITE EVERYBODY TO ATTEND THE, I SPEAK LOUD ENOUGH.

UM, THE, UH, COUNTY HOLIDAY CELEBRATION AND CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING ON DECEMBER 3RD AT 6:30 PM.

RIGHT NEXT DOOR HERE, FAIRGROUND GROUND 5 22.

UH, THAT'S ALWAYS A FUN EVENT.

THERE'LL BE ACTIVITIES FOR THE KIDS, THE TREE LIGHTING MUSIC, YOU NAME IT SMORES.

SO COME ON DOWN.

ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU, MR. .

THANK YOU, MR. ALVAREZ.

OKAY, WE GO AHEAD AND LEAD US IN THE CONSENT AGENDA.

WE HAVE TWO ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, I GUESS, GIVE US A BRIEF REVIEW AND WE'LL FEEL FIELD ANY QUESTIONS.

YEP.

MR. CHAIRMAN, YOU'VE SEEN THESE, BUT THE FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS,

[VII. Consent Agenda]

[1. 5216: Authorization for County Administrator to execute a Memorandum of]

[00:05:01]

UM, AND THEN THE SECOND ITEM IS A RESOLUTION AMENDING THE FISCAL YEAR 2022,

[2. 5195: Resolution amending the Fiscal Year 2022 Goochland County Budget by]

UH, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THOSE ITEMS, WE HAVE THE FOLKS IN THE ROOM TO ANSWER.

YEP.

OKAY.

AND SO MS. GO AHEAD.

GO AHEAD.

YES.

DID YOU HAVE A GENERAL COMMENT WHERE HE THREATENED? YES.

OKAY.

ALL RIGHT.

SO THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.

UM, CAN YOU SPLIT OUT THE 220,000? UH, JUST CURIOUS, UH, HOW MUCH THE, UM, WE JUST REDISTRICTING WE'RE PUTTING ASIDE FOR THAT, UH, IN THE DETAILS, UM, WHICH I'M NOT SURE IF THEY'RE IN THE POCKET 20, 25,000 PATIENT NINE.

OKAY.

UH, $25,000 FOR, UH, MAILINGS AND, UM, YES, AND THE WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT AND SO ON FOR THE REDISTRICTING.

OKAY, GREAT.

OKAY.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

ANY, ANYTHING ELSE IN THE CONSENT AGENDA AND MR. HOPPER, AS YOU SAID, UM, YOU SAID THAT WE'RE STEPPING UP TO HELP CUMBERLAND CUMBERLAND, BUT I BELIEVE OTHER JURISDICTIONS IN THE, IN THE AREA ALSO PROVIDES WHERE WE'RE PROVIDING THE LEADERSHIP, UH, MY UNDERSTANDING AND THEN, UH, BUT THE OTHER LOCALITIES ARE ALL HELPING WITH THE, WITH THE DAY-TO-DAY WORK.

DO YOU WANT TO GO, MR. AND MR. FISHER, WHY DON'T YOU COME ON UP? I THINK, I THINK THE KC EITHER ONE.

YEAH, WE, WE APPRECIATE Y'ALL STEPPING UP AND MAYBE IT'D BE NICE TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT IT AND GOOD AFTERNOON, I'M GARY FISCHER BUILDING OFFICIAL KC THAT'LL FILL DEBBIE BUILDING OFFICIAL.

UM, YES, THEY'RE BUILDING OFFICIAL DIED TWO WEEKS AGO UNEXPECTEDLY AND, UM, I'M, I'M CHAIRMAN OF THE REGION OF VIRGINIA, UH, CODE OFFICIALS, UH, ASSOCIATION, UH, WHICH OF WHICH HE WAS A VERY ACTIVE MEMBER OF, AND IT INCLUDES MOST OF THE CENTRAL VIRGINIA COUNTIES.

UM, AND, UM, I TOOK IT UPON MYSELF AS THE CHAIRMAN OF THAT TO SEE THAT SOME OF THEIR SURROUNDING COUNTIES, UH, COULD STEP UP AND HELP THEM.

UH, IT'S A TWO, IT'S A TWO PERSON SHOP.

THEY HAVE A PERMIT TECH AND THE BUILDING OFFICIAL, THAT'S IT.

UM, SO, UH, THAT MORPHED INTO, UM, NEEDING SOMEONE REALLY TO KIND OF COORDINATE THE EFFORT.

SO AGAIN, I STEPPED UP WITH THAT AND WE DO HAVE, UM, PRINCE EDWARD, THE BUILDING FISHER FROM PRINCE EDWARD AND THE BUILDING OFFICIAL FROM BUCKINGHAM ARE CURRENTLY GOING INSPECTIONS FOR THEM.

UM, SO THAT THEY'RE GETTING THEIR INSPECTIONS DONE.

UM, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE ANYONE LEGALLY TO SIGN PAPERWORK FOR THE PERMITS, UH, ANY APPROVALS, ANY NOTICES OF VIOLATIONS, UH, ANYTHING LIKE THAT, ANY INTERPRETATIONS, ANYTHING LIKE THAT, THEY DON'T HAVE ANYONE TO DO THAT ADMINISTRATIVE AND BY, BY CODE, THEY NEED TO HAVE SOMEBODY, UH, TO DO THAT.

SO IT WASN'T ANYONE IN THEIR OWN SHOP THAT COULD DO IT, THAT WAS QUALIFIED.

UM, SO, UH, THAT KIND OF LED US TO, UH, EXTEND A COURTESY TO THEM FOR A LIMITED TIME TO, UH, OFFER CASEY AS THE INTERIM BUILDING OFFICIAL TO MOSTLY HELP WITH THEIR ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES.

UH, WE, WE FEEL LIKE WE'VE GOT A GOOD GRASP OF THE INSPECTIONS, UH, WITH SOME OF THE NEIGHBORING COUNTIES EMPOWER TAN IS, UH, WHO IS NOT IN OUR REGION, BUT POWER TAN BUILDING OFFICIALS OFFERED TO COME OVER AND HELP TO, UH, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE SHORT STAFFED.

UM, SO PRIMARILY CASEY WILL BE DOING, UM, A LOT OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE STUFF, STUFF THAT NEEDS TO BE SIGNED.

UM, A PLAN REVIEWS OCCASIONALLY, UH, THEY HAVE A VERY GOOD PERSON DOWN THERE.

UH, RIGHT NOW THAT'S VERY, UH, UM, BEEN VERY, VERY HELPFUL.

SO, UM, THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE ARE.

WE, WE, UH, WENT DOWN THERE LAST NIGHT, UH, YESTERDAY AFTERNOON, UH, AND THEIR BOARD VOTED, UM, UNANIMOUSLY TO APPROVE THAT MOA LAST NIGHT, UM, AND KIND OF, KIND OF A FEEL FOR THE SITUATION.

UM, THEY ARE A LOT SMALLER THAN WE ARE, EVEN THOUGH THE POPULATION WISE.

I MEAN, THEY'RE ABOUT 10,000.

UM, THEY DON'T HAVE ANYWHERE NEAR THE WORKLOAD.

WE HAVE, THEY'RE GOING TO BE PROVIDING THE, YOU KNOW, THE CAR, THE, THE COMPUTER, THE, THE OFFICE SPACE AND SO ON AT NO EXPENSE TO US, OBVIOUSLY.

UM, SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE ARE.

UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.

UM, WE ARE STILL PLAYING AROUND WITH ABOUT HOW MUCH TIME THAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE, UH, OUT OF CASEY'S DAY.

UM, BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO INVOLVE ANY OF OUR INSPECTION STAFF.

SO

[00:10:01]

UM, IF CASEY CAN'T HANDLE SOMETHING AND I, I WILL, WE'LL BACK HIM UP.

AND THEN IF WE RUN INTO INSPECTION PROBLEMS, UH, I HAVE CONTACTS WITH ALL THE NEIGHBORING JURISDICTIONS TO, UH, HELP STEP UP AND DO INSPECTIONS.

SO, UM, PRIMARY AND FOREMOST IS WE DON'T WANT TO SEE THE CITIZENS OF GOOCHLAND COUNTY SEEN ANY DIFFERENCE IN OUR SERVICES PERIOD.

UH, THERE'S NOT GONNA BE ANY CHANGE IF THERE'S ANYTHING WE CAN DO ABOUT IT TO HELP THAT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO NOTICE ANY CHANGE.

UM, AND WE JUST THOUGHT IT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO, EVEN THOUGH WE ARE BUSY.

UM, AND, UH, AGAIN, IT, IT, IT, IT'S SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S A NEIGHBORING COUNTY, SO WE JUST FELT LIKE WE NEEDED TO HELP OUT.

I DON'T KNOW IF CASEY HAS ANYTHING TO SAY, OR IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR EITHER ONE OF US, THE BUILDING OFFICIAL FROM COLEPEPPER, UH, AS WELL AS I HAVE MRO OFFERED UP STAFF TO BE ABLE TO HELP US WELL, THAT'S THE GENTLEMAN PASSED AWAY, WAS WELL KNOWN IN THE LOCAL REGION OF BUILDING CODE OFFICIALS AND WAS CONSTANTLY AT MEETINGS AND TRAININGS.

AND GARY SAID, THIS IS THE STAFF THAT THEY HAD DONE THERE.

THE ONE PERSON SHE'S ON THE BALL, SHE'S ON HER A GAME, AND SHE'S VERY WELL ORGANIZED AND DETAILED AND HAS LAID EVERYTHING OUT FOR US.

SO AS FAR AS HOURS, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE AS BAD AS IT COULD BE.

IT'S NOT GOING TO BE 40 HOURS A WEEK.

IT'S NOT GOING TO BE 20.

IT'S NOT GOING TO BE WE'RE, WE'RE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE THAT OUT, BUT LOW NUMBERS AT THIS POINT.

AND GARY AND I, WHEN WE, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS AND, AND, AND WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT YOU WOULD GIVE US YOUR SUPPORT KNEW THERE WOULD BE SOME EXTRA HOURS ON EACH OF OUR PARTS TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN, BUT IT WAS, GARY SAID, IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO.

THANK YOU.

WELL, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, MR. FISHER AND MR. COLEFIELD, WHERE WE'RE, UM, PROUD AND GRATEFUL THAT Y'ALL ARE STEPPING UP AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. CHAIRMAN.

I DID FORGET ON THE SECOND ITEM ON THE REST, ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.

THE FINANCE COMMITTEE VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO APPROVE THE SECRETARY RECOMMENDED A SECOND ITEM FOR APPROVAL THE BOARD.

OKAY.

SO WE HAVE THE FINANCE AND AUDIT COMMITTEES APPROVAL AS WE CONSIDER THIS OURSELVES.

SO, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THE TWO CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS QUESTION? ALL RIGHT, IS THAT YOU HAVE IT UP FOR EMOTION, MR. CHAIR, I MOVE THAT.

WE ACCEPT THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED.

THANK YOU, MR. SHARP.

THANK YOU, MISS LAST CLIP.

OKAY.

ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.

AYE.

ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU.

IT'S UNANIMOUS.

UM, WE WILL MOVE INTO NEW BUSINESS AND, UH, MR. GARBER FROM PB MAYOR'S

[VIII. New Business]

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'M SAYING, BUT MR. CHAIRMAN MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON.

AND THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME JUST A COUPLE MINUTES TO PRESENT THE AUDIT REPORT TO YOU.

UM, AND, AND, UH, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS OR OBSERVATIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.

UM, AND, AND

[2. 5209: Presentation of the Fiscal Year 2021 Comprehensive Annual Financial]

UH, THANK YOU FOR MOVING ME UP TO NUMBER ONE.

SO I COULD DO MY TWO MINUTES AND NOT HOLD ANYONE ELSE UP.

SO I APPRECIATE THAT.

AND THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT.

UH, I DID MEET WITH THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE.

UM, WE HAD SOME GREAT DISCUSSION, UM, NOT JUST ABOUT THE AUDIT, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE ITEMS AND NUMBERS, SOME OF THE VRS ITEMS AND OPEB AND, AND JUST THE NEW STANDARDS THAT ARE UPCOMING AND STANDARDS THAT WE'VE ADOPTED.

AND SO I THOUGHT IT WAS A GREAT DISCUSSION, UM, THAT WE HAD STARTING AT 1230 THIS AFTERNOON, AND JUST SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS FROM THAT, YOU KNOW, THE AUDIT REPORT AND THE OPINIONS THAT WE RENDER, UM, IS AN UNMODIFIED REPORT.

SO IT'S A CLEAN OPINION.

THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.

UM, WE WERE ABLE TO ALSO FINISH THE, THE SINGLE AUDIT WORK THIS YEAR.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU REMEMBER, BUT LAST YEAR WITH THE NEW CARES ACT MONEY AND THINGS THAT CAME THROUGH, UM, THE MONEY CAME EARLY AND THEN THE RULES AND REGULATIONS CAME LATER AND WE WEREN'T ABLE TO, TO FINISH OUR AUDIT INTO SINGLE AUDIT WORK.

UM, WHEN WE PRESENTED LAST YEAR AND WE HAD TO DO THAT SEPARATELY, BUT THIS YEAR WE'RE ABLE TO GET BACK ON TRACK.

UM, AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO ISSUE OUR OPINION ON INTERNAL CONTROL AND COMPLIANCE.

IT'S CLEAN AS WELL, AS WELL AS OUR OPINION ON THE FEDERAL DOLLARS.

UM, WE HAD NO FINDINGS THERE AS WELL.

UM, SO THAT THAT'S, THAT'S ALL GREAT NEWS.

UM, WE DID NOT HAVE ANY, UH, ITEMS THAT WE THOUGHT WE NEEDED TO BRING TO THE FINANCE AND AUDIT COMMITTEE'S ATTENTION AS FAR AS CORRECTIONS ERRORS, ANYTHING OF THAT NATURE, THE AUDIT WENT EXTREMELY WELL AGAIN THIS YEAR.

UM, WE WERE ABLE TO PERFORM OUR DUTIES ON SITE, UM, EVEN IN THE MIDST OF COVID, AS IT CONTINUES, WE WERE ABLE TO SAFELY DISTANCE OURSELVES WITH OUR TEAM AND YOUR STAFF, AND TO BE ABLE TO COMPLETE THE AUDIT ON TIME.

SO, UM, WE CERTAINLY WORKING WITH, WITH YOUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT, APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THEY DO TO MAKE THIS AUDIT GO SMOOTHLY FOR US.

UM, ALL OUR QUESTIONS WERE ANSWERED, OBSERVATIONS, ANYTHING

[00:15:01]

SO WITH THAT, I DON'T HAVE MUCH ELSE TO GO OVER.

I'M NOT GOING TO GO.

UM, AS I SAID TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, IT'S 174 PAGE DOCUMENT.

I'M NOT GOING TO FLIP THROUGH IT PAGE BY PAGE.

UM, BUT, UH, IF YOU, AND I KNOW THAT YOU HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO, TO SEE THIS AND DIGEST IT, UH, WE JUST WERE ABLE TO GET IT BOUND YESTERDAY AND, AND FINALIZE THE DOCUMENT.

UM, BUT I KNOW YOU'LL TAKE SOME TIME TO GO THROUGH THE DOCUMENT LATER ON.

UM, YOU KNOW, RIGHT BEFORE YOU TAKE YOUR NAP ON THANKSGIVING DAY, OPEN THIS UP, UM, IT'LL HELP.

AND, AND, UH, BUT IF YOU DO HAVE QUESTIONS OR ANYTHING THAT YOU WANT US TO ANSWER LATER ON, WE'RE HAPPY TO DO THAT.

COME BACK, EMAIL ME, CALL ME.

I'M ALWAYS AVAILABLE TO, UH, TO ADDRESS YOUR QUESTIONS.

SO WITH THAT, I WOULD ASK, UH, IF YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR, OR ANYTHING THAT I CAN ADDRESS MR. GARBER BOARD MEMBERS, ANY CHAIR FINANCE COMMITTEE HAS SOMETHING TO SAY, ALL RIGHT, MR. CHAIR, YOU GET ONE OF THOSE.

I'M JUST KIDDING.

UM, IT GOES BY A NEW NAME.

YES, I'M SORRY.

SO, UM, IN, IN THE LAST, UH, 40 50 YEARS, HOWEVER LONG WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN DOING THESE, IT WAS CALLED THE COMPREHENSIVE ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT.

UM, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS KHAFRE IS WHAT I'VE REFERRED TO IT, MY ENTIRE CAREER.

UM, WE, THE, THE, UH, GFS AND THE GOVERNMENTAL ACCOUNTING STANDARDS BOARD HAS LEARNED THAT THAT PRONUNCIATION OF THAT ACRONYM IS, IS, UH, OFFENSIVE TO A CERTAIN GROUP OF PEOPLE.

IT IS SPELLED COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN CAFR, UM, BUT IT IS PRONOUNCED THE SAME.

AND SO THERE IS A NEW TITLE GOING FORWARD AND IS NOW CALLED THE ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT.

SO WE THINK WE HAVE MADE THAT CORRECTION THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE DOCUMENT.

IT'S REFERRED TO NUMEROUS PLACES.

IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU PROBABLY WOULDN'T NOTICE ON YOUR OWN, JUST SWITCHING TO THE FIRST TWO WORDS, BUT, UM, THAT IS THE REASON FOR THE CHANGE.

AND IF YOU ARE LOOKING BACK AT LAST YEAR'S AND YOU LOOK AT THIS YEAR AND YOU GO, WELL, WAIT A MINUTE, SOMEBODY'S GOT THESE WORDS OUT OF PLACE.

NO, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S THE ORDER.

WE'LL HAVE THEM GOING FORWARD.

SO THANK YOU FOR, FOR ANSWERING.

YEAH.

YEAH.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT REPORT.

I APPRECIATE THAT.

AND, UM, THE CLEAN AUDIT, UH, WHICH USED TO BE CALLED UNQUALIFIED, BUT YOU ARE QUALIFIED TO SAY IT'S UNMODIFIED IT'S UNMODIFIED.

SO WE NOW HAVE AN UNMODIFIED REPORT, WHICH IS, AS YOU POINT OUT WHAT WE'RE SHOOTING FOR, WHICH IS A CLEAN AUDIT.

SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.

UM, BUT YOU DON'T GET TO A CLEAN AUDIT BY THE YEAR END, JUST TAKING A LOOK AND SEEING WHERE YOU ARE.

YOU GET THERE EVERY DAY, ALL YEAR LONG BY HAVING AN OPEN LINE OF COMMUNICATIONS.

AND I APPRECIATE YOUR FIRM BEING WILLING TO PICK UP THE PHONE WHEN OUR FOLKS CALL AND SAY, WE GOT ANOTHER GRANT OR ANOTHER STIMULUS MONEY OR ANOTHER SOMETHING THEY HAVEN'T POSTED RULES YET.

WHAT DO WE DO? HOW DO WE HANDLE THIS? IT'S THAT OPEN LINE OF COMMUNICATIONS ALL YEAR LONG AND THE BACK AND FORTH THAT, THAT GETS US TO THAT POINT.

IT'S NOT JUST A YEAR-END KIND OF SNAPSHOT.

SO THANK YOU FOR ALL THE EFFORTS YOU PUT IN ALONG THE WAY THAT THAT HELPED US GET THERE.

THANK YOU.

WE'RE WE'RE, WE'RE GLAD TO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS, UH, AS IT WAS, WE'VE ALWAYS SAID, ASK US QUESTIONS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

CAUSE IT MAKES, MAKES THE AUDIT AND IT MAKES THE YEAR END GO SO MUCH FASTER AND BETTER AND MORE EFFICIENT FOR EVERYONE.

YES.

THANK YOU, MR. THINK NOTHING ELSE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

GREAT.

THANK YOU ALL.

HAVE A GREAT THANKSGIVING.

THANK YOU.

YES.

DECEMBER 15TH IS THE NEW DAY.

WELL, CONGRATULATIONS ON THAT.

UH, I'VE I'M OFTEN ASKED, DO I GET NERVOUS WHEN MY ASSISTANT SAYS, UM, THE CHANCELLOR IS ON THE LINE FOR YOU AND THAT DOESN'T MAKE ME NERVOUS, BUT IF I GET THE CALL THAT INTERNAL AUDIT IS ON THE LINE FOR YOU, THAT'S THE THING THAT MAKES ME SWEAT.

SO, UH, CONGRATULATIONS ON A CLEAN REPORT.

I'M SO PLEASED TO BE WITH YOU, UH, HERE ON THIS ACTUAL BEAUTIFUL

[1. Presentation by Dr. Paula Pando, President, Reynolds Community College]

UM, AND THAT REALLY WILL INVOLVE MANY OF YOU MOVING FORWARD.

SO, UH, AS YOU KNOW, WE ARE ONE OF 23 COMMUNITY COLLEGES THAT MAKE UP THE VIRGINIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM.

WE ARE AMONG THE LARGEST ENROLLING ABOUT 13,000 STUDENTS A YEAR ACROSS FOUR CAMPUSES.

UM, REYNOLDS SERVES A RURAL, URBAN, SUBURBAN, UH, UH, PRIMARILY STUDENTS OF COLOR COMING FROM AND LOW-INCOME STUDENTS FROM ACROSS OUR REGION.

UM, AND, UH, VERY MUCH LIKE MOST COMMUNITY COLLEGES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

[00:20:01]

SO WE TAKE GREAT PRIDE IN THAT ROLE, IN THE HIGHER EDUCATION SPACE.

I WANT TO BEGIN BY RECOGNIZING AND THANKING, UH, OUR LOCAL COLLEGE BOARD MEMBER, DR.

STEVEN DYER WHO'S HERE TODAY.

UH, UH, DR.

GEIER IS A GREAT, UH, I WOULD SAY FRIEND OF THE COLLEGE, BUT MORE SO GREAT REPRESENTATIVE FOR GOOCHLAND, UH, TO THE COLLEGE.

UM, AND WE'VE, UH, WE'VE ENGAGED IN A LOT OF ACTIVITIES TO REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE NEEDS ARE.

AND I WOULD SAY DR.

GEIER PERHAPS MORE THAN MOST BOARD MEMBERS AND WE'VE GOT A PRETTY GREAT BOARD IS REALLY ATTUNED TO THE NEEDS OF THE REGION HE IS CHARGED REPRESENTING.

SO THANK YOU, STEVE, FOR, UH, YOUR GREAT WORK ON OUR BOARD, UM, UH, YOUR FRIENDSHIP AND YOUR ADVOCACY MEANS A GREAT DEAL TO ME.

SO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS LAST YEAR, UH, WHO HAVE WE ENROLLED SPECIFICALLY FROM GOOCHLAND COUNTY? WELL, THIRD 314 STUDENTS, UH, FROM GOOCHLAND COUNTY ARE ENROLLED AT THE COLLEGE.

11% OF THEM ARE FIRST-GENERATION.

THAT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE THAT NUMBER IS ACTUALLY GETTING SMALLER, WHICH MEANS GENERATIONALLY PEOPLE WHO HAVE GONE TO COLLEGE NOW, THEIR CHILD IS NOT THE FIRST TO GO TO COLLEGE.

SO THAT FIGURE IS CHANGING ACROSS THE BOARD FOR US, UH, IN THE CLASS OF 20 21 60 STUDENTS FROM GOOCHLAND COUNTY MADE UP, UH, OUR, OUR CLASS OF 2021, AS I SHARED WITH YOU, UH, WORKING WITH DR.

GEIER AND HIS TEAM AND GOOCHLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS THIS YEAR, UH, WE SIGNED AN AGREEMENT, UH, AS YOU KNOW, OUR EARLY OR ADVANCED COLLEGE ACADEMIES ENROLL STUDENTS WHO ARE ACHIEVING AN ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE, UH, A COUPLE OF WEEKS BEFORE THEY GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL, BUT WE'RE TAKING THAT A STEP FURTHER AND RESPONDING AGAIN TO A COMMUNITY NEED, AND THAT IS TEACHER SHORTAGES IN OUR REGION.

SO JUST, UH, IN SEPTEMBER, UH, WE SIGNED A NEW ARTICULATION AGREEMENT FOR, UH, AN ADVANCED COLLEGE ACADEMY IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION.

UH, AGAIN, STUDENTS WHO RESIDE HERE IN GOOCHLAND COUNTY ARE ATTENDING GOOCHLAND COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL, UH, AND THEY ARE ACHIEVING AN ASSOCIATES DEGREE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, TWO YEARS INTO A TEACHING DEGREE.

NOW HERE'S WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS, 85 PLUS PERCENT OF THEM, UM, STAY IN THE COMMUNITIES WHERE THEY RESIDE WHILE THEY'RE GOING TO COLLEGE.

SO THIS WILL BE A WONDERFUL PIPELINE FOR TEACHERS IN THE COMMUNITY WHERE WE KNOW RIGHT NOW, OUR TEACHERS ARE LEAVING.

OUR TEACHERS ARE RETIRING EARLY.

UH, COVID HAS CERTAINLY CHANGED THE GAME IN EDUCATION WHERE SOME PEOPLE HAVE JUST LEFT, UH, AND THE PIPELINE WAS NOT ROBUST TO BEGIN WITH.

SO WE'RE REALLY PLEASED, UH, THAT WE LAUNCHED THAT, UH, IN SEPTEMBER.

SO A NEW, UH, ADVANCED COLLEGE ACADEMY RIGHT HERE IN GOOCHLAND COUNTY TO PREPARE TEACHERS, UM, SPEAKING OF OUR ADVANCED COLLEGE ACADEMIES, UH, WE HAVE OVER NEARLY 300 STUDENTS ENROLLED IN DUAL ENROLLMENT IN AN ADVANCED COLLEGE ACADEMY.

AGAIN, THESE ARE STUDENTS WHO WILL GRADUATE WITH AN ASSOCIATES DEGREE A COUPLE OF WEEKS BEFORE THEY WALK ACROSS THE STAGE TO RECEIVE THEIR HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA.

AND WE HAVE NEARLY 150 GRADUATES NOW JUST FROM GOOCHLAND COUNTY IN THE ADVANCED COLLEGE ACADEMY, AGAIN, NEARLY 150 SINCE THE INCEPTION OF THE PROGRAM, UM, UH, HAD AN ASSOCIATES DEGREE BEFORE HIGH SCHOOL.

ONE THING I WOULD LOVE TO POINT OUT, AND I THINK THIS IS DUE IN LARGE PART, UM, TO DR.

RALEY'S LEADERSHIP AND HIS TEAM, UH, UNLIKE SOME OF THE OTHER COLLEGE ACADEMIES THAT CAN BE PERHAPS DESCRIBED AS VERY ELITE THAT ONLY THE TOP OF THE TOP OF THE TOP TIER, WHO WOULD DO WELL IF WE JUST GOT OUT OF THEIR WAY ONLY, THEY ARE PERMITTED.

AND I THINK IT'S REALLY, UM, UM, UH, SOMETHING TO SAY THAT IN GOOCHLAND COUNTY, THEY WANT TO OPEN UP THESE OPPORTUNITIES TO ALL OF THE STUDENTS WHO HAVE THE ABILITY TO BENEFIT AND PERHAPS WITH THE APPROPRIATE SUPPORTS CAN COMPLETE THE PROGRAM.

AND THAT IS UNIQUE, UH, IN, UH, IN OUR ADVANCED, UH, COLLEGE ACADEMY MODEL AND IT'S UNIQUE TO GOOCHLAND.

SO, UH, I JUST THINK THAT SPEAKS VOLUMES TO, UH, GOOCHLAND COUNTY SCHOOL LEADERSHIP, UH, AND ENSURING THAT EVERY STUDENT HAS A SHOT OF DOING SOMETHING EXCEPTIONAL.

SO, UH, BRAVO TO YOU AND YOUR, AND YOUR FANTASTIC TEAM, DR.

ELLIE, UH, I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU, UH, SOMETHING THAT YOU ALL KNOW COVID 19 REALLY DID LABOR.

WE KNEW THAT SOME PEOPLE WERE ON THE MARGINS.

WE KNEW THAT MANY OF OUR STUDENTS WERE ONE EMERGENCY AWAY FROM COMPLETE UNRAVELING OF THEIR SITUATION OF DROPPING OUT OF SCHOOL, ET CETERA.

WE DIDN'T KNOW HOW BAD IT WAS UNTIL THE PANDEMIC

[00:25:01]

SO A LARGE PART OF OUR ENERGY OVER THE LAST, UH, YEAR AND A HALF HAS BEEN STRENGTHENING IN THOSE PROGRAMS AND SUPPORTS, UM, UM, PRIMARILY IN TERMS OF, UM, UH, FOOD, HOUSING, SECURITY, ET CETERA.

WE KNOW, UH, THROUGH PARTNERSHIP WITH TEMPLE UNIVERSITY, ABOUT 36% OF OUR STUDENTS ARE FOOD INSECURE AND FOOD INSECURE MEANS THAT THEY'RE BUDGETING MEALS LIKE, OKAY, I'M GONNA SKIP LUNCH TODAY SO THAT I CAN HAVE DINNER AND TOMORROW I'LL HAVE LUNCH, BUT I'LL SKIP DINNER.

SO THEY'RE BUDGETING FOR ABOUT 36% OF OUR STUDENTS.

UM, UH, TALK ABOUT FOOD INSECURITY.

SO WE'VE PARTNERED NOW WITH FEED MORE.

SO IN ADDITION TO THE STANDARD FOOD PANTRY THAT VIRTUALLY EVERY COLLEGE ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAS TODAY, UH, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH FEED MORE.

NOW WE'RE ABLE TO OFFER STUDENTS IN NEED, FRESH FRUITS, VEGETABLES, PROTEIN, HEALTHIER STUFF, THINGS THAT DOESN'T COME OUT OF A JAR.

IT COSTS THE COLLEGE $0.

THIS IS FULLY FUNDED BY FEED MORE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COLLEGE.

AGAIN, MAKING SURE STUDENTS HAVE WHAT THEY NEED, BECAUSE WE KNOW THEY CAN'T LEARN.

IF THEY'RE HUNGRY, THEY MIGHT BE HUNGRY TO LEARN, BUT THEY CAN'T LEARN IF THEY'RE HUNGRY.

UM, SO THAT PARTNERSHIP WITH FEED MORE WAS LAUNCHED THIS SUMMER.

UH, WE HAVE TRIPLED OUR FRONTLINE STAFF AND THAT'S NOT BEEN EXTRA DOLLARS THAT WE'VE BEEN AWARDED.

UH, WE, UH, TAKE VERY SERIOUSLY, UH, STEWARDSHIP OF PUBLIC DOLLARS, AND THAT HAS MEANT, UM, PRETTY SIGNIFICANT RESTRUCTURING AT THE TOP LE UH, LEVEL, UH, ELIMINATING SOME EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT I'VE I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE.

I DON'T KNOW A SINGLE STUDENT THAT SAID IT WAS EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT WHO REALLY HELPED ME FIND MY PATH AND STAY.

IT'S TYPICALLY AN ADVISOR.

IT'S TYPICALLY A FACULTY MEMBER.

AND SO WE HAVE MADE SOME TOUGH DECISIONS AT THE TOP TO LEAN OUT WHAT WAS A VERY HEAVY ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE AND PUT THOSE RESOURCES ON THE FRONT LINES WHERE WE KNOW OUR, OUR STUDENTS NEED THEM THE MOST.

UM, AND, AND WE'RE JUST, WE'RE, WE'RE THRILLED TO SEE THE, THE KINDS OF CONNECTIONS THAT ARE OCCURRING RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE WE HAVE THE PEOPLE THROUGH THE GENEROSITY OF OUR FOUNDATION.

UH, WE HAVE SET UP SOMETHING CALLED THE FINISH LINE ASSIST PROGRAM.

THINK OF THE STUDENT WHO IS ONE CLASS SHY OF GRADUATING AND FINANCIALLY TAPPED OUT FINANCIALLY TAPPED OUT.

WE JUST REFUSE TO ACCEPT THAT A STUDENT WHO'S IN GOOD ACADEMIC STANDING HAS ONE CLASS TO FINISH A DEGREE OR PROGRAM THAT'S GOING TO LEAD THEM TO MEANINGFUL WORK.

THAT THEY'RE JUST GOING TO BE WELL, SORRY.

WHEN, WHEN YOU FIND THE EXTRA $300, $400, THEN COME SEE US.

IT'S NOT LIKELY THEY EVER WILL.

AND SO OUR FOUNDATION THROUGH THEIR GENEROSITY, THEY'VE SET UP A FINISH LINE ASSIST PROGRAM WHERE A STUDENT RUNS INTO THAT SITUATION.

WHEN THEY'RE IN GOOD ACADEMIC STANDING, THEY'RE A COUPLE OF CREDITS SHY.

THEY JUST PAY THE BILL FOR THE LAST CLASS.

AND SO NOW WE'RE HELPING STUDENTS GET OVER THE FINISH LINE AND BECOME CONTRIBUTING MEMBERS, UH, CONTRIBUTING TO OUR TAX ROLLS, TRANSFERRING ONTO THEIR JUNIOR YEAR OR ENTERING THE WORKFORCE.

THAT'S THROUGH THE GENEROSITY OF OUR FOUNDATION.

AND WE'VE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SINGLE STOP BEFORE, UM, THINK OF SINGLE STOP AS THE AMAZON.COM OF BENEFITS THAT STUDENTS DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THEY QUALIFIED FOR.

AGAIN, THESE ARE NOT ADDITIONAL DOLLARS.

IT'S ARE NOT OPERATING DOLLARS, THEIR DOLLARS ALREADY THERE THAT ARE BEING LEFT ON THE TABLE.

THINK OF FAMILIES OF THREE OR FOUR, UH, THAT MIGHT BE, UM, UM, FOOD INSECURE.

THEY MIGHT NOT KNOW THAT THEY'RE ELIGIBLE FOR SNAP BENEFITS, AND THIS TOOL ALLOWS TO CONNECT THEM.

IT IS NOT OUR INTENTION TO HAVE PEOPLE BECOME, UH, DEPENDENT ON SOCIAL SERVICES.

IT IS OUR INTENTION TO REMOVE A BARRIER WHILE THEY'RE IN COLLEGE.

SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO RELY ON PUBLIC BENEFITS ANYMORE.

SO THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO GET THEM THROUGH THEIR PROGRAM SO THEY CAN EARN THE DEGREE AND GET TO WORK, UM, IN GOOCHLAND COUNTY, UH, JUST THIS PAST YEAR, OVER $230,000 IN SCHOLARSHIPS AND AID HAS BEEN PROVIDED TO STUDENTS WHO RESIDE IN GOOCHLAND COUNTY, UM, THAT IS FINANCIAL AID DOLLARS, SCHOLARSHIP DOLLARS HERFF DOLLARS STIMULUS FUNDS THAT WE HAVE USED TO HELP STUDENTS PURCHASE THEIR BOOKS, UM, PAID FOR THEIR CLASSES AGAIN, GETTING THEM TO ADVANCE TOWARD THE DEGREE.

CAUSE THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE IDEA.

AND AGAIN, PARTNERING, UH, WITH YOU ALL, WE WERE PROUD TO HOLD VACCINE CLINICS.

WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT ACROSS OUR CAMPUSES.

UH, AND WE'VE HAD PROBABLY TWO NOW MAYBE GOING ON THREE VERY SUCCESSFUL VACCINE CLINICS RIGHT HERE ON OUR GOOCHLAND CAMPUS, AS WELL.

MANY OF YOU HAVE HEARD ABOUT THE PROGRAM.

UH, IT'S, IT'S A

[00:30:01]

I CALL IT BECAUSE IT'S A PROGRAM THAT HAS HAD WILDLY BI-PARTISAN SUPPORT AND THAT'S LIKE A RARE THING THESE DAYS.

SO THAT'S, I CALL IT THE UNICORN, THE G THREE PROGRAM, WHICH PROVIDES TUITION FREE COMMUNITY COLLEGE EDUCATION IN VERY SPECIFIC HIGH DEMAND AREAS.

AND THAT IS HEALTHCARE TECHNOLOGY, SKILLED TRADES, PUBLIC SAFETY, EARLY CHILDHOOD.

THINK ABOUT MIDDLE INCOME VIRGINIANS THAT MIGHT MAKE $1 TOO MUCH TO QUALIFY FOR ANY AID.

AND WE KNOW A LOT OF FAMILIES THAT WAY, THAT THEY'RE NOT FLUSHED WITH CASH.

UM, THEY'RE BARELY MAKING IT, BUT THEY MAKE JUST SO MUCH THAT THEY DON'T QUALIFY FOR ANY AID PROGRAMS. THE G THREE PROGRAM PROVIDES THAT TUITION FREE EDUCATION FOR FAMILIES AT 400% OF THE POVERTY LEVEL.

SO A FAMILY OF FOUR AT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR QUALIFIES FOR THESE PROGRAMS. UM, AND SO WE'VE BEEN SPENDING A LOT OF TIME BUILDING CAPACITY THROUGH STIMULUS DOLLARS.

WE SAID, WE ARE NOT GOING TO USE THESE DOLLARS TO PLUG AND PLUG AND PLUG AND PLUG.

WE'RE GOING TO USE THESE ONE-TIME DOLLARS TO TRANSFORM OUR INSTITUTION AND REALLY LEAN IN TO THIS G THREE PROGRAMMING, UH, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT IT LEADS TO JOBS THAT PAY REALLY GOOD WAGES RIGHT OUT OF THE GATE.

OUR NEW PARTNERSHIPS ARE PAYING OFF, UH, TOYOTA AS YOU KNOW, SIGNED OFF OR, OR ASKED US TO BE THEIR EDUCATIONAL PARTNER FOR THE TOYOTA T 10 PROGRAM TRAINING THEIR MASTER TECHNICIANS, THE ONLY PROGRAM OF ITS TYPE IN CENTRAL VIRGINIA.

IN FACT, WE'RE THE 38TH COMMUNITY COLLEGE IN THE COUNTRY SELECTED BY TOYOTA TO OFFER THIS PROGRAM.

AND WHEN YOU OFFER THESE KINDS OF PROGRAMS AND YOU HAVE THAT KIND OF INDUSTRY OF BELIEF AND FAITH IN WHAT YOU'RE DOING, OTHERS START TO STEP UP LOYALTY.

TOYOTA JUST, UH, GAVE US A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS JUST IN SCHOLARSHIPS FOR OUR STUDENTS.

WE HAVE, UM, THE HERNDON FOUNDATION, A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR EQUIPMENT IS MODERNIZED AND SO FORTH.

SO WE'RE REALLY PLEASED ABOUT THAT PARTNERSHIP RIGHT NOW.

WE'RE TRAINING HERE IN GOOCHLAND, WE'RE EXPANDING THE PROGRAM ON OUR PARAM ROAD CAMPUS.

ONE OF THE, UH, CONDITIONS FROM TOYOTA IS THAT WE HAD TO BE CENTRALLY LOCATED WITH PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.

VERY IMPORTANT TOO.

SO, UH, BUT AGAIN, THAT PARTNERSHIP IS PAYING OFF WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS SAYING WE WANT TO HELP.

WE NEED TECHNICIANS AGAIN, USING HERVE DOLLARS, WE ARE LOOKING TO EXPAND, EXPAND, AND PROGRAMMING THAT LEAD TO JOBS WITH LIVING WAGES.

ONE THEM IS A SURGICAL TECHNICIAN PROGRAM.

OUR FRIENDS AT HCA AT VCU, THEY ARE DESPERATE FOR SURGE TECHS.

I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT A SURGE TECH WAS.

THESE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO SET UP YOUR OPERATING ROOM BEFORE THAT MAKES SURE THE TEMPERATURE'S THERE, THAT ALL OF THE TOOLS ARE THERE, THAT THINGS ARE CLEANED AND SANITIZED AND ALL OF THE BACKUP EQUIPMENT IS WORKING, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.

SO WE'RE GOING TO BE BUILDING ON THE DOWNTOWN CAMPUS, A REAL LIVE OPERATING ROOM FOR A SURGICAL TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM.

WE'RE ALSO INCREASING OUR CAPACITY IN TECHNOLOGY.

WE KNOW THAT VIRTUALLY EVERY SINGLE COMPANY, EVERY SECTOR IS LOOKING FOR, UM, CYBER SECURITY, WEB DEVELOPMENT, CLOUD COMPUTING, CODING.

UM, AND SO WE ARE ON THE GROUND EXPANDING, BUILDING A CYBER LAW, UH, CYBER RANGE, BUT ALSO AGAIN IN VIRTUAL, SO THAT STUDENTS CAN ACCESS US VIRTUALLY, WHICH IS BECOMING MORE COMMON NOW, AS PEOPLE HAVE GOTTEN MORE USED TO IT, UM, UM, UH, CHOOSING TO ACCESS OUR PROGRAMS, WE'RE AT ABOUT 40% NOW OF OUR STUDENTS IN THIS ENVIRONMENT, ACCESSING OUR PROGRAMS IN AN ONLINE ENVIRONMENT, UM, WHAT THAT WILL LOOK LIKE WHEN THE PAT, WHEN THE PANDEMIC IS IN THE ACTUAL REAR VIEW MIRROR, WE'LL SEE HOW THAT GOES.

BUT RIGHT NOW, THIS IS HOW THEY'RE VOTING.

THEY'RE VOTING WITH, UH, PURSUING THEIR EDUCATION, UH, IN AN ONLINE MODALITY.

UM, NUMBER ONE IN OUR CONVERSATIONS HAS BEEN WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.

THERE'S NOT A TABLE I SIT AT, UM, THAT WE'RE NOT HEARING FROM COMPANIES ACROSS, WHETHER IT'S THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY, THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, HEALTHCARE, IT, THAT TALKS ABOUT THE LABOR SHORTAGE, THE LABOR SHORTAGE AND NOT HAVING THE SKILLED PIPELINE.

AND YET WE KNOW THERE ARE TOO MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE SITTING ON THE SIDELINES.

THEY'RE NOT ENGAGED IN MEANINGFUL WORK.

THEY MAY HAVE A JOB, BUT NOT A MEANINGFUL CAREER THAT SUSTAINS A FAMILY.

SO WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND WHAT OUR ROLE IS IN ENSURING THAT WE ARE PROVIDING A PIPELINE OF SKILLED WORKERS IN THOSE CRITICAL AREAS.

AND YET WHAT WE'RE SEEING ACROSS THE COUNTRY, ACROSS THE COUNTRY, PEOPLE SLIPPING OUT OF COLLEGE, SPECIFICALLY IN COMMUNITY COLLEGES SPACE MORE PARTICULARLY AMONG MEN AND MEN OF COLOR THAT THEY ARE LEAVING COLLEGE IN RECORD NUMBERS.

[00:35:01]

WHAT'S MOST DISTURBING IS LOOKING AHEAD.

WHEN WE LOOK AT MAYBE THE BEST INDICATOR, ESPECIALLY IN COMMUNITIES WITH TITLE ONE SCHOOLS, SCHOOLS THAT OFFER FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH, THE DECLINE IN FAFSA APPLICATION.

NOW THE FAFSA IS THE MOST PAINFUL THING TO DO.

MY HUSBAND AND I, WE HAVE SIX KIDS.

WE'VE DONE THIS THING.

IT TAKES MORE THAN A DOCTORATE TO GET THROUGH IT WITHOUT WANTING TO PUT A FORK IN YOUR EYES.

BUT THE DECLINE IN PEOPLE APPLYING FOR FINANCIAL AID SAYS A GREAT DEAL ABOUT WHAT'S NEXT.

SO NATIONALLY AMONG TITLE SCHOOLS, THAT DECLINE IS 6% IN THE RICHMOND MSA AMONG TITLE ONE SCHOOLS.

THAT DECLINE IS 22%, 22% FEWER STUDENTS APPLYING FOR FINANCIAL AID AT THIS POINT IN TIME.

WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT PLANS TO DO SOMETHING AFTER HIGH SCHOOL? WHEN THERE IS A 22% DECLINE TO DAY IN OUR REGION AMONG TITLE ONE SCHOOLS, AND I PRESS UPON TITLE ONE SCHOOLS, BECAUSE THESE ARE THE SCHOOLS AND THE STUDENTS WHO WILL BENEFIT THE MOST FROM SOME SORT OF POST-SECONDARY CREDENTIAL.

AND YET, WHILE CREDIT ENROLLMENT IS DOWN ACROSS THE BOARD, OUR NON-CREDIT ENROLLMENT IS SKYROCKETING.

IT IS UP 55%, 55% INCREASE FROM BEFORE THE PANDEMIC TO NOW THAT IS PEOPLE CHOOSING TO TAKE SHORTER TERM PROGRAMS, NOT COMMITTING TO A FULL DEGREE, BUT A CREDENTIAL, A LICENSE CERTIFICATION THAT IS GOING UP 55%.

SO FOR US, WE'RE VERY PROUD THAT WE'RE NUMBER ONE IN THE COMMONWEALTH FOR DELIVERING WORKFORCE CREDENTIALS FOR JOB SEEKERS, AND NO ONE'S EVEN CLOSE TO NUMBER TWO, WE HAVE BEEN NUMBER ONE NETWORK TO WORK RVA.

UM, I'M NOT SURE IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THAT.

WE LAUNCHED IT IN APRIL.

AND THIS IS A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN EMPLOYERS TRAINERS AND JOB SEEKERS.

SO IF YOU THINK ABOUT ONLINE DATING, THEY MATCH YOU UP.

THEY THINK YOU'RE A GOOD MATCH.

THIS IS A TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM.

WE HAVE OVER 1500 PEOPLE RIGHT NOW ENGAGED IN THIS 70 EMPLOYERS ENGAGED IN THIS WHERE I AM A JOB SEEKER, BUT I NEED, AND I WANT THAT JOB, AND THIS IS THE TRAINING I NEED.

SO IT CONNECTS THE JOB SEEKER TO THE EMPLOYER AND THE TRAINER THAT WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH THE TRAINING TO ACCESS THAT CREDENTIAL, TO GET THAT JOB.

UM, THIS HAS A GREAT SUPPORT FROM THE UNITED WAY FROM THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION.

REYNOLDS' JOHN TYLER, COMMUNITY COLLEGE, OUR WORKFORCE ARM, UH, IN, UM, CCW WAY, REALLY PROUD OF THAT WORK.

UH, UM, OUR EMPLOYERS ARE THRILLED WITH HAVING DIRECT ACCESS TO THOSE JOB SEEKERS.

UM, AND AGAIN, YOU CAN'T GET TO THAT JOB IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE CREDENTIAL TO GET THERE.

SO IT'S A, IT'S A REALLY NICE PLACE FOR ALL THREE, UM, TO MEET.

AND THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT 70% OF GOOD JOBS REQUIRE A POST-SECONDARY CREDENTIAL.

70% OF THEM REQUIRE IT.

DOESN'T SAY A COLLEGE DEGREE, DIDN'T SAY AN ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE.

AND THAT'S REALLY THE SWEET SPOT WHERE OUR COLLEGE SITS.

WE SIT BETWEEN THE PEOPLE SEEKING SOMETHING BETTER, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH FURTHER EDUCATION AND, UH, AND EMPLOYMENT AND CONNECTING THEM TO THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.

I OFTEN SAY THAT REYNOLDS COMMUNITY COLLEGE IS A, WHAT STANDS BETWEEN WHAT IS, AND WHAT CAN BE, THAT'S OUR SPOT.

WE ARE NOT THE DESTINATION.

WE ARE A PATHWAY TO SOMETHING ELSE, GOOCHLAND CAMPUS CONVERSATIONS.

WE BEGAN THOSE IN EARNEST IN THE SPRING.

UH, AND, UH, FOR THOSE OF YOU, SOME OF YOU HAVE BEEN INVOLVED.

WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR K-12, UH, COLLEAGUES, UH, WITH SOME OF YOU, UH, WITH SOME OF YOUR EDA FOLKS, ET CETERA.

WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS ENSURE THAT WHAT WE OFFER OUT OF THE GOOCHLAND CAMPUS TRULY ALIGNS WITH YOUR GOALS AND MISSION.

MOVING FORWARD, 92 ACRES OF LAND THAT WE HAVE IN ONE OF THE MOST DESIRABLE AREAS OF GOOCHLAND COUNTY, IN TERMS OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND LOCATION.

AND WE ARE NOT CONVINCED THAT WHAT WE OFFER THERE TODAY ALIGNS WITH WHERE YOU WANT TO BE MOVING FORWARD.

AND SO WHAT WE'RE COMMITTING TO IS WITH K-12 LEADERSHIP, WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WITH COUNTY LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, TO REIMAGINE THE FUTURE OF WHAT THE GOOCHLAND CAMPUS AND ITS SPACE CAN BE.

UM, I'VE HAD A COUPLE OF CONVERSATIONS WITH

[00:40:01]

AND I SAY, WE, I MEAN, WE, THE LARGER WE, HOW DO WE MAXIMIZE THE USE OF THAT ASSET IN A WAY THAT ALIGNS WITH OUR MISSION THAT IS SUSTAINABLE AS, UM, STEWARDS OF PUBLIC RESOURCES AND THE VISION THAT GOOCHLAND HAS FOR ITSELF IN THE NEAR AND LONGTERM.

SO I'M VERY EXCITED TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND WORK WITH COUNTY LEADERSHIP ON WHAT SHAPE MIGHT THOSE CONVERSATIONS TAKE.

UM, AGAIN, SO THAT THEY'RE FRUITFUL CONVERSATIONS, THEY'RE PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS, AND AGAIN, UH, YOUR GOALS AND VISIONS FOR THIS AREA, OUR MISSION THEY'RE PERFECTLY ALIGNED SO THAT WE CAN BE GREATER THAN THE SUM OF OUR PARTS.

AND I TRULY BELIEVE THAT WE CAN GET THERE.

AND SO I'LL END WITH, UM, UH, WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING ON OUR STRATEGIC DIRECTION.

YOU'LL NOTE THAT I'M NOT CALLING IT A STRATEGIC PLAN, BUT RATHER A TR A DIRECTION, BECAUSE IF I HAD PUT TOGETHER A BEAUTIFUL PLAN, UH, IN JANUARY OF 2020, I CAN TELL YOU THAT PLAN WOULD BE ON A SHELF SOMEWHERE.

AND WE'D LOOK AT IT LIKE, OH, ISN'T THAT QUAINT THAT WE THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO DO THOSE THINGS.

SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING FOR A YEAR AND A HALF.

UM, SOME OF YOU HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS OF WHAT THE COLLEGE NEEDS TO BE FOR THE COMMUNITIES THAT SERVES.

AND I WILL LEAVE YOU WITH A BRIEF.

AND WHEN, I MEAN, BRIEF, IT'S LIKE 90 SECONDS, NOT EVEN 92ND VIDEO, THAT KIND OF LAUNCHES IN SOME OF YOU HAVE SEEN IT.

THOSE WHO WERE ABLE TO JOIN US AT OUR LOCAL LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS DINNER.

UH, BUT WE'LL SHARE IT WITH YOU TODAY.

AND I WILL BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.

OKAY.

IT'S A NEW DAY AT REYNOLDS COMMUNITY COLLEGE MARKING THE NEXT JOB HAVE A MORE INCLUSIVE FUTURE.

AND IT'S ON US TO ENSURE THIS FUTURE BELONGS TO EVERYONE.

THAT'S WHY WE'RE THROWING OUT THE OLD PLAYBOOK AND INVESTING IN OUR PEOPLE RELENTLESSLY SO THAT EVERYONE STUDENTS, FACULTY, STAFF WILL EXPERIENCE THE POWERFUL FEELING OF BELONGING THAT EMPOWERS LEARNING AND SPURS CHANGE AND INNOVATION.

IT'S A NEW DAY AT REYNOLDS, AND WE'RE DEDICATED TO CREATING A COLLEGE DIVERSE IN TALENT AND IDEAS WHERE STUDENTS CAN ACQUIRE NEW SKILLS AND GAIN INVALUABLE EXPERIENCE IN A COMMUNITY THAT EMBRACES NEW WAYS OF ENGAGING ALL PEOPLE.

WE SEE YOU, WE SEE YOUR POTENTIAL, AND WE ARE COMMITTED TO FOSTERING A CULTURE, COMPASSION, AND RESPECT, WHERE EVERYONE CAN LIVE AUTHENTIC LIVES AND CONTRIBUTE THEIR BEST WORK AT REYNOLDS.

WE ARE ONE TEAM AND THE FUTURE OF THIS TEAM BELONGS TO AND DEPENDS ON THE ACTIONS OF EVERYONE.

IT'S A NEW DAY AND WE'RE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT TOMORROW BECAUSE WE'RE REINVENTING IT.

THANK YOU.

AND WITH THAT, I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.

UM, WELL THANK YOU, DOCTOR PANEL FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

UM, I GOT TO SIT IN ON A ROUND TABLE.

I THINK YOU DID A YEAR OR SO AGO, AND IT WAS EXCITED TO HEAR WHAT I HEARD.

YOU KNOW, I'VE, IT'S, I'M ASHAMED THAT I'M NOT A HUGE FAN OF ACADEMIA, ESPECIALLY HIGHER EDUCATION BASED ON MY BACKGROUND THAT WE WON'T GET INTO.

UM, BUT THEY'RE ALWAYS KNOWN FOR BEING SO RIGID AND SO MORE CONCERNED ABOUT, UM, THEIR POLICIES AND THEIR ACADEMIC TRADITIONS AS OPPOSED TO MEETING THE NEEDS.

AND WHEN I'M OVERWHELMINGLY, PLEASED TO HEAR IS YOUR FLEXIBILITY, INNOVATION AND ADAPTABILITY.

THIS WAS DIFFERENT THAN WE TALKED ABOUT EVEN A YEAR AGO.

UM, AND IT'S ABOUT MEETING THE NEEDS.

SO, UM, JUST FANTASTIC.

AND I BELIEVE THIS, I THINK I SAID AT THE TIME THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE IS THE COLLEGE OF THE FUTURE.

LIKE THAT'S WHAT I THINK WE NEED, WHAT YOU SAID THAT YOU'LL BE WORKING WITH FOLKS.

CAN YOU SHARE WHAT THE PLAN IS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE FUTURE OF THE CAMPUSES IN GOOCHLAND? SURE.

IT BEGINS, IT BEGINS WITH THIS GROUP.

UH, IT BEGINS WITH THE INTERIM, UM, MENTAL SPOON.

HOWEVER, WE HAVE A MEETING ALREADY SCHEDULED IT'S A MONDAY, MONDAY.

I WAS TRYING TO LOOK, FIND IT ON MY CAR.

I COULDN'T FIND SO ON MONDAY, I'LL BE AT A MEETING

[00:45:01]

AND WE WANT TO JUST KIND OF FIGURE OUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO THE IDEA GATHERING.

AND SO WE HAVE SOME, UH, BUILDING OFFICIALS, UH, BECAUSE WE HAVE SOME BUILDING NEEDS AS WELL AS EDUCATION NEEDS.

SO THAT'S OUR PLAN IS TO KIND OF MEET AND FIGURE OUT A PLAN FOR HOW TO CARRY THE MESSAGE TO THE COMMUNITY, HOW TO GET INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY.

WE WERE GOING TO USE SOME OF THE LESSONS WE LEARNED IN THE, DURING THE REFERENDUM, OUR PRESENTATIONS, UH, BECAUSE DR.

PANDA WOULD LIKE TO GET BROAD COMMUNITY INPUT AS TO WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS TO SEE.

UM, AND WHAT WE'RE HOPING TO DO IS LAY OUT A FRAMEWORK RATHER THAN STAND IN FRONT OF A ROOM OF A HUNDRED PEOPLE SAY, WHAT DO YOU THINK WE SHOULD DO? BUT RATHER HERE, HERE'S A FRAMEWORK.

HERE ARE SOME, SOME THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO GOOGLING AND THEY'RE IN YOUR PLAN AND SO FORTH.

UH, AND SO, AND HERE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS WHAT'S EXCITING ABOUT THIS IS WHEN I'VE SAID TRULY NO IDEA IS A CRAZY IDEA IS I'VE SEEN OTHER PEER COLLEGES IN THE VIRGINIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM BE WILDLY, WILDLY CREATIVE WITH THE USE OF THEIR FACILITIES WITH THEIR LAND, UH, IN TERMS OF AGAIN, DOING SOMETHING THAT ALIGNS WITH THE MISSION OF THE COLLEGE, BUT IS ALSO SOMETHING THAT IS USEFUL AND OF BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY WHERE IT RESIDES.

SO THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO US.

SO MONDAY WILL BE A GREAT MEETING.

I'LL HAVE OUR FACILITIES TEAM TO KIND OF I'LL CALL IT, SET THE TABLE, OKAY, HERE, HERE'S THE FACILITY.

HERE'S WHAT IT IS.

LAY, LAY IT ALL OUT AND REALLY START TO HOPEFULLY COME TOGETHER WITH A FRAMEWORK OF WHAT AN ORGANIZED WAY OF APPROACHING THIS, UH, WHERE YOU'RE COMFORTABLE, WE'RE COMFORTABLE THAT INVITES INPUT, BUT INVITES INPUT TO A FRAMEWORK RATHER THAN I THINK WE SHOULD, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER.

I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S A VERY USEFUL USE OF OUR TIME, BUT TO ESTABLISH SOME SORT OF FRAMEWORK WILL BE VERY IMPORTANT.