Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College Story Archives

W.Va. Peer Recovery Support Specialist Wins National Award

A peer recovery support specialist at a Marshall-based recovery program has won the Cornerstone Award.

The award honors an individual or organization that has gone above and beyond to support students in recovery.

Aaron Blankenship is a West Virginia Collegiate Recovery Network (WVCRN) team member and recovery support specialist at Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College.

“Through his unwavering dedication and tireless efforts, Aaron Blankenship exemplifies the essence of the ARHE Cornerstone Award for Student Support,” said Dr. Pamela Alderman, president of Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College. “His commitment to going above and beyond in supporting students in recovery transforms lives and serves as a beacon of hope and inspiration for our community. We celebrate Aaron’s profound impact and recognize him as a cornerstone of support for those navigating the recovery journey.”

The WVCRN is housed within the Marshall University Research Corporation with support from the Marshall University Center of Excellence for Recovery.

Blankenship will accept his award at the National Collegiate Recovery Conference in San Diego, California this summer.

According to one of his peers, Hattie Newsome, student success coordinator for Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College, Blankenship’s own recovery gave him the empathy and drive to work passionately with students and the recovery community.

“He inspires those in recovery by showing them they can achieve sobriety, goals and their dreams can come true,” she said.

Three Finalists Chosen for Southern Community College President

Three finalists have been chosen for the president’s job at Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College.

Southern’s Board of Governors and presidential search committee say James Buyea, Robert Gunter and Alton Scales will visit the college’s campuses in Logan and Williamson next week.

Buyea is chief information officer at Jefferson Community College in Watertown, New York.

Gunter is vice president for workforce education at Arkansas State University Mid-South in West Memphis, Arkansas.

Scales is a consultant for Capitol Peaks Advising in Tampa, Florida. He previously served as president of the Community College of Aurora in Aurora, Colorado, and held administrative positions at higher education institutions in Pennsylvania, Kansas and Texas.

Merle Dempsey has served as interim president since former President Joanne Jaeger Tomblin retired in June.

W.Va. First Lady Retires as Community College President

West Virginia first lady Joanne Jaeger Tomblin has retired as president of Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College.

Tomblin’s retirement was effective Tuesday. She had served at the college for 33 years, including the past 15 as president.

Tomblin says in a college news release that she believed the time was right for her to step down. She says the college’s board, academic and campus leaders and community supporters know what is required to achieve continued success.

During Tomblin’s tenure, the college began the Vision 2020 Major Gifts campaign, which has raised $17 million through community donations. Other projects included a new Allied Health Facility on the Logan campus and the Applied Technology Facility on the Williamson campus.

Three W.Va. CTCs Awarded Workforce Training Funding

Three West Virginia community and technical colleges have been awarded more than $9 million in federal funding for a workforce training initiative.

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin and Rep. Nick Rahall announced the grant on Monday in a news release. The funding is part of a nationwide effort to assist military members and veterans.

The initiative will be led by Mountwest Community and Technical College, in collaboration with Blue Ridge Community and Technical College in Martinsburg and Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College in Shamrock.

The funding will be used to hire or train new instructors to offer in-demand courses and certifications, develop online learning and other programs.