Our Board of Directors | Commonwealth Alliance for Rural Colleges

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Why Virginia Must Reconsider Lab School Exclusions

Building Futures: Ferrum College & Build Smart Institute

Ferrum to Move to Division II, Join Conference Carolinas

Our Staff & Executive Committee

Peter Blake

Interim President

Peter Blake recently retired from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, where he served as its director from 2012 to 2024. He previously worked as a vice chancellor for the Virginia Community College System, as Deputy Secretary and Secretary of Education for the Commonwealth of Virginia, and as a legislative analyst for the Virginia House Appropriations Committee.

He began his work for the Commonwealth at the Department of Planning and Budget and SCHEV. Out of college, he worked for several publications in the greater Richmond area.

He holds a history degree and a mass communications degree from Virginia Commonwealth University, where he served as editor of the Commonwealth Times. He is a member of the 2008 class of Lead Virginia and completed The Executive Program at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business in 2016. He has served on several state and regional education-related boards, including the Richmond Public Library and the Richmond Public Library Foundation.

Mr. Brad Hall

Chair

Brad N. Hall is the Vice President of External Affairs for Appalachian Power Company, a subsidiary of American Electric Power (AEP). Brad’s territories of responsibility include Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee, where he leads the following departments: Governmental Affairs, Community Affairs, Economic & Business Development, Corporate Communications, and Customer Services. Brad moved to Appalachian Power in 2018 from another AEP Subsidiary, Kentucky Power Company where he was Manager of External Affairs. Prior to joining AEP, Brad was the President and CEO of the Southeast Kentucky Chamber of Commerce where he was very involved in economic development for eight counties of eastern Kentucky. Brad has a great deal of experience in the utility industry. Prior to his role at the Chamber, he was the Director of Operations and Director of Revenue Assurance for Southeast Telephone, and he also served as Controller for the Mountain Water District in Pikeville, Kentucky.

The Hon. Karen Jackson

Vice Chair

Ms. Karen Jackson served as Virginia’s Deputy Secretary of Technology from 2009–2014, and Secretary of Technology for the Commonwealth from 2014 – 2019. During her time in public service, she concentrated on advancing the development and adoption of technologies including broadband, autonomous systems, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and data analytics. She also oversaw the state IT infrastructure and was a staunch supporter of STEM programming.

She now serves as the Founder and CEO of Apogee Strategic Partners, LLC (a Virginia SWAM and micro-certified business), providing consulting and advisory services. She also serves as a Senior Fellow at the Commonwealth Center for Advanced Logistics Systems, a state-funded (nonprofit) five-university consortium where she provides support on state-related matters, relationship development, and engaging on emerging logistics technologies and applications such as optimization, renewables, cyber, blockchain, sustainable aviation fuels, and biomass.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Christopher Newport University, and an MBA from William and Mary.

Ms. Liz Povar

Immediate Past Chair

A native of Fort Wayne, Indiana, Liz Povar is the founder of The RiverLink Group, a solopreneur economic development consulting firm focusing on the intersection of intersection of higher education, workforce and community development. Liz has over 38 years in economic development at the local, regional and state levels.

In 2014 Liz was named the 2014 Alumna of the Year for Bluefield College and also received the Jorman D. Granger Service Award from LEAD Virginia. She is a past President of the Virginia Economic Developers Association and received its Cardinal Award in 2011. She is co-founder of CARES (Children Are Really Extra Special), and currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the Virginia Rural Center; Chairman, Virginia Ed Strategies, Inc.; the Rappahannock Community College Advisory Board; and the Advisory Council for Cardinal Education.

Bachelor of Science in Organizational Management from Bluefield College in 2000
Certified Economic Developer designation from IEDC in 1997
CEcD Emeritus designation from IEDC in 2017

Our Member Institutions

Averett University

Dr. Tiffany M. Franks

President

Prior to her appointment at Averett, Dr. Franks served as Executive Vice President at Greensboro College, in North Carolina. She has over 20 years' experience in higher education. Dr. Franks has served on numerous state, local and civic boards including the Council of Independent Colleges in Virginia.

Ed.D higher education Administration, University of Pennsylvania
M.Ed. Higher Education Administration, The Ohio State University
(BA) Business, Ohio Dominican University

Bluefield University

Dr Steven Peterson

President

Dr. Peterson has an extensive and progressive thirty-year career in higher education. Before becoming the 10th president at Bluefield University, he served as the vice president for adult & graduate studies at Houston Christian University. He was the founding vice president of the Pampell Online Division, a new initiative at HCU to develop online undergraduate and graduate programs. Before his role at HCU, Dr. Peterson served as the vice president for admissions at Liberty University and was an instrumental part of the historic growth of the online program at the institution, reaching more than 100,000 enrollments. His higher education career started in the trenches, as his first role was in financial aid, helping students fund their education. He then assisted the chancellor’s staff for over a decade, serving in various capacities and roles. In 2007, Dr. Peterson transitioned to the executive director of University Advancement, where he led comprehensive marketing strategies for residential and online programs.

Eastern Mennonite University

Dr. Susan Huxman

President

Previously, Dr. Huxman served as President of Conrad Grebel University College in Waterloo, Ontario.

Dr. Huxman has also served for more than 25 years in higher education in a variety of administrative and academic leadership roles, including serving as Director of the Elliott School of Communication at Wichita State University and serving on the Board of Mennonite Education Agency (MEA) and of Western District Conference of Mennonite Church USA.

B.A. Bethel College
M.A. and Ph.D. in communication studies, University of Kansas.

Ferrum College

Dr. Mirta Martin

President

A native of Havana, Cuba, and an immigrant to the United States, Martin uses her interpersonal and cultural expertise to work diligently to promote access to affordable educational opportunities.

Martin holds bachelor’s degrees in psychology and political science from Duke University; a Master of Business Administration from the University of Richmond; and a Doctorate with an emphasis in strategic management and leadership from Virginia Commonwealth University. She has been involved in both the public and private sectors and has extensive expertise in strategic planning, marketing and brand identity, crisis management, financial, budgeting and risk mitigation, stakeholder relationship management, program innovation, and funding.

Dr. Martin served as President of Fairmont State University from 2018-2022, and Fort Hays State University from 2014-2016. Prior to Fort Hays, Martin served as the Dean of Virginia State University’s Reginald F. Lewis School of Business from 2009-2014.

Mr. Roy E. Bucher, Jr.
Chairman Emeritus
Lunsford - A Trustpoint Company
Roanoke, Virginia

Benjamin Dessart
Vice President, External Affairs
Universal Leaf
Richmond, Virginia

Brad N. Hall
Vice President External Affairs
Appalachian Power Company
Roanoke, Virginia

Orden L. Harman
Partner
Harman Enterprises Partnership
Harrisonburg, Virginia
Board Member Emeritus

Harold E. Johnson
Attorney
Williams Mullen
Richmond, Virginia

Viren R. Kapadia
President & CEO
Gyrus Systems
Henrico, Virginia

Charles M. Kelley
Vice President, Digital Media
McGuire Woods Consulting
Richmond, Virginia

Richard W. Loving
Retired Senior Vice President - CAO
BWX Technologies
Lynchburg, Virginia

Frederick V. Martin, Sr.
Retired Portfolio Manager
Sandpiper Capital
Virginia Beach, Virginia

J. Lee E. Osborne
Principal
Woods Rodgers, PLC
Roanoke, Virginia

Adam Peachee
Financial Advisor
Wells Fargo
Richmond, Virginia
Immediate Past Chair

Elizabeth G. Povar, CEcD
Principal Officer
The RiverLink Group
Richmond, Virginia

John G. Rocovich, Jr., Esquire
Attorney At Law
Moss & Rocovich, P.C.
Roanoke, Virginia

Judith Trumbo
Retired President and CEO
VMRC
Harrisonburg, Virginia

Jeannie P. Baliles
Former First Lady of Virginia
Richmond, Virginia

The Hon. Karen Jackson
Former Virginia Secretary of Technology
New College
Poquoson, Virginia

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