 Dr. Virginia Hardy | WINTERVILLE—The Pitt Community College Board of Trustees welcomed a new member last month when Dr. Virginia Hardy joined the school’s governing board on Aug. 4. Hardy, who is Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs with East Carolina University’s Brody School of Medicine, replaces Valerie Dixon on the board. The Greenville native was appointed by Pitt County Commissioners for a four-year term that expires in June of 2012. Hardy said her role as a trustee gives her an opportunity to impact the education system from a different perspective. She explained that most of her educational work thus far had been as an instructor or administrator. “Being on the board allows me the chance to serve my community, especially in instituting policies and programs that address both an ever-changing economy and community,” Hardy said. “It affords me the opportunity to utilize my skills, training and experiences in impacting the lives of those students pursuing higher education as a means to change their futures.” Hardy said she feels PCC serves an important educational role in the community, which she said had shifted from primarily an agricultural community into one requiring a more specialized workforce. “… PCC has the versatility of adapting its programs and offerings to address the workforce needs of the community and industries,” she said. “PCC gives opportunities to people from all walks of life with varied aspirations and experiences. PCC gives people choices to better their lives.” The youngest of eight children, Hardy earned a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She later received a master’s in counseling from ECU and a Ph.D. in counseling from N.C. State University. “Education has always been important to both my family and me,” Hardy said. “My parents expected that each of us would attain post-secondary education so that we would be afforded opportunities that weren’t available to them.” Hardy added that higher education these days is “essential” for individuals to be competitive in the workplace and provide for themselves and their families. “As Malcolm X said, ‘Education is our passport to the future …,’” she said. In her free time, Hardy says she enjoys reading, spending time with her nieces and nephews, and writing short stories, which she calls, “therapeutic.” |