March 14, 2012

The William & Mary Board of Visitors has named Debbie L. Sydow, a nationally recognized leader in higher education and the community college sector, as the fourth president of Richard Bland College. Sydow, who currently serves as the president of Onondaga Community College in Syracuse, N.Y., will officially assume the new duties on July 1, 2012.

...Since 2000, Sydow has served as president of Onondaga Community College, which with nearly 13,000 students, 1,600 employees and nearly 50 academic programs, is one of the largest community colleges in the State University of New York system. She has more than 20 years of experience in higher education administration and has served in leadership positions for national and regional industry associations.

...She began her career as an English professor at Southwest Virginia Community College in Richlands, Va. In 1993, she became the dean of humanities and social sciences at the school. Two years later, Sydow became the vice president of academic and student services at Mountain Empire Community College in Big Stone Gap, Va., where she would later serve as acting president from 1999-2000.

..."I am honored to assume the presidency of Richard Bland College," Sydow said. "Jim McNeer has been an exceptional leader over the past 16 years as president and has the college positioned well to succeed. The opportunity to build on that progress and assist RBC in establishing and navigating its roadmap for future success has tremendous appeal. I look forward to working closely with the campus and local communities in the coming months." Sydow will be the first female president of Richard Bland College.

(excerpted from an article by the College of William and Mary)

She was presented to the campus community on March 14.