About the Interim President

Dr. Kenneth C. Alexander has led at every level of the system that connects education to the economy — as a college president, state lawmaker, and mayor. Over more than two decades, his work has centered on one consistent aim: aligning institutions with the workforce realities and economic opportunities facing the communities they serve.

Dr. Alexander currently serves as Interim President of Richard Bland College. His leadership experience spans community colleges, statewide higher education systems, national career education, and elected public office — giving him a rare practitioner’s perspective on how policy, workforce strategy, and institutional leadership intersect.

As Vice Chancellor for Strategic Partnerships for Virginia’s Community Colleges, he secured major investments that expanded student access and strengthened workforce pipelines in aviation, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, and other high-demand industries. As Chancellor of a 20-campus national career college system, he led measurable gains in enrollment, student success, and workforce outcomes, including more than 15% enrollment growth, an 86% graduation rate, and the training of nearly one-quarter of all certified aircraft technicians in the United States through the Aviation Institute of Maintenance.

His public service career includes service in both the Virginia House of Delegates and the Virginia Senate, where he served on the House Education and Senate Finance & Appropriations Committees, helping shape higher education and workforce policy across the Commonwealth. As Mayor of Norfolk, he championed innovation-driven economic development initiatives, including the Norfolk Open Data Portal, the Norfolk Innovation Corridor in partnership with Norfolk State University and Old Dominion University, and the Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship to accelerate research commercialization and business growth.

Dr. Alexander’s scholarship and writing focus on leadership ethics, civic engagement, and how institutions adapt during periods of economic and technological change.

He holds a Ph.D. in Leadership and Change from Antioch University, a Master of Science in Diplomacy from Norwich University, a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Old Dominion University, and an Associate of Applied Science degree from Brightpoint Community College — the institution where his own educational journey began.