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2017 SESSION


SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 330
Commending David Anthony Sam.
 
Agreed to by the Senate, January 26, 2017
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 3, 2017
 

WHEREAS, Germanna Community College President David Anthony Sam is retiring in June 2017, after spearheading a highly successful decade of expansion, enhancement, and modernization of the college’s facilities and curriculum; and

WHEREAS, a first-generation college student, David Sam earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Eastern Michigan University, and a Ph.D. degree from Michigan State University; and

WHEREAS, David Sam’s diverse background includes working as a retail store owner/manager, published poet, college English professor, and college administrator in Michigan and Florida; and

WHEREAS, David Sam became Germanna Community College’s (GCC) fifth president in 2007, and, over the past decade, total enrollment increased 61 percent (to more than 12,000 students), and the school saw a 183 percent increase in degrees awarded; and

WHEREAS, under David Sam’s leadership, GCC has raised $26.5 million in donations, grants, and local funds; he launched the college’s first-ever capital campaign, which raised $12 million and exceeded the original goal by $2 million; and

WHEREAS, GCC’s increased revenue during David Sam’s tenure has helped in opening a new Caroline County Center, building a new Science and Engineering Building and Information Commons at the Fredericksburg Area Campus, and will lead to an expansion of the Stafford Center; and

WHEREAS, under David Sam’s guidance, GCC started two new programs, the Germanna Scholars and the Gladys P. Todd Academy, which allow local students to earn an associate degree at little to no cost while still in high school; and

WHEREAS, David Sam is credited with transforming GCC’s Workforce program to meet the needs of the area; noncredit Workforce enrollment has increased 1,028 percent, and the number of Workforce classes has risen 1,676 percent during his decade at the school; and

WHEREAS, David Sam displayed outstanding leadership and resolve in the days after the 2011 earthquake, which closed GCC for 10 days, resulted in the loss of one-third of the facilities, and forced the redesign of the college’s operating procedures; and

WHEREAS, after guiding GCC during a time of ongoing state budget cuts, David Sam leaves behind a legacy that includes modern new facilities, new programs, and master plans for long-term growth that put GCC on sound footing as it heads into the next decade; and

WHEREAS, David Sam’s professional success has been made possible through the love and support of his wife, Linda, and their children, Michelle and Ryan; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend David Anthony Sam on his retirement as president of Germanna Community College in June 2017, after a highly successful decade of modernizing the college’s facilities and curriculum; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to David Anthony Sam as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for his exceptional career guiding Germanna Community College to new heights.