Joan Pointer Bowers is a native of Halifax County, Virginia. She graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a BS in Education, and then from Longwood University with an MS in Education. She also has an Educational Specialist from the University of Virginia. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Inc., NAACP, Community Meals Coop,…

A South Boston, Virginia native, Dr. Betty H. Adams is the Executive Director of the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center (SVHEC). The SVHEC advances the economic potential of southern Virginia by providing access to comprehensive, high-demand college degree and job training opportunities through unique partnerships and alliances. With an annual unduplicated headcount of more than…