WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (WTVR) – Debbie L. Sydow will become the next president of Richard Bland College, according to a press release from Brian Whitson, Director of University Relations for the College of William and Mary. Richard Bland College is a branch of William and Mary is Virginia’s only junior college, Whitson said.
Sydow is currently president of Onondaga Community College in Syracuse, N.Y. She will officially become the president of Richard Bland on July 1, 2012.
“We are delighted that Debbie Sydow has agreed to become the new president of Richard Bland College,” said Jeffrey B. Trammell, Rector of the College, in the press release. “With her proven skills and experience as a college leader, she is the ideal person for this important assignment. By providing excellent academic
Approximately 1,600 students attend Richard Bland College. Current college president James B. McNeer will retire this summer.
Sydow is a native of Abingdon, Va., who received her undergraduate degree in English from the University of Virginia’s College at Wise. She earned her master’s degree in English from Marquette University and her Ph.D. in English from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
“I am honored to assume the presidency of Richard Bland College,” Sydow said in the press release. “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.
