Laurel Ridge welcomes two new vice presidents to its administrative team

Laurel Ridge has welcomed two new high-level administrators during the spring and summer semesters.

In late January, Craig Short became the vice president of financial and administrative services. Dr. Anne Davis started as the vice president of academic and student affairs in July.

The vice president of financial and administrative services oversees several critical missions of the college, including the police department, information and instructional technologies, the business office and facilities and construction.

“Everything about this role, and the team I work with in FAS is about service to the students, faculty and staff of LFFC,” said Short. “All of the work that we do, in one way or another, supports Laurel Ridge student achievement and success.”

Short is a strong believer in the benefits of community college – he has received them firsthand.

“I attended community college in West Virginia in my youth, and again as an adult here in Virginia,” he said. “Two of my children have also attended Virginia Community College System (VCCS) institutions in recent years, and I can tell you the benefits of community college are just as important today as they were 50 years ago when Laurel Ridge first opened its doors.”

Short earned his bachelor’s degree at West Virginia University, having transferred from Southern West Virginia Community College. He holds a master’s degree in public administration from James Madison University.

Prior to coming to Laurel Ridge, Short was vice president of facilities and business services at Tennessee Tech University. Before that, he spent 10 years at JMU most recently as executive director of facilities and construction. Early in his career, he worked on construction and urban development projects in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C.

“Having been involved with so many different trades over the years in facilities and construction, I’m a true believer when it comes to the mission of the VCCS and their critical role in the development of the workforce,” Short said. “Some of the best professionals I’ve had the privilege of working with are products of the VCCS”.

Immediately prior to arriving at Laurel Ridge, Dr. Davis was dean and chief online learning officer at Stevenson University in Owings Mills, Md. She notes that experience fits well with the mostly-all online learning taking place during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Given the necessity of online learning in the current environment of higher education, I am excited that I can leverage my knowledge, skills, and experience as a chief online learning officer to help advance Laurel Ridge’s virtual student services and online instructional offerings,” Dr. Davis said. “I am excited to work with faculty and academic leaders to foster collaboration across Laurel Ridge’s campuses and instructional sites to ensure that our students have a consistent and unified experience.” 

Prior to her role at Stevenson, Dr. Davis was a biology professor and science department chair at Carroll Community College in Westminster, Md. She has a bachelor’s degree in dairy science from Virginia Tech, a master’s degree in animal physiology from Cornell University and a doctor of management degree with a focus on systems thinking leadership in higher education from University of Maryland University College.

Before her foray into higher education, Dr. Davis used her dairy science degree while owning and operating her family’s dairy farm with her twin brother.

She said it is important that Laurel Ridge continues its holistic approach to students’ success.

“Students who enroll at community colleges are typically working full or part-time, often have family responsibilities, and many are first-generation college students,” Dr. Davis said. “Providing them with more than academic support is critical to our students’ success. We need to provide wrap-around services and connect students to resources in our community. In my experience, community college faculty are deeply committed to their teaching craft and are willing to meet students where they are. This deep commitment to a holistic approach to student success is what I love about working at a community college.”