Candidate Forums Announced (Dates and Times Below)

RICHMOND (March 20, 2025) – The State Board for Community Colleges has certified three finalists for the position of president at Eastern Shore Community College (ESCC), to succeed Dr. Jim Shaeffer, who is retiring at the end of June after six years leading the college.

The finalists, in alphabetical order, are Dr. Rushton Johnson, Jr. of Knoxville, Tennessee; Dr. Daryl Minus of South Hill, Virginia, and Dr. Ashli Hamilton Wilkins of Enterprise, Alabama.

They were among 59 applicants from across the nation who were considered for the ESCC post.
“Eastern Shore Community College plays a pivotal role in supporting the people and economy of its region, and I am confident that this group of finalists will yield a president who will lead the college successfully in its next era of service,” said Dr. David Doré, Chancellor of Virginia’s Community Colleges.

The finalists seek to become the sixth permanent president at Eastern Shore Community College. Arrangements have been made for each of the finalists to visit the college April 8th, 9th, and 10th to meet with faculty, staff, students and community members.

Candidate Community Forums will be held at 2:30PM in the Great Hall at the ESCC Workforce Building on campus at 29300 Lankford Highway in Melfa on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, April 8, 9, and 10.

Tuesday, April 8th at 2:30PM – Dr. Daryl Minus

Wednesday, April 9th at 2:30PM – Dr. Rushton Johnson

Thursday, April 10th at 2:30PM – Dr. Ashli Wilkins

*These forums are open to the public and all are welcome and encouraged to attend. Student forums will be announced via email and Canvas.

About the Finalists

Dr. Rushton Johnson, Jr. currently serves as Vice President of Student Affairs at Pellissippi State Community College, Knoxville, TN, a post he has held since June 2018. Prior to that, Dr. Johnson served as Vice President of Student Affairs at Atlanta Technical College. He gained faculty teaching experience at Pellissippi State, The University of Georgia College of Education, Stillman College, and Nicolls State University College of Education. Dr. Johnson also served as Executive Director of Student Life at Southern Oregon University, Dean of Students at Nicolls State University, Asst. Dean of Students at Millsaps College, Director of Residence Life at Southern College, and Director of Student Activities at Stillman College.

Dr. Johnson earned a B.A. at Birmingham-Southern College, Master’s Degrees from Harvard University and Jacksonville State, and a Doctor of Education Degree at the University of Alabama.

Dr. Daryl L. Minus currently serves as Vice President of Enrollment Management and Student Success at Southside Virginia Community College (SVCC), Alberta, VA, a post he has held since August 2020. Prior to that, he was Education Assistance Branch Manager/Education Services Officer (ESO), U.S. Marine Corps Community Services in Jacksonville, NC, Vice President, Student Services and Enrollment Management, Cape Fear Community College, Vice President and Executive Vice President for Learning and Student Success, Craven Community College, Dean of Student Services, Tidewater Community College, Dean of Counseling, Chabot College, and Dean, Learning Support Services, Bakersfield College. Dr. Minus also was an adjunct faculty member at Craven Community College and University of Maryland.

Dr. Minus earned a B.A. at Hampton University, a Master’s Degree at New York University, and a Doctor of Education degree at University of Phoenix.

Dr. Ashli Hamilton Wilkins currently serves as Vice President and Dean, Institutional Services and Community Development at Wallace Community College, Dothan, AL, a post she has held since July 2018. Dr. Wilkins has been affiliated with Wallace Community College for almost 25 years, serving as Dean of Institutional Services and Community Development, Director of Institutional Advancement, Director of Grants and External Funding, and Instructor of English. Dr. Wilkins also served as adjunct Instructor of English at Troy University and Chipola College.

Dr. Wilkins earned a Bachelor of Science and Master’s Degree at Troy University, and a Ph.D. from Auburn University.

Eastern Shore Community College (ESCC) is part of the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) and serves the residents of Accomack and Northampton Counties as a two-year institution of higher education. Students at ESCC can enhance job and career prospects through a wide range of associate degrees and through robust workforce development programs that offer credentials in high-demand career fields, including skilled trades.

Originally a branch of the University of Virginia, the institution joined the Virginia Community College System in 1971. The college was accredited and granted membership in the Southern Association of College Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) in 1973 and moved to its current location in Melfa, Virginia in 1974. For more information, please visit https://es.vccs.edu.

About Virginia’s Community Colleges:
Since 1966, Virginia’s Community Colleges have given everyone the opportunity to learn and develop the right skills, so lives and communities are strengthened. By making higher education and workforce training available in every part of Virginia, we elevate all of Virginia. In academic year 2024, Virginia’s Community Colleges served more than 232,000 students across 23 schools throughout Virginia. For more information, please visit www.vccs.edu. For more information on FastForward, please visit fastforwardva.org

Media Contact:
Bill LeCato– Marketing and Development Officer (757) 789-1797

Eastern Shore Community College is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Ramzi Ockaili as the Interim Vice President of Academic Affairs, Student Success, and Workforce Development.

Dr. Ockaili brings more than 25 years of distinguished experience in higher education, teaching, leadership, and research. He currently serves as the Department Chair of Anatomy & Physiology and Biology at Reynolds Community College and has an extensive background in faculty development, student mentoring, curriculum innovation, and institutional effectiveness. Throughout his career, he has demonstrated a strong commitment to academic excellence, innovative teaching, and supporting students and faculty alike.

Dr. Ockaili holds a B.S. in Biology from the American University of Beirut, an M.S. and Ph.D. in Physiology from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), and a Post-Baccalaureate Graduate Certificate in Medical Education from VCU’s School of Education. He also completed his postdoctoral training in the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiology, at VCU. 

With deep knowledge of community college systems and a strong record of innovation and partnership, his strategic vision aligns with ESCC’s mission and will be essential in guiding the college’s goals during this transitional period.

Please join us in welcoming Dr. Ockaili to the Eastern Shore Community College family as he arrives on campus starting March 31st.

Spring Intramural Sign-Ups Open and ID Camp Coming in April!

Eastern Shore Community College Football Club has established an Information Page for upcoming happenings with the college’s first soccer team being formed under Coach Chase Baxa. Spring Intramurals for students are starting and details on dates, times, and registration can be found on our page.

ESCC Soccer Information

The 2025 Spring Commencement Page

Please visit the 2025 Spring Commencement page above for information on important dates, ordering regalia and much more.

First-Ever ESCC Rated Tournament Announced

The Eastern Shore Community College, in conjunction with its chess club student group, the Melfa Monarchs, will hold a tournament on March 22 from 8:30 AM-6 PM. It will be a rated tournament under the auspices of the U.S. Chess Federation, thus giving locals the chance to earn a rating from the organization. This is the first such tournament ever held on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, with the aim of it becoming an annual event. It will take place in the Great Hall of the Workforce Development Building.

The competition will consist of three rounds in the “quad” format, meaning that players will be grouped into fours, with each competitor playing each of the other three. “Odd people out” will be accommodated. The prizes are: $50 for 1^st place in each quad and $25 for 2^nd place.

The entrance fee is $5 for ESVA residents and $20 for non-residents who pre-register. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged, as there will be an additional $5 fee for on-site registration. ESCC Students, faculty, and staff may take part for free. All participants, including those paying no fee, should pre-register by emailing ESCC Chess Club coach Mark Nuckols at nuckols@hotmail.com or the club’s faculty sponsor, Christina Duffman, at cduffman@es.vccs.edu. Payments are to be made only in cash and only at the event registration, which will run from 8:30-9:20 AM that Saturday.

As this is a rated tournament, players will be required to notate their games. Games will be played on clocks with a G75d5 time control (75 minutes for each player with a 5-second delay). Some boards, clocks and notation sheets will be available, but players are encouraged to bring their own.

All players must be members of the USCF. One-year memberships can be purchased at new.uschess.org for $54 for adults, $48 for ages 65+, $33 for under age 24 at expiration, and $24 for under age 19. Participating ESCC students can have their dues covered by the sponsoring foundation with advanced notice. 

The Melfa Monarchs wish to thank the Community College administration and the Buildings and Grounds personnel for making the event possible. Additional gratitude goes to Eastern Shore Scholastic Chess, a private, non-profit initiative supporting chess programs in local schools, and its parent organization, the Landsberger Foundation, Inc.

BIC Tizon Dife University Tour Stop on March 19th

Eastern Shore Community College is excited to host the United Haitian American Alliance and their presentation of acclaimed international music artist, “BIC” Tizon Dife, on Wednesday, March 19^th at the Workforce Great Hall on campus in Melfa.

The performance will be from 6pm-8pm and tickets for the public are on sale through Eventbrite for $25.00 each. Students are admitted free to the performance but will still be required to obtain a ticket through the website. Those interested in attending are urged to secure their tickets now as space is limited.

Enjoying a successful 25 year career, BIC Tizon Dife has embarked on an international university tour that will bring him to ESCC between stops at MIT in Massachusetts and Virginia Wesleyan.

His music is a melding of vocals, rap and poetry, all reflecting his status as a master lyricist and a “conveyor of meaning and emotion”. 

For additional information please contact Bill LeCato at 757-789-1797 or wlecato@es.vccs.edu.

TICKETS

Your Eastern Shore Community College is proud to announce the hiring of Chase Baxa as the head coach of ESCC’s newly formed soccer program. Baxa begins in his role on February 3^rdand will proceed with student recruitment for the men’s and women’s teams.  This will include recruiting existing ESCC students and high school seniors from every high school on the Shore.  The college is extremely excited for the enthusiasm existing Shore-wide for these upcoming opportunities.

After a naming campaign held in the community and online last fall, final choices were posed to ESCC students in January.  With the final say for the team name, the campus spoke definitively and voted for the “ESCC-FC” (Eastern Shore Community College Football Club) with a nod to popular and dominating outfits worldwide. Logos and branding for ESCC-FC will be forthcoming.

A program budget was developed based on the experiences of other Virginia community colleges that have athletic programs and presented to the Accomack and Northampton Board of Supervisors.  Both boards, along with the ESCC Foundation, have provided funding to enable the launch of the program.

Coach Baxa is from Western Pennsylvania and moved to the Eastern Shore in 2021. A graduate of Geneva College, he played four years of Division III soccer there. He currently teaches science at Northampton High School and coaches the boys soccer program. He credits an incredible team and many coaches to help bring his overall coaching record to 43-14, including one state championship and one runner-up. 

Baxa also directs a travel soccer program, Shore FC, for players looking to play at a higher level. He says his passion for both science and soccer has led to incredible opportunities. At Northampton he has taught grades 9-12 including Environmental Science, Earth Science, Ecology, Anatomy, Marine Biology, and his specialty Physics.

He comments that “my goal for the men’s and women’s Eastern Shore Community College soccer teams is simple:  to showcase the talented and devoted student-athletes that come from the Eastern Shore and create a team that the entire community will be proud of.”

In the coming months there will be multiple opportunities to play soccer and showcase talents. This includes a student intramural league and weekend pick-up games starting in March. In April, the first ESCC Soccer ID Camp will be conducted to take a closer look at the students interested in continuing their soccer careers.

Open tryouts will then be held at the beginning of the fall semester to finalize the team before the season. Additional information and updates will be available on the ESCC website at esccdev.wpengine.com and through the college’s social media channels. Coach Baxa contact information is cbaxa@es.vccs.edu.

Rescheduled Event Back on Track for March 1st 10am-2pm

Your Eastern Shore Community College has announced that the 2025 Winter Arts Fest will be held in the Main Academic Building on campus in Melfa, on Saturday, March 1, from 10am-2pm. A popular showcase for local and regional creativity, the event will feature two floors full of a variety of talents and offerings, plus live musical performances and food options as well.

This event evolved from the previous college Heritage Celebrations which incorporated multiple themes. The February Arts Festival is more focused and driven by the creativity and artistic abilities of Shore residents.  Now in the second year, this update has proven popular with participants and visitors alike, making the offerings much more accessible and weather-proof in an always unpredictable month of February, being held strictly in the college’s state of the art Academic Building.

The February Arts Fest attracts painters in all mediums, woodcrafters and carvers, sculpting, ceramics, fiber, photography, digital art and much more. The two stories of the ESCC Academic Building will be bristling with offerings created by talented residents including some ESCC students and instructors.  Live music with “Medium Wave Jay” will be featured in the student lounge where food and refreshments will be on sale.

The event is made possible by the ESCC Foundation, which provides support to students attending Eastern Shore Community College.  Registrants are asked to confirm by email their availability for the rescheduled date. Questions about the event can be directed to Bill LeCato at 757-789-1797 or email wlecato@es.vccs.edu.