Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center, May 30, 2025
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2025 Virginia Network Annual Conference
2025 Virginia Network Annual State Conference Speakers
President's Panel
Among the Stars: Expanding our Professional Constellations
Dr. Mirta Martin
President of Ferrum College
Dr. Mirta Martin, assumed the role of the thirteenth president of Ferrum College in October 2023 after serving as interim president for ten months. A native of Havana, Cuba, and an immigrant to the United States, Dr. Martin is dedicated to promoting accessible and affordable educational opportunities, leveraging her cultural and interpersonal expertise to create impactful leadership.
Before joining Ferrum College, Dr. Martin served as president of Fairmont State University and Fort Hays State University, and was the dean of Virginia State University’s Reginald F. Lewis School of Business. Dr. Martin has received numerous awards, such as The Hispanic College Fund Legacy Award, and the Presidential Volunteer Service Award from the President of the United States. She was also selected 2019 West Virginia Educator of the Year, and one of 2020 West Virginia’s Living Wonder Women. Most recently, Dr. Martin was selected as one of the 2023 Persona de Poder (Person of Will and Power) in recognition of her work to advance and develop Virginia’s immigrant and Latino communities.
Dr. Martin's academic credentials include dual bachelor’s degrees in psychology and political science from Duke University, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Richmond, and a doctorate in strategic management and leadership from Virginia Commonwealth University.
to serve as president of a public two- or four-year institution of higher education in the Commonwealth of Virginia when she was named president of Central Virginia Community College. Before her presidencies, Dr. Wheelan held faculty and administration positions at the Portsmouth Campus of Tidewater Community College, Thomas Nelson Community College in Hampton, Virginia, and San Antonio College in Texas. She also served as Virginia’s Secretary of Education under Governor Mark Warner.
Dr. Wheelan has received numerous awards, including six honorary degrees, the AAUW Woman of Distinction Award, and the American Association of Community Colleges’ Leadership Award. She has been recognized among Washingtonian Magazine’s 100 Most Powerful Women and remains an active member of organizations such as Rotary International and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
Dr. Wheelan earned a bachelor’s degree, double majoring in psychology and sociology from Trinity University (TX), a master’s degree in developmental educational psychology from Louisiana State University, and a doctorate in educational administration from the University of Texas at Austin. She has announced plans to retire from SACSCOC in July 2025, concluding a distinguished 20-year tenure as president.
Dr. Kris Westover
President of Mountain Empire Community College
Dr. Kris Westover has over 25 years of leadership and experience in education, spanning secondary and higher education. She began her career teaching high school mathematics and coaching middle school sports. Since 2017, Dr. Westover has served as the President of Mountain Empire Community College (MECC) in Big Stone Gap, Virginia.
Prior to joining MECC, Dr. Westover spent six years as the Vice President for Academic and Student Development Services at Patrick Henry Community College in Martinsville, Virginia. Her extensive experience also includes roles at the Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin, the Kansas Board of Regents, and Colby Community College in Northwest Kansas.
Dr. Westover was selected as an Inaugural Institute Presidential Fellow in 2016 and is an alumna of the LEAD Virginia Class of 2013. She holds a doctorate from Nova Southeastern University in Florida, both a master’s degree and bachelor’s degree from Fort Hays State University in Kansas, and an associates degree from Colby Community College.
Keynote Speaker
Dr. Belle S. Wheelan
President, Southern Association of Colleges & Schools Commission on Colleges
Dr. Belle S. Wheelan has dedicated over four decades to education, serving in various leadership roles at the institutional, state, and national levels. Since 2005, she has been the President of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), making history as the first African American and first woman to lead the accrediting body.
Prior to her appointment at SACSCOC, Dr. Wheelan served for three years as president of Northern Virginia Community College, leading Virginia’s largest institution of higher education at the time. In 1992, she made history as the first African American woman
Dr. Javaune Adams-Gaston
President of Norfolk State University
Dr. Javaune Adams-Gaston is the seventh President of Norfolk State University (NSU), beginning her tenure in 2019. Before joining NSU, she held leadership positions at The Ohio State University, as the first female African American Vice President for Student Life, and the University of Maryland.
Dr. Adams-Gaston has also served in administrative and faculty positions at the University of Maryland, College Park and Johns Hopkins University. A nationally recognized leader in higher education, Dr. Adams-Gaston serves on numerous boards, including President Biden’s Board of Advisors on HBCUs, the NCAA Board of Governors, and the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU).
Dr. Adams-Gaston is a trained psychologist with over 25 years of private practice experience. She holds a Ph.D. in psychology from Iowa State University, a master’s degree in psychology from Loras College, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Dubuque.