ROANOKE — Dr. Laura J. Treanor was inaugurated as the fifth president of Virginia Western Community College during an investiture ceremony Friday, Sept. 25, at the Jefferson Center in Roanoke.
Treanor has served as president of the college since July 1, 2025. Virginia Western serves students throughout the Roanoke Valley and surrounding communities, including Craig County.
Dr. Beth A. Quinn, chair of the Virginia Western Local Advisory Board, presided over the ceremony.
In her inaugural address, Treanor outlined a framework for the college to embrace innovation and create opportunities for students from a wide range of backgrounds, ages and circumstances.
“Each of us is entrusted with something that can create possibility for someone else,” Treanor said. “And I have come to believe that leadership, at its very best, is the stewardship of that opportunity.”
Before joining Virginia Western, Treanor served as provost and senior vice president for instructional services at Vincennes University. She previously held senior academic leadership positions at Baker College and faculty appointments at Roanoke College, West Virginia University and Barton College.
Treanor holds bachelor’s and doctoral degrees from Virginia Tech and a master’s degree from The Ohio State University.
Friday’s ceremony began with a procession of delegates from more than 30 Virginia colleges and universities, along with Virginia Western faculty and administrators.
Speakers included David Dantzler, chair of the Virginia Western Educational Foundation Scholarship & Foundation Grants Committee; Roanoke Mayor Joe Cobb; Hagar Atef Youssef, a member of the Virginia Western Class of 2026 and current Radford University student; Anna Goltz, corporate training administrative assistant and chair of Staff Senate; Dr. Jordan Tucker, program head and professor for the Physical Therapist Assistant Program and chair of the Administrative Faculty Senate; and Jenifer Kurtz, program head for General Studies, associate professor of English and past president of Faculty Senate.
Dr. Charles R. Johnson, president of Vincennes University, reflected on Treanor’s leadership during her time at the Indiana institution.
“Courage, honesty, and a commitment to quality,” Johnson said, describing Treanor’s key qualities. “When I think about them together, I see that they are really the ways her commitment to growth shows up in practice. Growth for her institution, growth for the people around her, and growth for herself.”
Treanor’s selection followed a nationwide search that attracted 61 candidates, Dr. David Doré, chancellor of the Virginia Community College System, said during the ceremony.
“Virginia Western has gained a highly engaged and collaborative leader,” Doré said. “Over this past year, this campus and community have experienced a president who is visible, approachable, and student-centered. She has built momentum while reinforcing a culture of innovation, collaboration, and accountability.”
Doré administered Treanor’s oath of office and presented her with the presidential medallion.
Treanor’s father, Richard C. “Dick” Treanor, introduced her for the inaugural address and shared personal reflections about her career.
He recalled advising his daughter to pursue business or engineering as she prepared to enter college. Treanor, however, had decided she wanted to pursue education.
“But she knew the direction she wanted her life to take,” he said.
“Throughout her career, Laura has never lost sight of what she learned long ago: Education transforms lives, strengthens communities, and prepares students for meaningful futures,” he said.
Richard Treanor and his daughter also recalled how supporters helped him become a first-generation college graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. Years later, in memory of her mother, their family established the Sheila J. O’Donnell-Treanor Memorial Scholarship, which now helps Virginia Western nursing students facing unexpected financial challenges.
During her address, Treanor explained the philosophy behind VIBE, which stands for Visionary Innovation and Bold Engagement.
“Now, I realize that ‘vibe’ may not be the first word you expect to hear in a presidential address,” she said.
Rather than another college initiative, Treanor described VIBE as an approach to Virginia Western’s work.
“As we look ahead, the question is: What opportunity can we create from here?” she asked. “And just as important, for whom?”
Treanor encouraged those attending to “become the next person who opens a door.”
She urged those in the audience to be the person willing to say, “I believe in you,” and thanked those who had offered that support to her throughout her life and career, with special thanks to her husband, Brian.
The investiture was the culmination of a week of activities on the Virginia Western campus celebrating Treanor’s presidency and the college’s 60th anniversary.
Events included the unveiling of a presidential portrait and college history display, a ceremonial tree planting, an ice cream social and treats for day and evening students, a student painting project involving kindness rocks, and a campus party honoring Treanor and the college.
