Professional Development

from Valley Business FRONT, Issue 160, January 2022

Kevin Holt, Gentry Locke

Reaching higher

Do you want to become a skilled worker who excels in your career? One way to achieve this goal is to be a lifelong learner. Education and training are two important components that boost your confidence and motivate you to strive for upward mobility, reinforce job security, and strengthen your chances of increased wages to support yourself and your family. The mission of the Roanoke Higher Education Center (RHEC) is to provide access to educational opportunities to the citizens of this region and is ideal for adult learners to obtain a degree or earn a certificate or endorsement.

Established 21 years ago, the Center offers more than 200 programs of study. Thus far, over 10,000 degrees and certifications have been awarded. The RHEC is unique in the number and types of organizations that have joined forces to expand access to educational resources at every level. Residents of the Roanoke region can earn anything from a GED to a doctoral degree and have the option to enroll with any of the twelve colleges, universities, or workforce agencies.

Mr. W. Heywood Fralin, Chairman of Retirement Unlimited, Inc., believes the Center contributes to a better quality of life. To show his gratitude, he established an endowment fund with the RHEC Foundation in the fall of 2021. Mr. Fralin stated, “In the future, our nonprofit organizations will have to rely significantly on incomes from endowments to survive. There’s just not enough money to go around, and organizations that create permanent endowments now will be the ones that survive in the decades ahead.” The RHEC Foundation plans to grow this endowment through estate gifts, trusts, and other planned giving efforts. RHEC’s Executive Director, Dr. Kay Dunkley, states, “We appreciate Mr. Fralin’s financial support and hope others in the community who have a passion for lifelong learning will contribute to this fund.” The endowment is one-way RHEC can sustain its efforts toward creating an educated and well-trained workforce.