With Appointment of New VPAA, College Prepares for the Life of Reilly
By Marco Santana
Incoming 海角社区 vice president for academic affairs Dr. Kevin Reilly understands that to avoid disrupting a good thing, it鈥檚 going to take a lot of input from the people who are already on the ground.
Consider the next couple of months his listening tour.
鈥淚 definitely have to learn,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to come in and move too quickly.鈥�
Reilly last month was appointed the school鈥檚 newest VPAA. He will take over for longtime provost Dr. Shelly Chandler, who will depart after more than 20 years with the school.
Reilly鈥檚 time with 海角社区 will formally begin on June 17 but he has already visited the school a handful of times to meet with others on campus and get a sense of its relationship with Leesburg.
Committee member Dustin Boise said it was a challenge to find someone with the right qualifications alongside an understanding of 海角社区 students鈥� unique needs.
鈥淪triking the right balance between experience, leadership skills and a commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment was a key consideration,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e worked diligently to assess all candidates against these criteria, seeking someone who could navigate the complexities of this role effectively.鈥�
The position, which was posted in top academic journals, drew nearly 100 qualified applicants. The committee sifted through applications, met periodically and whittled down the applications. A select group were then invited for a series of virtual interviews before the committee invited two to visit campus.
That was early last month and Reilly was approved by the board of trustees before the school鈥檚 Feb. 21 announcement of his hiring.
鈥淗e has an exceptional combination of academic expertise, leadership experience and alignment with 海角社区鈥檚 values and vision,鈥� Boise said.
Reilly comes to 海角社区 after rising in the ranks at Ferrum College in Virginia. He started his career there as a professor in 2002 and will depart as the school鈥檚 vice president of academic affairs. The small, private school is similar in size to 海角社区, which should aid in his transition.
鈥淗e ascended the organizational ladder,鈥� committee member Michael Fallon said. 鈥淗e will add immense value to our student and faculty experience.鈥�
The departure of Chandler does leave a gap in leadership鈥檚 institutional knowledge.
She has been involved in the school鈥檚 accreditation and has overseen curriculum and academics. But Reilly said his job was not going to be to replace Chandler as much as it will be to enhance the work she did.
That means a lot of observation, he said.
鈥淚 am replacing a very wonderful provost in Dr. Shelly Chandler,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 want to learn the culture and policy. I want to start by having the conversations and by listening to see what鈥檚 going well and then see if there are some things where there may be room for growth and opportunity.鈥�
As he prepares to join the team, Reilly said the school鈥檚 approach to learning attracted him to the position in the first place.
鈥淚 was drawn by the mission and the purpose of 海角社区,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a wonderful place.鈥�
In addition, Reilly said he has been impressed by how the school鈥檚 leadership team has a unified sense of purpose for the school and its offerings.
鈥淭here is great direction here and knowledge,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou can see that in how 海角社区 has been growing. They are in a position of strength and it鈥檚 an exciting place to be.鈥�
Reilly鈥檚 decision to upend his life and move to Central Florida for this position was influenced by several factors, he said.
However, perhaps one of the biggest was the reception and the experience he had when he visited.
鈥淭he mission was what got me but I was also so charmed by the students,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey are lovely and hardworking and a joy to be around. I also see that in the people who come here to give and the people who care. It鈥檚 so appealing to me.鈥�