Dr. John Downey serves as the fifth President of Blue Ridge Community College (BRCC), a position he has held since 2009. Prior to his service as president, Dr. Downey worked in a variety of capacities at Blue Ridge, as well as at Bunker Hill Community College in Boston. He currently serves on several local boards, including the Shenandoah Valley Partnership Board, the Shenandoah Valley Workforce Development Board, the On The Road Collaborative Board, the Voice of Business Committee of the Greater Augusta Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Public Policy Committee of the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce. Prior board service included serving as chair of the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce, chair of the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank Board, and member of the Go Virginia Region 8 Council. Dr. Downey also has served as a member of the Board of the Harrisonburg Rotary Club and the Genedge Alliance.
Dr. Downey completed his doctoral program in Higher Education Administration at the University of Virginia, where he earned the Annette Gibbs Research Publication Award. He served as the Chair of the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) Complete 2021 Strategic Planning Task Force, and was a member of the Achieve 2015 and Opportunity 2030 strategic planning committees for the VCCS. Under his leadership, BRCC has garnered recognition for its progressive workforce initiatives and partnerships, and as a key player in local economic development. BRCC has been recognized frequently on the Honor Roll by the Chronicle of Higher Education’s “Great Colleges to Work For” program. In 2010, Dr. Downey was recognized as the most supportive president of the year at the Enactus (formerly SIFE) National Exposition. In 2018, he was awarded the Business Leadership Award by the Greater Augusta Regional Chamber of Commerce, and in 2019 he received the Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction from the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society for his support of the BRCC Alpha Xi Xi chapter.
Welcome to Blue Ridge Community College
Our mission is to provide comprehensive certificate and associate degree programs, workforce development training, and continuing education courses, designed to meet the educational needs of Virginia’s central Shenandoah Valley. We empower students through academic rigor, quality student services, and affordable educational programs.
Staff and faculty at BRCC are dedicated to this mission, and we are committed to our community. Please let us know how we can help you reach your goals.
Sincerely,
Dr. John A. Downey
President
Contact
Dr. John Downey
President@brcc.edu
(540) 453-2200