VCIE Conference Registration is now OPEN! Click here to register!
2026 Conference Pricing:
$385 – Full Conference
$285 – 1-Day Conference
$100 – Graduate Student
Registration will close on November 13th.
What if I need to cancel my registration? Written notice to vaassessgroup@gmail.com is required at least 10 days prior to the event.
Don’t forget to book your hotel room using our hotel room block link!
We are looking forward to seeing you November 18-20th at Hotel 24 South, located in Staunton, VA.
Our conference will feature a panel of four college and university presidents representing institutions across Virginia. This is a must-attend session you won’t want to miss! Panelists will include:
Dr. Downey, President of Blue Ridge Community College
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 BRCC, as well as at Bunker Hill Community College in Boston. He currently serves on several local boards and is a member of the Harrisonburg Rotary Club. 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 Accelerate 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 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.
Dr. Bushman, President of Bridgewater College
An accomplished academic leader, Dr. David W. Bushman draws upon his extensive experience in higher education administration and in the classroom as President of Bridgewater College. Dr. Bushman became the College’s ninth president in 2013.During his time at Bridgewater, President Bushman has led the development of new academic and co-curricular programs at the College, including the launch of graduate programs; the creation and naming of three schools to support the College’s faculty and academic programs; the development and implementation of Bridgewater’s most recent strategic plan, The Vision for Our Future: Strategic Plan 2025; and the College’s re-affirmation of accreditation from Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) in 2022.
In 2023, Dr. Bushman led the College in a bold, public commitment to tuition transparency in its pricing, making clear to prospective students and families that a private college education is accessible. A primary voice of the initiative, he published op-eds in Inside Higher Ed and Fortune magazine and appeared in television and streaming platform ads across Virginia.
Dr. Bushman has also overseen the rejuvenation of Bridgewater’s campus, including a centralized location for the Office of Student Life, the creation of vibrant outdoor gathering spaces such as Rebecca Quad, the renovation of Bowman Hall, and, most notably, the planning and construction of the John Kenny Forrer Learning Commons, which transformed and expanded the College’s library into a modern hub for learning. President Bushman has been an active leader in fundraising initiatives throughout his tenure at Bridgewater College, including the successful conclusion in 2025 of the College’s most recent fundraising campaign—Connections: The Campaign for Bridgewater College. While at BC, President Bushman has served in leadership capacities in a variety of higher education groups, including Chair of the Council of Independent Colleges of Virginia and Chair of the President’s Council of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC).
Dr. Bushman came to BC from Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Md. where he was the founding dean of the university’s School of Natural Science and Mathematics. Prior to leading Mount St. Mary’s School of Natural Science and Mathematics, Dr. Bushman served as President of Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, N.C. Before joining Lees-McRae in 2004, Dr. Bushman served in a variety of roles at Mount St. Mary’s, including Dean of Academic Services, Director of Assessment, Chair of the Department of Science, and Associate Professor of Biology. Dr. Bushman earned his bachelor of science in biology summa cum laude from Loyola College in Maryland. He graduated from the University of Maryland with both his master of science and doctorate in entomology. Upon completion of his Ph.D., Dr. Bushman worked for several years in private industry as a research biologist and research fellow. He has been published in the field of entomology as well as undergraduate science education.
Dr. Schmidt, President of James Madison University
A passionate advocate for American pub-lic higher education, Dr. James C. Schmidt is the seventh president ofJames Madison University. A champion of academic excellence, he has pledged to make JMU a preferred partner with business and communities throughout the Shenandoah Valley and the Commonwealth of Virginia. Building relationships and creative collaborations has been a hallmark of President Schmidt’s career. Since his arrival at JMU in July 2025, he has met with more than 200 corporate CEOs and community leaders to explore ways to partner in strengthening the region and enriching student experiences. At his previous institution, he forged a groundbreaking research collaboration with the Mayo Clinic that included development of a shared $340 million science and health sciences building. He served as a member of the board of directors for Mayo Clinic Health System-Wisconsin for 10 years.
He has also included alumni and community members in JMU’s bold new strategic vision, culminating in the Madison Promise, a commitment to provide students with a path breaking educational experience that redefines the university degree and opens new opportunities for the future. Centered on academic excellence, real-world engagement, undergraduate research, and development of the power skills needed for a changing world, JMU continues its progress as a national leader. In addition to advocating for academic excellence, President Jim has cheered on Dukes football as the team won its first SunBelt Championship and reached the national College Football Playoff. He is currently a member of the board of directors of the Northern Virginia Technology Council and the Virginia Business Higher Education Council. He is also a member of the board of directors for WNB Financial, a member of the executive commit-tee and past chair. President Schmidt previously served as chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.Under his leadership, the university earned top national rankings for under graduate research, study abroad, and Fulbright and Rhodes scholars. Philanthropy, industry partnerships and capital expansion also flourished under President Schmidt’s leadership. While at UW-Eau Claire, Dr. Schmidt tripled the university’s foundation assets and raised more than $190 million.
Previous tenures included service as vice president for university advancement at Winona State University in Winona, Minnesota, and vice president for student affairs at Riverland Community College in Austin, Minnesota. He holds a doctorate in educational policy and administration from the University of Minnesota, a master’s degree in business administration from the University of St. Thomas in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Winona State University. President Schmidt and his wife, Kim Schmidt, have three sons and are proud to call Harrisonburg and the Shenandoah Valley home.
Dr. Adams-Gaston, President of Norfolk State University
Dr. Javaune Adams-Gaston is the seventh President of Norfolk State University. She began her tenure on June 24, 2019. As President, she is committed to ensuring that Norfolk State University fulfills its mission as an HBCU for the modern world, a university grounded by its heritage, focused on the future, and deeply committed to student success. Her vision is opportunity, access, affordability, growth, sustainability, and student excellence. A strong advocate for collaboration and developing strategic partnerships with local, regional, and state and national stakeholders, Dr. Adams-Gaston is committed to cultivating strong connections in the university, among alumni and in the community.
Under President Adams-Gaston’s leadership, Norfolk State University is ranked as number 13 of 100 in the nation of top producers of HBCU graduates of bachelor’s degrees according to the US Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics. Norfolk State University successfully achieved the status of a U.S. News and World Report Top 20Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023. The university attained 10-year reaffirmation of accreditation by its major accrediting body, The Southern Association of Schools and Colleges Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Enrollment increased to a six-year high in Fall 2025 with over sixty-five hundred students. The University realized record high operating revenues of 104% above projection, the highest in the history of Norfolk State. And Dr. Adams-Gaston has been successful in acquiring multiple donations including a transformational gift of over $40 million from Mackenzie Scott, the largest single donor gift in the history of NSU and a second gift of $50 million from Mackenzie. The University is closing out a 2025 Capital Campaign with a goal of $90 million. Currently the University is surpassing that goal at $147 million.
Since President Adams-Gaston’s arrival, Norfolk State University has also expanded its online academic program curriculum to include a master’s degree in Cybersecurity and has been recognized nationally by a recent visit by the National Cyber Director, Mr. Harry Coker and designated as a Department of Defense Center of Excellence in Cybersecurity andDepartment of Energy Cybersecurity Consortium Leader. Under her leadership, the online master’s degree in cyber psychology, the first in the nation, launched in Fall 2020 in connection with Academic Partnerships. Many additional successful online graduate programs have been implemented to include Master’s programs in Cybersecurity, UrbanEducation, Special Education, Computer Science, and Electronics Engineering. Her strategic planning has also helped to secure transformational partnerships with the Sentara Healthcare- Public Health Program, Appalachian School of Law 3+3 program, Academic Partnerships, Dominion Energy, Micron Technology, Inc., Landmark, Netflix, 2U, Apple,Amazon, USAA, and the Pharrell Williams Black Ambition Prize, Mighty Dream, Langley Federal Credit union, Chartway Credit Union, Dollar Tree, Inc., Bank of America, Virginia Natural Gas, Towne Bank, Boyd Gaming, and many others.
A recognized higher education leader, President Adams-Gaston is an invited speaker nationally and internationally. Her appointments and honors have included: President Biden’s Appointment to the Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges andUniversities, NCAA Board of Governors among many other boards.
Prior to joining Norfolk State University, Dr. Adams-Gaston served as senior vice president and affiliate assistant professor at The Ohio State University and led forty departments in the Office of Student Life annually impacting over 66,000 students. Prior to that she held multiple administrative and faculty positions at the University of Maryland College Park including associate dean of academic affairs, faculty member, executive director of theCareer Center, psychologist and first UMCP Division I African American female assistant athletic director. Trained as a psychologist, Dr. Adams-Gaston spent more than twenty years in psychology practice. She also served as a member of the graduate faculty at theUniversity of Maryland College Park and Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Adams-Gaston earned a bachelor’s degree in biology, psychology, and general science, at the University of Dubuque and a Ph.D. in psychology at Iowa State University. Adams-Gaston was recently honored with the Alumni Award for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Iowa State University.
