Richmond, VA - Today, Anne Holton, wife of former governor and U.S. Senate candidate Tim Kaine, continued her tour of community colleges and universities across Virginia with a visit to Rappahannock Community College (Warsaw Campus) and Northern Virginia Community College (Annandale Campus). In Warsaw, Anne toured the main academic facility at Rappahannock Community College and met students studying in recently renovated nursing, anatomy and chemistry labs. At Holton's stop yesterday in Annandale, she toured science and technology labs at Northern Virginia Community College and learned about the soon-to-be constructed student services facility.
At both tour stops, Holton emphasized her husband’s strong record of improving educational opportunities for Virginians from pre-k to higher education and workforce training programs. As governor, Kaine increased pre-k enrollment by 40 percent and designated nine career and technical education programs across the Commonwealth as Governor’s academies.
“As governor during a national recession, Tim worked with members of both parties to make necessary cuts to the state budget, but he also left room for critical investments in education that continue to strengthen Virginia’s economy and workforce," said Holton. "As our next senator, Tim will make education a priority and bring his balanced approach to Washington. Tim firmly believes that we can’t just cut our way to prosperity—we have to invest in the next generation.”
During the tours, Holton also discussed Kaine’s work across the aisle to pass a record higher education bond package, which funded the construction of new facilities, equipment, and classrooms in colleges and community colleges across the Commonwealth. Both Rappahannock Community College and Northern Virginia Community College received funding from the bond package, which was used to expand and upgrade academic facilities.
“Tim believes we need to develop a talent economy and as governor he was able to recruit world-class businesses to Virginia because of our incredibly skilled workforce—graduates of our workforce training programs, two-year colleges, and four-year universities,” said Holton. “We need to continue to invest in higher education and work to bring down costs in order for the state to remain globally competitive.”
Holton has toured college campuses throughout the Commonwealth—including Tidewater Community College (Virginia Beach Campus), Norfolk State University, George Mason University, Northern Virginia Community College (Woodbridge Campus), and Dabney S. Lancaster Community College—to share Kaine’s economic vision with educators, students, and administrators.
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