Richmond, VA - This afternoon, Anne Holton continued her tour of colleges and community colleges across Virginia with a stop at Northern Virginia Community College in Alexandria, where she shared Governor Kaine’s strategies to improve Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) curriculum, career and technical education, and workforce training.
“As governor during the worst recession since the Great Depression, Tim had to cut more than $5 billion in spending—including his own salary—but he still managed to make significant investments in higher education,” said Holton. “Tim understands we need to invest in higher education, career and technical education, and workforce development in order to maintain a globally competitive workforce and strengthen the economy for the long term.”
Throughout the tour, Holton discussed Kaine’s commitment to improve education throughout his career and the bipartisan results he achieved for Virginia students as governor. During his term as governor, Kaine worked with members of both parties to pass a record higher education bond package, which renovated and constructed academic buildings throughout the Commonwealth, including facilities at Northern Virginia Community College. As governor, Kaine also increased pre-k enrollment by 40 percent and designated nine career and technical education programs as Governor’s Academies.
“I have visited more than twenty universities and community colleges over the last couple months, and I’ve seen first-hand how Tim's investment in education as governor continues to help improve and expand our higher education facilities across the state," said Holton. "The 2008 bond package my husband helped pass with bipartisan support, has renovated and constructed state-of-the-art classrooms, labs and buildings that help educators prepare our students to compete for high-skill jobs. As our next senator, Tim will continue to develop our world-class workforce to attract new businesses, create jobs and strengthen our economy.”
Later this evening in McLean, Holton will join her father, former Governor Linwood Holton, at the Virginia 8th Congressional District Democratic Committee's Kennedy-King dinner. At the dinner, Governor Holton will receive an award honoring his public service and contributions to the Commonwealth.
Previous stops on Holton's college tour across Virginia include visits to Tidewater Community College (Virginia Beach Campus), Norfolk State University, George Mason University, Northern Virginia Community College (Woodbridge Campus), Dabney S. Lancaster Community College, Northern Virginia Community College (Annandale Campus), Rappahannock Community College, Paul D. Camp Community College, John Tyler Community College, the College of William and Mary, Richard Bland College, Virginia Western Community College, Virginia State University, J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College (Parham Campus), Thomas Nelson Community College, Christopher Newport University, Reston Center of Northern Virginia Community College, James Madison University, University of Mary Washington, Germanna Community College (Culpeper Campus), and Old Dominion University.
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