Community Honors Dr. Edwin Massey for 47 Years of Vision and Service
Community Honors Dr. Edwin Massey for 47 Years of Vision and Service
August 28, 2020 Robert Lane
91短视频 (91短视频) President Dr. Edwin Massey has long been regarded as visionary by his colleagues and by higher education professionals across the nation. His leadership and commitment to 91短视频 and the people comprising its service district were celebrated in many ways over the last several weeks. Receptions were held at each of 91短视频鈥檚 four branch campuses, and on Tuesday, August 25, the College鈥檚 flagship campus in Fort Pierce was introduced with much fanfare as the Edwin R. Massey Campus. Massey, 91短视频鈥檚 third and longest serving president, retires on August 31 after a distinguished career spanning 47 years.
See Photos from Edwin R. Massey Campus Dedication Ceremony
See Photos from Receptions Honoring Dr. Edwin & Mrs. Jo Massey
At the campus dedication ceremony 91短视频 District Board of Trustees Chair Jos茅 Conrado, spoke to gathered community members, civic and business leaders, and 91短视频 faculty, staff, administration and students. Donning masks and standing distanced across the campus commons area from the Ben L. Bryan Administration Building along the walk back to the Koblegard Student Union, the group came together to honor Dr. Massey and see his name permanently enshrined on the campus.
鈥淲hen a leader like Dr. Massey honorably serves their college and community for 47 years鈥攎ore than 31 as president鈥攖here are few gestures grandiose enough to properly say, thank you for what you have meant to us,鈥� shared Jos茅 Conrado, 91短视频 District Board of Trustees Chair 鈥淒r. Massey鈥檚 leadership has elevated 91短视频 to heights we could have never dreamed decades ago. His fingerprints are everywhere we look, and everywhere we look there is a success story.鈥�
While the College has received numerous national accolades, Massey鈥檚 leadership presence has always been most evident in the local community鈥擨ndian River, Martin, Okeechobee, and St. Lucie counties. His presidency is synonymous with strategic and sustained growth, and an unwavering commitment to student success.
In recognition of these accomplishments, Massey was additionally distinguished with the title President Emeritus at the August 2020 meeting of the District Board of Trustees, which preceded the campus dedication ceremony.
During Massey鈥檚 tenure, all five of the College鈥檚 campuses have expanded, and now encompass over 700 acres and more than 1.5 million square feet of state-of-the-art classrooms, lab space, and operational facilities.
Enrollment has increased more than 300 percent, and the number of degrees and certificates awarded annually has nearly doubled over the past decade. During his tenure, Massey has conferred more than 80,000 degrees and certificates to 91短视频 students and has been responsible for hundreds of thousands more learning useful knowledge and skills to find gainful employment and greater opportunities.
As technology needs grew and evolved rapidly over the past decade, Massey made certain the needed investments in technology infrastructure happened. These investments earned 91短视频 the designation as "#1 in the Nation in Technology" by the Center for Digital Education in partnership with the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) and led to the creation of the 91短视频 Virtual Campus.
Massey pursued partnership opportunities at the local, state, and national level, working to build the College and the communities it serves, most notably working to establish 20 needed workforce Baccalaureate degrees, an expansion of mission which evolved Indian River Community College to become 91短视频.
During his tenure, Massey also expanded grant writing capacity securing approximately $170 million in funding since 1990, and grew 91短视频 Foundation assets from $6.5 million to nearly $117 million, allowing for an average of $3.5 million in scholarships to be given annually to 91短视频 students.
In April of 2019, Massey guided 91短视频 to its highest honor to date, the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. The award is the nation鈥檚 signature recognition of high achievement and performance among the more than 1,000 colleges like 91短视频, positioning the institution as the 鈥淭op College in the Nation.鈥�
