Remembering TNCC’s John Dever

Thomas Nelson Community College looked to him for guidance over the last nine years

ommunity colleges are an invaluable part of the higher education landscape in Virginia — providing an opportunity for workers to learn practical and marketable skills, serving as a bridge to four-year degrees, offering essential training for employers and offering advanced programs for high school students seeking a new challenge.

On the Peninsula, Thomas Nelson Community College is proud to deliver all those services and much more for residents. And for the last nine years, a pivotal period for TNCC, it was guided by John Dever, who served as president from 2011 until his retirement in January, and who died this month at 74.

Dever’s was a steady hand on the tiller, someone whose life in academia instilled a keen understanding of the tremendous potential in higher education and how to unleash it. Under his direction, TNCC endured the choppy post-recession recovery and expanded programming and career training.

Community colleges across Virginia face declining enrollment and a host of other challenges — and that was before the coronavirus pandemic forced most instruction online. And Dever spent his last days as president trying to help TNCC strengthen its core mission to prepare students to compete in the global marketplace.

May Dever’s memory be celebrated by the thousands who passed through TNCC’s doors while he served as president as well as those across the region who benefited indirectly as a result of his leadership and service.

Feeding those in need

The sun should have risen this morning on a full slate of activity at the Oceanfront in Virginia Beach. This was supposed to be the second day of music at the Something in the Water festival, with thousands of people flocking to the beach for the event’s second year.

Of course, SITW was canceled, one of countless events affected by the coronvirus pandemic. That was a disappointment to those planning to attend, who snapped up tickets as soon as they went on sale, as well as to the artists scheduled to perform and festival organizers, headed by Virginia Beach native Pharrell Williams.

But with plans disrupted in the pandemic, Williams decided to join with celebrity chef José Andrés’ charity World Central Kitchen to provide meals for area residents who need assistance in this crisis. The Chefs forAmerica program works with restaurants to provide meals for those affected.

In an interview with Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon earlier this month, Williams said he raised $14 million directly and $7 million indirectly to fund the initiative. And Friday the group posted video from the Hispanic Resource Center of Coastal Virginia in Hampton, where volunteers distributed 200 meals from Chix in Virginia Beach as well as pantry items to families.

The group plans to continue its work in the coming weeks and every meal, every item, that goes to someone in need is a step in the right direction. To help those efforts, visit the World Central Kitchen website at wck.org.

Kitchen confidential

Speaking of celebrity chefs such as José Andrés, it was made apparent this week that Virginia Sen. Mark Warner is not one.

A video of the former governor making what he describes as a “tuna melt” circulated on social media this week — complete with Warner using approximately one ton of mayonnaise, not draining the tuna before putting it on the sandwich and using a microwave (of all things) to melt the cheese.

The abomination received substantial ridicule from the internet. Pilot food writer Matthew Korfhage called it a “crime against tuna, against sandwiches and tongues, and against all human eyes.” And it prompted fellow Sen. Kamala Harris to patiently run through her more traditional tuna melt recipe for Warner to try.

For his part, Warner seemed unmoved by the reaction, joking that he wouldn’t post another recipe on the internet if he received enough support for proposed legislation helping workers in the crisis. But it’s something that really must be seen to be believed — and even then you might not believe it.