2026 SPECIAL SESSION I
ENROLLED
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 2138
Commending Kay Dunkley, Ed.D.
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, June 22, 2026
WHEREAS, Kay Dunkley, Ed.D., executive director of the Roanoke Higher Education Center, who has devoted herself to expanding educational and employment opportunities for the Roanoke community, will retire on January 1, 2027; and
WHEREAS, Kay Dunkley earned bachelor's and master's degrees from Radford University and a doctorate from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), and she previously served in various senior leadership positions at Virginia Tech and the Virginia Community College System and with two public school divisions; and
WHEREAS, Kay Dunkley has served for the past 10 years as the executive director of the Roanoke Higher Education Center (RHEC), overseeing an institution that brings 11 member institutions and five partner institutions together to offer quality undergraduate-level and graduate-level courses to Roanoke's students; and
WHEREAS, an average of 800 to 900 students completed RHEC programs annually during Kay Dunkley's tenure, entering the workforce with the skills and training needed to become thriving and productive members of the community; and
WHEREAS, Kay Dunkley has worked closely with board members, staff, educational partners, and community leaders to ensure the RHEC's success in pursuit of its mission; and
WHEREAS, Kay Dunkley's achievements with the RHEC include establishing the Central Walkway on RHEC's campus to honor the history and legacy of the Gainsboro community and invigorating the RHEC Foundation by recruiting new board members, hiring a coordinator of philanthropy, and creating new fundraising opportunities; and