2026 SESSION
ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 169
Commending Debbie L. Sydow, Ph.D.
Agreed to by the Senate, March 13, 2026
WHEREAS, Debbie L. Sydow, Ph.D., has served with distinction as president of Richard Bland College since July 2012, providing visionary, steady, and transformational leadership to the Commonwealth's only public, residential two-year college; and
WHEREAS, a native of Wise County, Dr. Sydow began her career as an English professor at Southwest Virginia Community College in Richlands; over the course of 13 years in the Virginia Community College System, she served as a dean, vice president, and acting president of Mountain Empire Community College; and
WHEREAS, in 2000, Dr. Sydow was selected as president of Onondaga Community College in the State University of New York system, where she oversaw a $100 million operating budget, secured funding for $125 million in new construction, and served 30,000 students annually; and
WHEREAS, during Dr. Sydow's 14-year presidency, Richard Bland College experienced sustained institutional growth, with total enrollment increasing by 56 percent from 2,006 students in 2012–2013 to 3,134 students in 2024–2025, while improving student retention, graduation rates, and degree completion outcomes; and
WHEREAS, under Dr. Sydow's leadership, dual enrollment participation expanded from 339 students to more than 2,000 students annually, dramatically increasing access and affordability, and the number of high school students earning associate degrees rose from 21 graduates to 83 graduates in two years, with more than 115 projected in 2025–2026; and
WHEREAS, over the course of Dr. Sydow's tenure, Richard Bland College strengthened transfer certainty and upward mobility by expanding guaranteed admission agreements to more than 35 colleges and universities, joining the Aspen Institute's Transfer Scholars Network, and launching the Promise Scholars program to support high-achieving, Pell-eligible students; and