Alumna Phillips named president of Virginia Intermont College
Center of attention: New Virginia Intermont College president E. Clorisa Phillips '77, chats with alumni, trustees and others after the press conference announcing her appointment in Bristol, Va.
Dr. E. Clorisa Phillips ‘77, has been named president of Virginia Intermont College in Bristol, Va., the first woman to hold that position.
“It is grand to see our alumna, Clo Phillips, become the 17th president of Virginia Intermont College and the first woman to hold the post," said William & Mary President Taylor Reveley. "We are proud of her and send our very best wishes as she takes on this challenging new role.”
Dr. Phillips, who received her degree in government before obtaining both a masters and Ph.D. in Education from the University of Virginia, has been the associate provost for institutional effectiveness at UVA. She also took on a special assignment as assistant to the Commonwealth of Virginia’s director of personnel and training, and she also served on the state’s Health Insurance Advisory Committee and to TIAA/CREF’s National Advisory Council.
She also has held numerous appointments to state, regional and national advisory groups and committees.
"It's exciting to see Clorisa Phillips reach this new level of achievement as President of Virginia Intermont,” said John McGlennon, professor and Chair of the Government Department. “I still recall the strong impression she made as an undergraduate in my classes. You knew that she would emerge as an important leader in whatever field she chose. I'm especially glad she chose higher education."
Phillips, who will hold the additional title of professor of public service and leadership, will join Virginia Intermont on Aug. 1. In her current position, she oversees the University of Virginia’s accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and led its successful 2007 reaccreditation. In addition, as part of higher education restructuring in Virginia, she led the negotiation of the first guaranteed admission agreement between U.Va. and the Virginia Community College System. This year, she began a three-year term as trustee of the SACS Commission on Colleges.
She told a gathering of the Virginia Intermont campus community following her appointment that she welcomes the opportunity to become part of the college’s 126-year legacy.
“VI is a wonderful school,” Phillips said. “It has an important history, and it has a present full of promise. There is an amazing spirit and sense of family among the students, faculty, and staff and I am delighted to be part of the VI community. I look forward to leading Virginia Intermont College into the exciting future it deserves.”
She and her husband, Alexander B. Horniman, Killgallon Ohio Art professor of business administration at the University of Virginia, have a daughter, Eva, who is a rising second-year student at the University of Virginia.
