New Department Chairs named at VGCC
Two Vance-Granville Community College faculty members were promoted to lead instructional departments recently. Greg Nash of Durham, formerly a Business Administration instructor, assumed the role of Department Chair for Adult Basic Skills, while J. Keith Shearon of Youngsville has taken on the additional role of Department Chair for Applied Technologies while continuing to serve as a Mechatronics Engineering Technology instructor.
A native of Atlanta, Nash (pictured above, left) earned a Computer Operations diploma from Atlanta Technical College while simultaneously earning a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Atlanta University. He then worked for IBM for many years in a variety of locations, including Chicago, where he got his first experience in education as a volunteer. After his career brought him to the Triangle, Nash earned a Master of Divinity degree at Duke University. Subsequently, he earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC) in Atlanta. “Duke’s and ITC’s academic rigor helped me see direct correlations between education and ministry, so much so that I see education and ministry as one,” Nash said. “Being a member of the VGCC family facilitates this perspective.” He has been a member of the VGCC faculty since 2009, serving as an instructor at the Federal Correctional Complex in Butner, as college liaison for Warren Early College High School, as co-coordinator of VGCC’s Male Mentoring Program and as an instructor for the Business Administration curriculum.
As department chair, Nash now directs Adult Basic Skills/Literacy programs that allow students to earn an Adult High School Diploma or High School Equivalency diploma. Classes are available at all four VGCC campuses, at various community locations, and online. Other programs included in his department are Basic Skills Plus, Compensatory Education and English as a Second Language.
Shearon (pictured above, right), who was born and raised in Louisburg, is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, where he was trained in electronics and hydraulic systems as a RADAR technician. He briefly attended VGCC after his military service. Shearon went on to earn a certificate in marketing from UNC-Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business School and a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design from North Carolina State University. He also completed industry training in change acceleration and Lean Six Sigma (“Black Belt” level).
Shearon’s career has included more than 20 years working in multiple roles for one of the world’s largest manufacturers of batteries, including as a technician, an engineering manager and an electronics training instructor. He also served for several years as the director of quality control for a communications equipment manufacturer. Shearon has been a product and process designer, consulting with several different companies, and he holds two product design patents. He joined VGCC in 2014 as the first head of the new Mechatronics Engineering Technology program.
In his new position, he oversees that program as well as certificate, diploma and degree programs in a variety of career fields, including Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration Technology , Automotive Systems Technology , Carpentry , Electrical Systems Technology , Electronics Engineering Technology , Sustainability Technologies and Welding Technology .
“Greg and Keith both bring to their new positions a wealth of experience in business and industry, as well as a commitment to student success,” said VGCC Vice President of Academic & Student Affairs Dr. Angela Ballentine. “Their leadership will help Vance-Granville educate, inspire and supports our diverse community of learners, while providing our region with a skilled workforce.”
