Shannon Kennedy
Photo by Corey Miller
The blizzard of 1993 convinced Shannon Kennedy that she was not cut out for northern winters. A Baltimore native who’d gone to college in Pennsylvania, Kennedy moved to North Carolina once she graduated to be closer to her high school sweetheart and with dreams of becoming a TV reporter.
“I loved being in broadcasting, but when you start out, it’s in small markets,” she says from her sunny office as president of Rappahannock Community College. Her reporting schedule was grueling—covering evening meetings and shooting on weekends—and it didn’t pay well, making it a poor choice for someone with a baby son. “To get anywhere, I had to move to a larger market and we wanted a quiet, rural area to raise a family.” That family eventually included three sons, all avid soccer players.
She solved the problem by taking a public relations position at her husband’s alma mater, Gardner Webb University, and immediately fell in love with higher education because of its mission. “Education is an easy sell when you believe in it,” Kennedy says of her next position at the school writing grants. “As a reporter, I’d learned to talk to anybody, and fundraising for the school translates to the same skill set I’d used as a reporter.”
From the first interview for the RCC president’s position, Kennedy was in love with the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula region. Once she was offered the job, she, her youngest son and the family dogs found a house to lease in Cobbs Creek until her husband is able to find a position here. As an avid hunter and fisherman, he’ll certainly love the region as much as she does.
“Everybody’s been so welcoming and gracious in getting to know me and they’re all very proud of RCC,” she says. “It’s a wonderful situation to walk into because no one’s complaining about what needs fixing at the school.”
Kennedy intends to continue the momentum begun by her predecessor, Sissy Crowther.
Although she played field hockey and lacrosse in high school and lacrosse in college, the last 15 years she’s channeled her athleticism into being a soccer parent for her sons’ traveling teams. Since arriving this summer, she’s been busy getting to know the RCC employees and getting integrated into the community. One benefit of landing here, she’s discovered, is the abundance of dining options.
“I plan my days around food,” she laughs, delighting in the array of seafood on every menu she’s seen, from Olivia’s to Richardson’s Café to Southwind. “Living in western North Carolina, you couldn’t get fresh seafood. I had steamed crabs twice the first month I was here!” Eating at the Oaks, she was amazed to be served squash from the owner’s garden and looks forward to more local eating.
As the RCC staff adjusts to a new leader, Kennedy says she’s already gotten the best possible compliment. A staffer told her, “I know you’re the president, but you’re as easy to talk to as the woman in the next cubicle.” High praise, indeed.
“I’m excited to go to work every day,” Kennedy says of her goal to meet the needs of the community RCC serves, while acknowledging that those needs change constantly. “This feels like a great fit.”