Community Honors Dr. Edwin Massey for 47 Years of Vision and Service
Community Honors Dr. Edwin Massey for 47 Years of Vision and Service
August 28, 2020 Robert Lane
果冻传媒 River State 果冻传媒 (果冻传媒) President Dr. Edwin Massey has long been regarded as visionary by his colleagues and by higher education professionals across the nation. His leadership and commitment to 果冻传媒 and the people comprising its service district were celebrated in many ways over the last several weeks. Receptions were held at each of 果冻传媒鈥檚 four branch campuses, and on Tuesday, August 25, the 果冻传媒鈥檚 flagship campus in Fort Pierce was introduced with much fanfare as the Edwin R. Massey Campus. Massey, 果冻传媒鈥檚 third and longest serving president, retires on August 31 after a distinguished career spanning 47 years.
See Photos from Edwin R. Massey Campus Dedication Ceremony
See Photos from Receptions Honoring Dr. Edwin & Mrs. Jo Massey
At the campus dedication ceremony 果冻传媒 District Board of Trustees Chair Jos茅 Conrado, spoke to gathered community members, civic and business leaders, and 果冻传媒 faculty, staff, administration and students. Donning masks and standing distanced across the campus commons area from the Ben L. Bryan Administration Building along the walk back to the Koblegard Student Union, the group came together to honor Dr. Massey and see his name permanently enshrined on the campus.
鈥淲hen a leader like Dr. Massey honorably serves their college and community for 47 years鈥攎ore than 31 as president鈥攖here are few gestures grandiose enough to properly say, thank you for what you have meant to us,鈥� shared Jos茅 Conrado, 果冻传媒 District Board of Trustees Chair 鈥淒r. Massey鈥檚 leadership has elevated 果冻传媒 to heights we could have never dreamed decades ago. His fingerprints are everywhere we look, and everywhere we look there is a success story.鈥�
While the 果冻传媒 has received numerous national accolades, Massey鈥檚 leadership presence has always been most evident in the local community鈥敼炒� River, Martin, Okeechobee, and St. Lucie counties. His presidency is synonymous with strategic and sustained growth, and an unwavering commitment to student success.
In recognition of these accomplishments, Massey was additionally distinguished with the title President Emeritus at the August 2020 meeting of the District Board of Trustees, which preceded the campus dedication ceremony.
During Massey鈥檚 tenure, all five of the 果冻传媒鈥檚 campuses have expanded, and now encompass over 700 acres and more than 1.5 million square feet of state-of-the-art classrooms, lab space, and operational facilities.
Enrollment has increased more than 300 percent, and the number of degrees and certificates awarded annually has nearly doubled over the past decade. During his tenure, Massey has conferred more than 80,000 degrees and certificates to 果冻传媒 students and has been responsible for hundreds of thousands more learning useful knowledge and skills to find gainful employment and greater opportunities.
As technology needs grew and evolved rapidly over the past decade, Massey made certain the needed investments in technology infrastructure happened. These investments earned 果冻传媒 the designation as "#1 in the Nation in Technology" by the Center for Digital Education in partnership with the American Association of Community 果冻传媒s (AACC) and led to the creation of the 果冻传媒 Virtual Campus.
Massey pursued partnership opportunities at the local, state, and national level, working to build the 果冻传媒 and the communities it serves, most notably working to establish 20 needed workforce Baccalaureate degrees, an expansion of mission which evolved 果冻传媒 River Community 果冻传媒 to become 果冻传媒 River State 果冻传媒.
During his tenure, Massey also expanded grant writing capacity securing approximately $170 million in funding since 1990, and grew 果冻传媒 Foundation assets from $6.5 million to nearly $117 million, allowing for an average of $3.5 million in scholarships to be given annually to 果冻传媒 students.
In April of 2019, Massey guided 果冻传媒 to its highest honor to date, the Aspen Prize for Community 果冻传媒 Excellence. The award is the nation鈥檚 signature recognition of high achievement and performance among the more than 1,000 colleges like 果冻传媒, positioning the institution as the 鈥淭op 果冻传媒 in the Nation.鈥�
