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Norfolk Mayor Kenny Alexander has a new gig overseeing a network of trade and technical colleges, centered in Norfolk but with campuses around the country.
As chancellor, Alexander will “oversee policy development and provide direction for the institutional mission, core values and vision while supervising external affairs,” according to a statement released by the network late Friday.
The consortium of schools he’ll oversee includes: Centura College, which provides healthcare, business and skilled trades programs at four campuses in Hampton Roads and one in Richmond; Aviation Institute of Maintenance, which started in Norfolk and now operates 12 campuses nationwide; and Tidewater Tech, a single-campus Norfolk trades school with programs such as welding and automotive mechanics.
In his position as mayor, he has often been a booster for such trade programs as a way to increase employment and attract businesses to Norfolk.
“I’m a firm believer that if we don’t have highly trained, highly skilled individuals, when companies start looking at our area, they’ll move on,” Alexander said in an interview.
The city’s school system has long discussed developing a dedicated career and technical high school, which Alexander at one point was pushing to make a charter.
Discussions surrounding the high school have cooled since the pandemic struck and the attention of city government and public schools shifted.
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“We’re coming out of a pandemic. ... I’m a huge supporter of traditional liberal arts schools, but what’s growing is career schools and technical schools and vocational tools, because they’re responding to this 21st Century economy and jobs,” Alexander said.
Alexander said his work as chancellor wouldn’t impact his work as mayor, and if anything related to the schools he oversees comes before council, he would disclose his link and abstain from any vote or decision.
The 54-year-old mayor has long run Metropolitan Funeral Homes, though he said his wife, Donna, has been running the day-to-day operations since he started his original campaign for mayor five years ago.
“I know the value of a trade, as a funeral director,” Alexander said. He noted he plans to continue doing that work on weekends to maintain his license.
Alexander said he’s been considering a job in higher education since he finished his doctorate degree in 2019. He’s spent several years teaching at Tidewater Community College.
Alexander is in his second term as mayor, set to run through 2024, and has a long political career including stints in the state Senate and House of Delegates.
Ryan Murphy, 757-739-8582, ryan.murphy@pilotonline.com