On the recordFebruary 29, 2012
I rise today to recognize two pillars of West Virginia--an educational institution that is educating the people of our State for good-paying jobs they are going to need and a beloved figure who put our State at the forefront of advances in mental health. First, please allow me to recognize Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College for its distinguished ranking as the 14th best community college in the Nation because of all the work its staff and students have done together to develop the skills necessary to compete in the workplace. All of us in my great State know about Southern's dedication to active and collaborative learning, and we are so proud that Washington Monthly recognized the school's achievements in its most recent rankings. This accomplishment is not the work of any one person, but a shared commitment to excellence from the school's leadership, faculty, staff, and students. I applaud everyone who is involved at Southern for their focus on improving educational quality through strengthened student engagement and student success. In addition, I am so pleased that Southern is thriving under the steadfast leadership of President Joanne Jaeger Tomblin, who is also serving the public as West Virginia's First Lady. For more than 12 years, Joanne has been the visionary and the driving force behind many of these accomplishments.…
