Wytheville Community College Real Estate Foundation Purchases Crossroads Institute in Galax
The Crossroads Rural Entrepreneurial Institute—better known locally as “Crossroads”—has officially been sold to the Wytheville Community College Real Estate Foundation, Inc.
The college hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to commemorate the event on Thursday, December 12, 2024. “Today marks a major milestone for Wytheville Community College (WCC) and the communities that we serve—particularly the citizens of the Twin Counties,” said Dr. Dean E. Sprinkle, WCC President. “The college has been the anchor tenant of the Crossroads Rural Entrepreneurial Institute since it opened in 2005. I am extremely pleased that WCC now has a permanent location in the Twin Counties.” The WCC Real Estate Foundation’s acquisition of Crossroads was made possible through private donations, including an $860,000 gift from the estate of Grayson County resident Janie Hale Gentry, a $200,000 gift from Galax native Rebecca Higgins Dorshorst and her husband Stephen, and a generous gift from Dr. and Mrs. J. Wade Gilley, WCC’s first president.
Thomas M. Jackson, Jr. spoke during the ceremony on behalf of the Janie Hale Gentry Estate, emphasizing the commitment that the Gentrys had to education, both through their gift for the facility, and through the establishment of the “Penick and Janie Hale Gentry Memorial Scholarship Endowment.” Rebecca Higgins Dorshorst is the daughter of C.W. “Buck” Higgins who helped establish the original Galax Education Center. While Mrs. Higgins Dorshorst was unable to attend the ceremony, she noted that she and her husband were pleased to be able to help carry on her father’s legacy of providing educational opportunities for the citizens of the Twin Counties. “We sincerely appreciate the extraordinary generosity of these individuals,” said Sprinkle. “Their gifts provided WCC with over half of the funding needed to acquire Crossroads.” Sprinkle also noted that the Real Estate Foundation has secured a loan from Skyline National Bank to finance the remaining balance. He anticipates that income from ongoing tenant leases, grants, and additional fundraising efforts will enable the Foundation to pay off the loan within the next several years.
As part of the ceremony, Sprinkle highlighted the history of the college’s presence in the Twin County area, including the opening of the original Galax Education Center in 1992. Sprinkle commended local leaders including C.W. “Buck” Higgins, John & Anne Vaughan, D.E. & Doris Ward, and many other community leaders who worked with then-WCC President William Snyder to establish the Galax Education Center in downtown Galax. “Having a physical location in the Galax was especially important in the 1990s and early 2000s because at that time there was no such thing as online learning,” said Sprinkle. “Twin County students were able to take classes without traveling to Wytheville.” While the downtown facility served the college well for over a decade, the space had limitations, and parking was challenging. In 2001, then-WCC President Ann Alexander and other community leaders saw an opportunity to secure the original Lowe’s Home Improvement Center building on East Stuart Drive that was vacant. Thus the idea for the Crossroads Rural Entrepreneurial Institute was born—a facility that would offer space for education and workforce training programs, along with spaces for small business incubators and community resources. Sprinkle stated: “While WCC would have loved to have been able to purchase the property in 2001, that was not feasible. Instead, the college partnered with the localities—Carroll County, the City of Galax, and Grayson County—as well as with the Blue Ridge Crossroads Economic Development Authority and the Virginia Small Business Development Center to create a plan.” A new non-profit organization entitled the “Crossroads Rural Entrepreneurial Institute” was established, and that organization’s Board of Directors ran the facility for over two decades.
Speaking on behalf of the Crossroads Entrepreneurial Institute Board of Directors, Chair Kenneth Belton noted that over the years Crossroads has helped launch numerous local businesses. According to Belton, there are currently 17 tenants leasing space at the facility. The current tenants will be able to remain at Crossroads, and the Crossroads Institute Board will continue to serve in an advisory capacity. Perry Hughes, WCC’s Vice President of Workforce Development & Occupational Programs, has been serving as the Interim Executive Director of Crossroads. “Since 2005, WCC has invested well over $5 million in Crossroads through facility renovation and equipment,” said Hughes. “Many of these investments have been generously supported through grants and funding from a wide range of entities.”
Hughes and Sprinkle both emphasized that the WCC Real Estate Foundation is fully committed to supporting and furthering the existing mission of Crossroads. In addition to the educational programs already offered at Crossroads, WCC recently began a Heavy Equipment Operator Program, and plans to begin a Firefighter Training Program in the near future. “We will continue to monitor employment and add other programs as community needs are identified and resources become available,” said Hughes.
As part of the day’s celebration, Sprinkle acknowledged the key role that Dr. Rhonda Catron-Wood, recently retired WCC Vice President of Institutional Advancement played in the acquisition of the Crossroads Institute and recognized her other contributions to the college. A native of Galax, Catron-Wood began her career at WCC in 1990 as an instructor in the English Department. In 1999, she moved into an administrative position, managing the WCC Educational Foundation and Public Information Office. Sprinkle highlighted Catron-Wood’s accomplishments that included her leadership of the college’s first-ever major gifts campaign, as well as WCC’s 50th and 60th Anniversary fundraising campaigns. During her tenure, the WCC Educational Foundation’s total net assets increased from $2.5 million in 1999 to over $18 million today. Additionally, the WCC Educational Foundation now manages almost 250 private scholarship funds and endowments, and WCC has last-dollar “promise” scholarship programs that provide free tuition to all qualified high school graduates throughout the service region. These programs are funded by the Twin County Community Foundation, the Wythe-Bland Foundation, and the Smyth County Community Foundation and Smyth County Board of Supervisors. Catron-Wood has also helped secure numerous grants that have provided several million dollars for various college initiatives.
Beyond her fundraising success, Catron-Wood has also been instrumental in managing WCC’s accreditation through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). In 2020, Catron-Wood was also appointed to serve as the college’s Chief Academic Officer, overseeing management of the college’s academic programs. Sprinkle expressed appreciation to Catron-Wood for her dedicated leadership of the college throughout her 34-year career. “Without Rhonda’s vision and the relationships that she has formed and maintained over the years with leaders and donors in this community, it is unlikely that we would be here today. Rhonda’s legacy will continue to serve WCC for generations to come.” In honor of Catron-Wood’s accomplishments, the WCC Educational Foundation Board of Directors recently established the “Dr. Rhonda Catron-Wood Fund for Growth & Excellence”. This endowment will provide ongoing funding for college programs and projects such as the Crossroads Institute.
Following Sprinkle’s remarks, Alisha Bemis, Executive Director of the Twin County Chamber of Commerce, led a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony. For more information about the WCC Real Estate Foundation or the fund honoring Catron-Wood, contact the WCC Foundation Office at (276) 223-4771 or foundation@wcc.vccs.edu.
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