Young Professionals events provide access to professional development\, networking and volunteer opportunities\, focused on\, but not exclusive to\, professionals under 35 years of age.
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\nJoin us for Lunch with Leaders to learn from two amazing leaders\, \;Dr. Franks and Dr. Gill Powell. Both of these leaders are transforming our community through their work in higher education. \;
\nCome to hear their stories and why they chose to live and work in \;the Dan River Region.

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DR. TIFFANY FRANKS\, AVERETT UNIVERSITY

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Dr. Tiffany McKillip Franks became the President of Averett University on July 1\, 2008. Through her collaborative\, high energy\, interpersonal leadership style\, Averett has embarked on an exciting voyage of change and growth. With 32 \;years of senior-level administrative experience in higher education that began when she was 23 as the dean of students\, Franks&rsquo\; leadership style and problem-solving expertise has led her through leadership roles in admissions\, financial aid\, student life\, marketing and communications\, public relations and fundraising. Before taking the helm at Averett\, she served as the Executive Vice President at Greensboro College in North Carolina.
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\nFranks earned her BA from Ohio Dominican University\; a Master&rsquo\;s of Science in Education from The Ohio State University\; and her doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania in Higher Education Management.
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\nDR. JACQUELINE GILL POWELL\, DANVILLE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Dr. Jacqueline M. Gill \;has worked in higher education for more than 20 years. She began her career as the director of continuing education for the NE Campus of Tarrant County College in Hurst\, Texas. In 2010\, she became the college&rsquo\;s vice president of Academic Affairs &\; Community &\; Industry Education. Gill moved to Kansas City\, MO in 2016 where she became the president of Metropolitan Community College.
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\nPrior to working in higher education\, she worked for seven years as a social worker in the greater Dallas Fort Worth metropolitan area\, including two years of recruiting candidates from under-served populations into healthcare career fields for the Dallas Fort Worth Area Health Education Center in Irving\, Texas. Gill earned a doctorate\, master&rsquo\;s degree and bachelor&rsquo\;s degree from Texas A&\;M University\, and a separate master&rsquo\;s degree from the University of Texas at Arlington.