HAMPTON ROADS, Va. - Norfolk Mayor Kenny Alexander will serve as the chancellor for three local career training schools, it was announced Friday.
Alexander has been appointed chancellor of Centura College, Aviation Institute of Maintenance and Tidewater Tech. He will oversee policy development and provide direction for institutional mission, core values and vision while supervising external affairs for their 19 campuses across the country.
Alexander earned his doctoral degree from Antioch University in 2018. He is also the proprietor of Metropolitan Funeral Service.
“We are excited that Dr. Alexander is bringing his dynamic mix of experience, vision, and energy to our vast national network of career technical institutions. We are ready for him to chart our course towards excellence and lead the development of America’s next generation of skilled workers,” stated Dr. Joel A. English, Executive Vice President of the institution.
“Career and technical education and the development of credentialed skills have played a significant role in my success and are critical to the growth of America’s middle class and development of our next generation of entrepreneurs. I look forward to leading these institutions and creating a pipeline of skilled talent that will power American industry,” said Alexander.
An associate degree from John Tyler Community College helped launch Alexander’s successful business career. While building his family business, Alexander continued his education, earning a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Old Dominion University, a Master of Arts in diplomacy from Norwich University, and a doctorate in leadership and change from Antioch University.
Alexander has also been an instructor at Tidewater Community College and a guest lecturer at universities throughout Virginia.
He began his career in public service as the president of the Beacon Light Civic League in Norfolk’s historic Berkley Community. After leading a series of local economic development initiatives, he was elected to Virginia’s House of Delegates, where he served on the education committee and its subcommittee on higher education, and as chair of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus.
Alexander was later elected to the Virginia Senate, where he served on the finance committee and the Joint Subcommittee on the Future Competitiveness of Virginia Higher Education.
As the mayor of Norfolk, Alexander has championed economic development and workforce solutions by opening the Norfolk State University Innovation Center in Downtown Norfolk, which currently supports a collaborative ecosystem of entrepreneurs, established local businesses and city agencies. He also spearheaded the creation of the Old Dominion University Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
Aviation Institute of Maintenance, Centura College & Tidewater Tech are career training schools dedicated to helping men and women develop careers since 1969.
