President Kolovani to be honored as YWCA Woman of Distinction

Tidewater Community College President Edna V. Baehre-Kolovani has been named a 2016 YWCA Hampton Roads Woman of Distinction. The organization honors women from all walks of life who have achieved, overcome and blazed a trail for other women through their professional accomplishments, philanthropic efforts and civic involvement.

Kolovani is one of 11 honorees who will be recognized at a noon luncheon on April 28 at the Norfolk Waterside Marriott.

Carol Curtis, president of Noah Enterprises and a TCC alumna, nominated Kolovani. “Dr. Kolovani is to TCC, the community, and her family and friends as a great conductor is to an orchestra,” she said. “She is an amazing woman who leads with a great passion and purpose on every level. She inspires all of us individually while helping us to remain focused on the goals at hand.”

Under Kolovani’s leadership, TCC

developed TCC’s 2013-2018 strategic plan, “One College, One Voice, One Future,” involving more than 400 faculty and staff in establishing goals. Key area of focus are workforce development, academic excellence, student success, efficient use of resources and philanthropic growth.
established the college’s Office for Intercultural Learning, which aligns intercultural learning programs with specific college-wide learning outcomes in social and cultural understanding.
partnered with the YWCA South Hampton Roads to establish licensed child development centers on all four TCC campuses.
established the college’s first foreign exchange program with Tradium, a Danish college, in 2014.
established the college in 2013 as Eastern Region lead for Virginia Quality, the statewide early childhood program.
established dual-enrollment programs that will allow Chesapeake and Virginia Beach high school students to graduate with an industry-relevant credential and a head start on their college degree.

Prior to TCC, Kolovani was president and superintendent of Napa Valley (Calif.) College from 2010-12 and president of Harrisburg (Pa.) Area Community College from 1997-2010.

Kolovani holds a doctorate and a master’s in German and comparative literature from the State University of New York at Buffalo. She earned her bachelor’s in elementary education from Pädagogische Hochschule in Heidelberg, Germany.

Professor Ivory Warren, program head for Human Services at TCC was recognized as a Woman of Distinction last year. Jeanne Natali, director of the Office for Intercultural Learning, earned the honor in 2014.

For ticket information for the luncheon, contact the YWCA South Hampton Roads at 757-226-9922.