ESCC's Shaeffer to retire after coming academic year

Eastern Shore Community College shares today that current ESCC President Jim Shaeffer has announced his retirement at the end of the 2024-2025 academic year, effective June 30, 2025. In coordination with VCCS Chancellor David Dore’ and his office, the announcement is being made now to accommodate an appropriate search for his successor, and to ensure a smooth transition.

Shaeffer became President of ESCC on July 1st of 2019, replacing interim President Dr. Billy Greer. In those five years, the college established a new culture of YES! Your Eastern Shore. Through the new culture of hospitality, transparency, accountability, and inclusion, came an ownership of the college mission, vision and values.

“With the hard work of our team and the support of the community, enrollments in transfer and workforce programs are as high as they have been in years.” Shaeffer continued, “We have created policies and procedures that help to assure our students’ success. The programs we now have in place such as Contact to Career, Achieving the Dream, and a recent $900,000 grant from the Ratcliffe Foundation, positions ESCC extremely well into the next 50 years.”

Shaeffer’s tenure began under a 3-year reboot plan imposed by the State Board of Community Colleges, designed to assure the college could be a “strong, sustainable college that would more effectively and efficiently serve the educational and training needs of the Eastern Shore of Virginia.”

In September of 2022, the VCCS informed Eastern Shore Community College that the reboot status had been lifted, after proving measurable gains in workforce and academic enrollments, in addition to changing its business model and stabilizing finances. Shaeffer offered that “Our college clearly rallied behind our mission and the newly focused culture of YES! The ESCC faculty and staff accepted the challenge before us, and the Eastern Shore itself, clearly stated through their support, that this is THEIR Eastern Shore Community College.”

VCCS Chancellor David Dore’ commented on the retirement announcement by expressing his sincere appreciation for Shaeffer’s incredible dedication and services to the students and communities served by ESCC over the past 5 years. Dore’ added, “I am grateful for his many contributions to the Shore and the VCCS both in services as College President and on the Council of Presidents.”

“Jim’s insights, perspectives, and sense of humor have been most welcome.” The Chancellor also stated appreciation for the timing of the announcement accommodating a thoughtful and inclusive process for the transition of a new leader. “I look forward to Jim’s ongoing leadership of ESCC throughout the 2024-2025 academic year, and I ask you to join me in thanking him for his leadership and congratulating him on his upcoming retirement.”

Shaeffer emphasized that “This was a very difficult decision to make, but Peggy and I feel now is the time for us to spend more time together and with our family and eleven grandchildren. It has been my utmost pleasure and honor to have served as your president, and I look forward to rolling up our collective sleeves over the upcoming months to continue taking ESCC from a very good college to a great college.”