Kirk Cox

Great report from WHSV - TV 3 on last week's Internship Summit at Mary Baldwin University.

MBU hosts “Internship Summit”, discussing workforce development across the area Leaders, educators and employers gathered Wednesday morning for an internship summit discussing the future of workforce development across the region.

Had a great time being a keynote speaker at Mary Baldwin University’s Internship Summit: Building Stronger Pathways from Education to Employment.

I emphasized that employers view internship experiences as the most influential factor in tough hiring decisions and that 82% of the public supports funding campus internship centers.

As President of VBHEC our organization is committed to the goal of every Virginia university student to have the opportunity for at least one internship in their field of study.

Today, I was glad to attend the inaugural board meeting of the Virginia Business K-12 Partnership in Richmond. This new organization's mission is to raise awareness of the vital connection between K-12 education and economic growth/workforce development. I know just how important this is having served as a public school teacher for 30 years.

Stewart Roberson (pictured) will serve as the group's chair/president. I look forward to working closely with him and the other board members to achieve consensus on practical ways to strengthen the vital bridge between our schools and workplaces.

I was very sorry to see that Virginia Tech President Tim Sands intends to step down in the coming months. President Sands has been a true leader in so many ways, and I have had a chance to witness that firsthand as President of the Virginia Business Higher Education Council. He has been an invaluable member of our VBHEC Board having served on the executive committee and leading a presidential workgroup that was instrumental in formulating our most recent successful Growth4VA campaign that emphasized affordable talent pathway and paid internships for students.

President Sands’s hard work and vision have truly transformed Virginia Tech. From establishing the Virginia Tech Carilion Academic Health Center and the Innovation Center in Alexandria to having a profound impact on the 100,000 Hokies that graduated during his tenure, Tim Sands has been simply transformational. Most importantly he is just a good man that stays calm no matter how difficult the circumstance and always puts the University and its students first.

🔗 https://news.vt.edu/articles/2026/04/president.html

Congratulations to the University of Mary Washington on winning their first NCAA Division III National Basketball Championship. They defeated Emory University 75-73 in Indianapolis on a dramatic last second shot to cap a perfect home record and a 30-3 season.

A special shout out to Head Coach Marcus Kahn and the dedicated basketball student athletes that help make UMW such a special liberal arts and science university. President Troy Paino does a wonderful job in describing the beauty of D-3 sports in his recent Guest Column in the Richmond Times Dispatch entitled, "This is the college basketball you've been missing." It is a must read!

🔗 https://richmond.com/opinion/column/article_0962e097-f7d5-4609-952a-a87da54994da.html

My brother and I grew up going to King’s frequently. They have some the best BBQ you will find in Virginia! Can’t wait to stop by again soon.

Iconic King's Barbecue in Petersburg reopens to massive crowds after 3-year closure King's Barbecue in Petersburg reopened to massive crowds Thursday morning, nearly three years after the 80-year-old restaurant closed its doors.