Hampton Roads Higher Education Executive Leaders: Tidewater Community College president Dr. Marcia Conston, Virginia Peninsula Community College president Dr. Porter Brannon, and Dr. Latitia McCane, Director of Education for the Apprentice School

This special All In episode is part II of a mini series following the National Council for Workforce Education’s annual conference in Norfolk, Virginia in fall 2025. It includes engaging interviews with three charismatic higher education and workforce executive leaders from the Hampton Roads region: Dr. Marcia Conston, the president of Tidewater Community College, Dr. Porter Brannon, the president of Virginia Peninsula Community College and Dr. Latitia McCane, the Director of Education for The Apprentice School at Newport News Shipbuilding/HII.

Dr. Conston, Dr. Brannon and Dr. McCane each share reflections from the NCWE 2025 annual conference plenary student panel discussion that included learners from each of their institutions recorded and published in the last All In podcast episode. These executives also offer their perspectives and insights on what it means to meet the moment for workforce education, the theme of the NCWE conference, such as developing nimble and responsive programs in collaboration with regional employers and other partners that create economic prosperity in the region.

Lastly, Dr. Conston, Dr. Brannon and Dr. McCane all describe the power and importance of listening to students each highlighting examples of programmatic and policy improvements made at their respective institutions as a result of student input.