[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 85 (Tuesday, June 8, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1029-E1030]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




HONORING CECIL GROVES FOR HIS SERVICE TO SOUTHWESTERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 
                       AND WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. HEATH SHULER

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 8, 2010

  Mr. SHULER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. Cecil Groves for 
his 40 years o service in higher education and to congratulate him on 
his retirement after 13 years as president of Southwestern Community 
College in Sylva, North Carolina. Under his leadership, Southwestern 
experienced significant expansion, serving as a catalyst for further 
growth throughout the region.
  Dr. Groves received his Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from 
the University of Texas. His first job was as the president of Delgado 
College in New Orleans, Louisiana. Dr. Groves was able to lead Delgado 
College to national accreditation in the midst of the turmoil of 
desegregation. Seven years later, he became President of Austin 
Community College in Austin, Texas. In a city dominated by a major 
research university, Dr. Groves created a model of the community 
college as a stepping stone to enrollment at a four-year university. He 
grew Austin Community College into a 16,000 student campus, creating 
jobs and allowing students a pathway to achieve their dreams.
  After working at Pikes Peak Community College in Colorado Springs, 
Colorado and serving as Provost of Texas State Technical Colleges 
System, Dr. Groves moved to the mountains of Western North Carolina to 
become the president of Southwestern Community College. He would 
transform this small school with a strong sense of community into one 
of the best community colleges in the nation.
  During his tenure, Southwestern Community College opened a new campus 
in Macon County, North Carolina and graduated the largest class in its 
history. Dr. Groves instituted a new technology platform for delivering 
education to students, offering Internet learning without sacrificing a 
sense of community. He encouraged teachers who found their most 
effective teaching method to continue to succeed, and he pushed those 
who struggled to continue to work toward becoming better teachers. Most 
importantly, he was widely loved by the faculty, staff, and students.
  Even those in Western North Carolina who are not directly a part of 
the Southwestern Community College family benefited from Dr. Groves' 
tenure. One of his biggest contributions to the region was the creation 
of the Balsam West FiberNET. After an attempt to convert the school's 
Interactive Television system to digital proved too costly, Dr. Groves 
began investigating a regional broadband system. Southwestern Community 
College helped bring together Drake Enterprises and the Eastern Band of 
the Cherokee to form Balsam West FiberNET. This private, for-profit 
partnership constructed a 300-mile broadband ring, benefiting both 
Southwestern Community College and the entire mountain community.
  Outside of his duties as president, Dr. Groves has taken an active 
interest in community development--on a regional, state, and national 
level. He served as an appointed advisor to governors in two states and 
testified in

[[Page E1030]]

front of Congress. As a founding member of the National Coalition for 
Advanced Manufacturing, a part of the National Association of 
Manufacturers, and the National Coalition for Advanced Technology 
Centers, Dr. Groves has helped modernize U.S. manufacturing and 
education technology. He has also been active in successfully 
recruiting several companies to conduct business in the regions where 
he worked.
  Dr. Groves is now retiring and moving closer to two of his children. 
Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to rise with me to thank Dr. Groves 
for his many years of invaluable service to both Southwestern Community 
College and the broader mountain community of Western North Carolina.

                          ____________________