[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 13379]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 ON THE OCCASION OF THE RETIREMENT OF DR. RUSTY STEPHENS, PRESIDENT OF 
                        WILSON COMMUNITY COLLEGE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. G. K. BUTTERFIELD

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 29, 2015

  Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize and congratulate 
Dr. Rusty Stephens, my friend and an exemplary educator, as he retires 
as President of Wilson Community College located in my hometown of 
Wilson, North Carolina.
  Before embarking on a life of service to a number of community 
colleges, Dr. Stephens himself attended Miami-Dade Community College in 
Miami, Florida. Furthering his education, Dr. Stephens later obtained a 
Bachelor's and Master's degree from Florida State University. He went 
on to earn an Education Doctorate from Virginia Polytechnic Institute 
and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia. Dr. Stephens' experiences 
with his own community college education would later give him the 
unique perspective that allowed him to lead one of the premier 
community colleges in North Carolina.
  Prior to moving to Wilson, North Carolina, Dr. Stephens served 
numerous community colleges throughout the country beginning in 1971. 
He has held positions ranging from instructor to his current post as 
president and has educated young people from Ohio to Georgia and places 
in between. Dr. Stephens is truly the embodiment of the American 
success story. He now resides in Wilson, North Carolina, with his wife, 
Sandra. They have been blessed with a beautiful daughter, Heather, son-
in-law Alex, and two grandsons.
  As President of Wilson Community College, Dr. Stephens has overseen 
the completion of myriad advancements and improvements to the school. 
He worked with then-Wilson County Schools' Superintendent Larry Price 
to launch Wilson Early College Academy. That program is now in its 
seventh year and boasts an enrollment of nearly 300 students.
  In addition to his passion for education, Dr. Stevens has an immense 
interest in sustainable energy and sustainable environmental practices. 
He is a member of the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association and 
the Wilson Sustainable Community Council. He was the driving force 
behind the addition of the 70,000 square foot Student Center LEED 
Building to the campus of Wilson Community College. The College, the 
City and County of Wilson, and our state has greatly benefitted from 
his work and interest in environmental stewardship.
  Mr. Speaker, Dr. Rusty Stephens has impacted and positively 
influenced the lives of countless people over his nearly 44 years in 
education. I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking Dr. Stephens for 
his dedication to generations past and present and in offering him best 
wishes as he embarks on the next chapter of his life.

                          ____________________