Virginia Peninsula Community College President Towuanna Porter Brannon has been recognized by CoVABiz Magazine as one of Coastal Virginia’s 175 Most Influential People for 2026.
For the third year, CoVABiz is spotlighting those who elevate the region’s vitality through remarkable contributions across various fields. Dr. Brannon and her fellow honorees will be featured in the publication’s April/May issue. She was recognized by the magazine as one of Coastal Virginia’s 150 most influential leaders for 2024. The magazine recognizes Coastal Virginia as an important hub for tourism, maritime industries, military interests, major healthcare systems, top-tier higher education institutions and the arts.
In addition to this year’s CoVABiz recognition, Dr. Brannon has been selected as one of 25 community college leaders in the 2026-27 cohort of the Aspen Presidents Fellowship. Fellows were chosen for their dedication to student success, commitment to innovation, ability to lead change and focus on building strong community partnerships.
“I am honored to be selected for the third cohort of the Aspen Presidents Fellowship. For Virginia Peninsula Community College,” she said, “this opportunity comes at exactly the right time. Community colleges are being called to do more than open doors; we must ensure that students complete credentials that lead to successful transfer, strong careers, and real economic mobility.”
Over the year, she will collaborate with leading experts and fellow presidents from throughout the nation to strengthen strategies that support their institutions and help more students achieve meaningful outcomes during and after they leave college. That’s whether students are directly entering the workforce or transferring to earn their bachelor’s degree.
Dr. Brannon is excited to be among higher education leaders and experts engaging in important work designed to bolster student success.
“Aspen’s work is valuable because it challenges presidents to focus on the collegewide strategies, external partnerships, and institutional capacities that drive meaningful results at scale,” said Dr. Brannon. “I am eager to engage with this cohort and bring that learning back to VPCC as we sharpen our priorities, deepen our partnerships, and strengthen our ability to deliver post-completion success for the students and communities we serve.”
Dr. Brannon is the ninth president of VPCC. Her career in higher education spans more than 25 years and she is dedicated to bettering communities in VPCC’s service area and beyond through the delivery of world-class academic and workforce development programs. She champions student success by designing policies and initiatives to improve access, retention and completion rates.
Currently in the sixth year of her presidency, Dr. Brannon asserts VPCC “stands stronger and more focused.” The College, under her leadership, completed SACSCOC decennial reaffirmation and increased enrollment for two consecutive years. She attributes the two-year increase to expanded dual enrollment more robust full-time pathways and closer alignment with regional workforce needs.
The College has also expanded skilled trades training, strengthened pathways into healthcare, technology and advanced manufacturing, and increased support for non-traditional learners, including parent-students, military-affiliated individuals, and working adults during the president’s tenure. The reopening of VPCC’s modernized cultural arts venue, the Dr. Mary T. Christian Theatre, was another milestone.
The students, faculty and staff of VPCC proudly salute President Brannon for her CoVABiz recognition and Aspen Presidents Fellowship selection.