For Immediate Release
January 23, 2025
Germanna Community College Celebrates Opening of Stafford County Center
Stafford, VA – Germanna Community College unveiled its new Stafford County Center today with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, marking a significant milestone in its commitment to serving the Northern Virginia region. The 74,000-square-foot complex, located off Garrisonville Road in the heart of Stafford County, features two state-of-the-art buildings: the Kevin L. Dillard Health Sciences Building located at 25 Center Street and the Barbara J. Fried Building located at 10 Center Street.
Designed to address pressing workforce needs in healthcare, cybersecurity, and information technology, the $20 million project represents the largest undertaking in the history of Germanna’s Educational Foundation. Renovations, managed by the College’s facilities team and Dario Construction, began in 2023 after the buildings were acquired in October 2022.
With capacity to serve up to 400 nursing students, the center will aid in doubling Germanna’s nursing program enrollment, bolstering efforts to address the regional healthcare workforce shortage. Additionally, the center will offer general education courses, evening cybersecurity classes, and workforce development programs.
The project was made possible through the collaborative efforts of the Stafford Economic Development Authority, The Community Foundation of the Rappahannock River Region, Mary Washington Healthcare, the Stafford County Board of Supervisors, Shore United Bank, Dario Construction, and architect John Berger, alongside federal support from Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine. Generous contributions from donors such as Mary Jane O’Neill, Rhonda and Adam Fried, and Kevin Dillard were instrumental in bringing this vision to life.
“Thanks to our tremendous community support, we’re going to explode here in Stafford County,” said Dr. Janet Gullickson, President of Germanna Community College. “We’re going to make something here. We’re going to change the lives of everyone in our community. I can’t tell you how proud I am that we came together as a community and did this.”
Additional remarks were made by Dr. Tiffany Ray-Patterson, Vice President of Student Services and Equity Advancement, Dr. Shashuna Gray, Vice President of Academic Affairs and Workforce Development, Jack Rowley, President of the Germanna Real Estate Foundation Board and local college board member, and Melissa Leecy, Vice President for Community Engagement.
“This is truly an honor,” said Jack Rowley, after it was announced that the Jack Rowley Student Services Center in the Barbara J. Fried Building would be named in his honor. “I think back to 2009 when we were able to get the first five Germanna classrooms in Stafford County, and now we’ve grown tremendously.”
Germanna student speaker Alexus Manning shared her excitement for Germanna’s expansion in Stafford. “Being a mother of two toddlers, starting the nursing program was scary. I felt lost. But I decided to take my next step at Germanna Community College. Here, my professors have provided me with top-tier educational experiences. I feel that I am wholeheartedly prepared to provide value to Fredericksburg, Stafford, and the world.”
The ribbon-cutting ceremony welcomed a distinguished group of attendees, including local and state government officials and dignitaries who played key roles in supporting the project. In attendance were representatives from Congressman Eugene Vindman’s office, representatives from Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner’s offices, members from the Stafford County Board of Supervisors and the Stafford County Public School Board, representatives from Mary Washington Healthcare, the Stafford County Treasurer, local college board members, and representatives from the office of the Virginia Community College System.
Enrollment at the Stafford County Center is now open, and prospective students are invited to explore Germanna’s expanded offerings at germanna.edu/stafford-county-center.
For media inquiries:
William Berry
Director of Marketing and Recruitment
(540) 834-1019
wberry@germanna.edu
About Germanna Community College
Established in 1970 as part of the Virginia Community College System, we are a comprehensive community college providing quality, accessible, and affordable educational opportunities for the residents of the City of Fredericksburg and the counties of Caroline, Culpeper, King George, Madison, Orange, Spotsylvania and Stafford and for online learners everywhere.