SR 87 (161st Virginia General Assembly)

SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 87 Celebrating the life of Ruth Ann Whitby Greene.

Agreed to by the Senate, January 14, 2021

WHEREAS, Ruth Ann Whitby Greene, an esteemed educator and beloved member of the Northern Neck community, died on August 13, 2020; and

WHEREAS, after graduating from the University of South Dakota in 1992 with a master’s degree in management information systems, Ruth Greene joined the faculty at Rappahannock Community College (RCC) in 1996, where over the next 24 years she would guide countless students on their path to success; and

WHEREAS, starting as an adjunct instructor in the RCC Workforce Adult Basic Education Program, Ruth Greene later served as a professor of business and information technology for more than two decades while holding leadership positions with various RCC and Virginia Community College System (VCCS) programs, committees, and initiatives; and

WHEREAS, as head of the business management program at RCC, Ruth Greene championed the adoption of open educational resources and low-cost textbooks, easing the financial burden for students and making the school more accessible to all; and

WHEREAS, a passionate proponent for the implementation of technology in education, Ruth Greene sponsored three tech summits for VCCS faculty at RCC from 2008 to 2011 and spearheaded RCC’s adoption of many technological innovations, such as interactive video and electronic course software; and

WHEREAS, in recognition of her efforts to incorporate technology into the classroom, Ruth Greene was a three-time winner of a Technology in Education Award at the VCCS New Horizons Conference, which she also chaired in 2014; and

WHEREAS, deeply committed to the well-being and professional growth of her colleagues, Ruth Greene regularly provided teaching presentations to RCC instructors, mentored new faculty, and chaired the VCCS Mid-Central Regional Center for Teaching Excellence from 2010 to 2013; and

WHEREAS, Ruth Greene gave generously of her time and talents as a volunteer with the Northern Neck Ladies Seminar and at the Northern Neck Regional Jail; in recognition of her tireless efforts, she was the first recipient of the Northern Neck Regional Jail’s Ruth Greene Award for Service, which was established in her honor in 2017; and

WHEREAS, Ruth Greene will be lovingly remembered and dearly missed by her husband, Michael, Sr.; her children, Michael II, Matthew, and Rebekah, and their families; and numerous other family members and friends; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate of Virginia hereby note with great sadness the loss of Ruth Ann Whitby Greene, a distinguished educator who transformed innumerable lives through her unwavering faith and dedication; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Ruth Ann Whitby Greene as an expression of the Senate of Virginia’s respect for her memory.