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Langrehr Takes Over At WVNCC

WHEELING -- The new president at West Virginia Northern Community College knows he has a confusing name to pronounce, so he tells people, "Just call me Andy."

Andrew Langrehr -- pronounced "Lang-rare" -- was announced in June as WVNCC's ninth president, succeeding the retiring Daniel Moser. He is now at the helm as classes at WVNCC began this week.

He most recently served as vice chancellor for academic affairs at St. Louis Community College, where he had worked since 2001. He is a graduate of the University of Iowa, where he earned a master's degree in chemistry.

It was while he was still a student at the school that he saw an ad from nearby Kirkwood Community College, which was seeking a chemistry teacher for a Saturday morning class.

Langrehr saw it as a chance to earn some extra income, but it was where he also became hooked on the community college scene.

"You could see those students were taking a Saturday class because they needed it," he said. "It was for a program prerequisite. They wanted to be a nurse. There was a mother and a daughter in the class taking it together, so I could see the value and the need."

Langrehr and his wife have now been in Wheeling for two weeks. They are moved into an apartment in downtown Wheeling, and he walks to work at WVNCC.

"I love the area. That was part of the draw," he said. "I grew up in a river town (in Iowa), and Wheeling reminds me a lot of home.

"I've been loving the trail along the river. I've spent a lot of time running and walking on that."

He said he and his wife enjoy walking across the Suspension Bridge after dark when it is lit up. They've also enjoyed attending the festivals happening at Heritage Port each weekend.

"I tell people I've landed here at the right time because there seem to be a lot of positive things happening in Wheeling ...," he said.

WVNCC, under Moser's leadership, also is on a positive track, according to Langrehr.

"There has been hard work with the team -- focusing on students and outcomes, and making sure our programs meet the needs of the community," he said.

There also has been a plan at WVNCC to invest in its employees, and Langrehr plans to continue that.

The investment goes beyond wages and benefits, but also seeks to make certain they have the needed resources, training and opportunities to grow in their job, Langrehr explained.

"I will be pushing that forward, and building on that good work," he said.

While talking to people he meets in the community, Langrehr has discovered people largely think positively of WVNCC. They often have a family member or know someone who has attended classes or worked there over the years.

"I want to build on that," he continued. "I feel like there is a good vibe here, and I feel we have a good story to tell."

As people question the position of higher education and whether there is a good return on investment, Langrehr believes community colleges are in a good spot.

"We have good programs that get you good jobs at a good cost," he said. "There are degrees and certificates you can get here that lead to very good jobs.

"At this college, one of the most attractive qualities is that we have so many career programs. Students can get started on those early and get into roles where they have a good living wage faster and not a lot of debt."

Nursing continues to be a popular program at the school, and for good reason, he reported. There is a nursing need throughout the health care industry, and it is only going to grow locally as the new WVU Medicine cancer center is being constructed very close to the WVNCC campus.

"I told all three of my kids you should study nursing," Langrehr said. "You have all kinds of range of options if you want to work in a hospital, work in insurance, work in a school and you will have a job before you graduate. You have good wages, and AI is probably not going to displace those health care jobs in the way they might other jobs."

He noted his third child did follow his advice and became a nurse.

Langrehr added that in the coming weeks he is going to be observing and deciding what programs need to be expanded or subtracted from WVNCC's offerings.

"I promise to do a lot of listening and learning and work toward continued improvements in outcomes," he said.