The Halifax Educational Foundation, the founding agency and private
foundation supporting the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center in
South Boston, has named Dawn Bridgen Martin as its new executive
director, effective August 1.  Ms. Martin will serve as the
Foundation's chief administrative officer and director of fund
development.
Ms. Martin comes to Southside Virginia with an impressive resume of
academic, development, and business achievements.  Most recently she
served as executive director of the Ridley Scholarship Fund at the
University of Virginia, where she is credited with tripling cash funds
in three years, doubling campaign commitments and numbers of minority
scholarships, and increasing alumni engagement by 600%.
Prior to her UVA appointment, Ms. Martin was director of major gifts
and corporate relations at Virginia Union University in Richmond,
playing a pivotal role in the success of the school's $50 million
campaign.
She served for ten years as business manager for the Alumni Patents
Foundation/Cavalier Computers of UVA.  There she marketed intellectual
property for all university departments and oversaw the university's
non-profit computer sales and service.  She also served as business
manager of the Myles Thaler Center for AIDS and Human Retrovirus
Research at UVA; as public relations and development specialist for the
Monticello Area Community Action Agency in Charlottesville; and as
consultant to a number of regional non-profits and businesses.
"Dawn Martin brings a high level of enthusiasm and energy to the
region, along with a proven track record of non-profit administration
and sound knowledge of best practices in management, marketing,
development and finance," said W.W. "Ted" Bennett, executive director
of the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center.  "We are grateful for
her help and leadership in galvanizing private support for the Center's
mission."