Dr. Ray Hoy, president of Wor-Wic Community College, has announced that he plans to retire at the end of the fiscal year on Friday, June 30.
Hoy
Hoy has led the college for 23 years and is one of only two presidents in the college’s history. Hoy was named president by Wor-Wic’s board of trustees in 2000. During his tenure, Wor-Wic grew along with its community’s needs, adding many academic and career programs as well as new buildings to house them. Hoy oversaw enrollment growth and a 132 percent increase in the number of graduates. He was instrumental in efforts to make community college free, including establishing the Wicomico Economic Impact Scholarship and the Somerset Economic Impact Scholarship, both precursors to the state of Maryland’s Community College Promise Scholarship.
The college has become an economic force in the community under Hoy, with Wor-Wic making a $106.6 million economic impact and supporting 425 full- and part-time employees. The college’s Foundation resources have grown from $1.9 million to over $33 million.
Hoy oversaw the creation of new programs in communications, construction, culinary arts, electro-mechanical technologies, elementary and secondary education transfer, emergency medical services and fire science, forensic science, HVACR, metal fabrication, occupational therapy assistant, physical therapist assistant, social media, STEM, truck driver training and welding. He also helped bring about dual enrollment programs with local high schools, and the expansion of programs vital to the community such as nursing and radiologic technology.
The campus also grewwith Hoy at the helm, with new facilities including Guerrieri Hall, housing the Eastern Shore Criminal Justice Academy; the Hazel Center with food service operations and student services; the Jordan Center with child care services; Fulton-Owen Hall, a workforce development center; Shockley Hall, an allied health building; and the soon-to-be completed Patricia and Alan Guerrieri Technology Center, which will add 50,000 square feet of technology classrooms, industrial laboratories and more.
For his service, Hoy earned recognitions including the 2021 Chief Executive Officer Award – Northeast Region from the Association of Community College Trustees; the 2021 Hall of Fame Award from the Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce, as well as its Visionary Leadership Award in 2014 and Chamber Award in 2011; the Salisbury University Franklin Perdue Leadership Award; the Tri- County Council First Citizenship Award; and the Tri-County District of the Del-Mar-Va Council of the Boy Scouts of America distinguished citizen award.
