OAKWOOD, VA (APRIL 28, 2023) – Melanie Hibbitts, of Grundy, has joined the Appalachian College of Pharmacy as its new director of development and alumni engagement, effective May 1.
Hibbitts, who most recently served as superintendent of the Buchanan County Public School System, retired with 34 total years of service. She served as superintendent for more than seven years and has also served as a principal and as a teacher in the public school system.
“We welcome Melanie to our team here at the Appalachian College of Pharmacy,” said ACP Provost and Dean Susan Mayhew. “She brings a wealth of experience to the college, working with staff, accreditation agencies and throughout her tenure in the public school system, has forged many positive community liaisons. Additionally, she has experience in working with professional development of staff, budgets and complex projects.”
In her new role at ACP, Hibbitts will primarily work with the ACP president to develop a fundraising plan and strategies and she will work with the ACP provost to support the development of new educational programs at the college, among other duties.
Hibbitts holds a Bachelor of Science degree in education from Pikeville College; a Master of Arts in curriculum and instruction, reading specialist from Virginia Tech; and a Master of Arts in administration and supervision from Salem University.
While serving a seven-year term as superintendent of the Buchanan County School System, Hibbitts worked to maintain state accreditation of all schools; and oversaw and efficiently operated a $30 million budget. She received the Superintendent of the Year Award in 2021; served on the Southwest Virginia Consortium Executive Board; and served on the Region 7 Virtual Academy Board.
She received the Apple Award for Teaching Excellence in 1999 and has served as the Vacation Bible School director for Vansant Baptist Church for 26 years.
“I am thrilled to join the Appalachian College of Pharmacy team and to be part of an institution that is making a difference in the lives of so many,” Hibbitts said. “I am eager to work with the talented faculty, staff and students at the college and to contribute to the outstanding work being accomplished there. I look forward to being a part of the future endeavors of ACP.”
The Appalachian College of Pharmacy is the only three-year Doctor of Pharmacy program in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Founded in 2003, the college accepted its first students in 2005. It is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Its mission is to cultivate a learning community committed to education, community outreach and the professional development of pharmacists. Its graduate pharmacists are now practicing throughout the United States.
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