HIGH POINT, N.C., Feb. 23, 2023 – High Point University recently announced Kimberly Drye-Dancy as the new executive director for the Center for Community Engagement.
“I am honored and overjoyed to hold such an important role to continue to impact the lives of students and young professionals,” said Drye-Dancy. “As the executive director of the Center for Community Engagement, I will build key sustainable relationships between the High Point community and High Point University to create positive social change.”
In this new role, she provides strategic leadership for supporting community engagement at HPU. As the primary voice of community engagement for the university, she communicates the mission and vision of the center to the campus and local communities, as well as the higher education profession more broadly.
Drye-Dancy will build partnerships with students, faculty and staff across campus and within the local community to support HPU’s mission to “deliver educational experiences that enlighten, challenge and prepare students to lead lives of significance in complex global communities.”
“Working with Kimberly is refreshing,” said Lovelle McMichael, assistant director of the Center for Community Engagement. “Her professionalism, innovation and relatability to the students enhances the impact of the Center for Community Engagement with our partners. I look forward to the new developments of our office under her leadership.”
Drye-Dancy was the former director of the Bonner Leader Program at HPU before being promoted to her new role. The Bonner Leader Program is a national service program found at select universities across the country. HPU Bonners are servant leaders who connect fellow HPU students to nonprofits and social innovation projects in the local community. In her previous position, she provided coaching to the students through support and resources to help them grow at the university.
She has 14 years of experience working as a higher education professional, including as a director of leadership and civic engagement, dean of student experience and more. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology and a Master of Science in adult education.
About the Center for Community Engagement
The Center for Community Engagement serves as the central hub connecting the university and community resources by drawing in a diverse group of primarily first-generation college students into the university through scholarships and program support.
The center supports the Bonner Leaders, who each serve 300 hours in the community at a partner nonprofit organization. It also is a hub for students participating in service learning courses, HPU’s AmeriCorps VISTA program, the Civic Responsibility and Social Innovation degree program, and a student-run Volunteer Center.