Southwest Virginia Community College announces 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award Recipient, Frances Baxter Minton
The Distinguished Alumni Award is the highest honor bestowed upon outstanding graduates from Southwest Virginia Community College. Since the establishment of the award in 1980, forty-three graduates of SWCC have been selected by a committee to receive the award. This honored tradition is to acknowledge the achievements of exceptional alumni whose personal lives, professional achievements, and community service exemplify the goals and vision of SWCC which is to transform lives, strengthen communities and inspire excellence.
Southwest Virginia Community College has announced its 2025 Distinguished Alumni honoree: Frances Baxter Minton, a trailblazer in rural healthcare whose decades of service have left an indelible mark on the Appalachian region.
Born and raised in Buchanan County, Virginia, Minton’s journey from a small-town girl to a healthcare leader has been fueled by her deep-rooted Christian values and a lifelong commitment to serving others. Witnessing firsthand the challenges her community faced, especially when it came to basic medical and dental care, she was inspired to devote her life to healing.
Minton began her academic path at Southwest Virginia Community College, earning her Associate of Science degree before going on to complete a nursing degree at Wytheville Community College and a bachelor’s in business from Bluefield College. With these tools, she set out to make a difference and she did so across nearly every facet of healthcare: hospital nursing, home health, hospice, and even industrial medicine.
In 2006, Minton took a bold step forward by opening Appalachian Family Care in Grundy. This innovation dramatically expanded access to everyday health services for residents across the region.
Her commitment to public health extended even further with the founding of the Baxter Foundation. In its inaugural year, the foundation secured more than $450,000 in grant funding—resources that helped enhance the obstetrics wing at Buchanan General Hospital and elevate care for women throughout the county.
Recognizing the broader gaps in access to care, Minton was instrumental in bringing Remote Area Medical (RAM) to Buchanan County. The annual event offers free dental, optical, and medical care to underserved populations across Southwest Virginia, Eastern Kentucky, Eastern Tennessee, and Southern West Virginia. Over the last 24 years, RAM has delivered millions of dollars in health services, thanks in large part to Minton’s vision and persistence.
Minton’s contributions extend beyond clinical settings. She has held leadership roles across a variety of civic and educational organizations, including the Grundy Woman’s Club, the SWCC Educational Foundation Board, the Appalachian College of Pharmacy Board, and the SWCC Local Board, where she served as Chair. She is also a Regent of the Levisa River Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
“Frances Baxter Minton is more than a nurse—she is a leader, a healer, and a visionary,” said Dr. Susan Lowe, SWCC’s Vice President of Institutional Advancement, who accepted the award on Minton’s behalf. “Her tireless dedication has restored dignity and hope to thousands of people across our region. Her legacy will continue to inspire generations of students and healthcare professionals to come.”
Southwest Virginia Community College is proud to honor Frances Baxter Minton as its 2025 Distinguished Alumni, recognizing a lifetime of impact in the heart of Appalachia.
For more information on the Distinguished Alumni Awards, contact the SWCC Alumni Association at alumni@sw.edu or visit www.sw.edu/alumni.
2024 Distinguished Alumni Award
Southwest Virginia Community College is proud to announce that Dr. Ron E. Proffitt has been selected as the recipient of the 2024 Distinguished Alumni Award. This esteemed honor recognizes alumni who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, professional excellence, and a steadfast commitment to community service.
Dr. Ron Proffitt is a distinguished educator, administrator, and healthcare professional whose career spans more than five decades of service to education, radiologic technology, and rural health advancement in Southwest Virginia and beyond.
A native of Tazewell, Virginia, Dr. Proffitt began his academic journey with a diploma in Radiologic Technology from Holston Valley Community Hospital in 1963, following his graduation from Tazewell High School in 1961. His dedication to lifelong learning led him to earn a Regents Bachelor of Arts from Bluefield State College in 1985, a master’s degree in vocational-Technical Education from Virginia Tech in 1990, and ultimately, a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) from East Tennessee State University in 1998.
Dr. Proffitt’s professional career is marked by progressive leadership across clinical and academic environments. He began as a radiologic technologist and rose quickly through the ranks, serving as Chief Technologist and Administrative Director of Radiology at several hospitals across Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee. These early roles laid the foundation for his transition into higher education, where he became a transformational figure in health technology education.
From 1975 to 2000, he served as Program Director and Instructor of Radiologic Technology at Southwest Virginia Community College, where he established one of the region’s first cooperative radiography programs. Under his leadership, students achieved a near-perfect first-time pass rate on national certification exams. He later became Dean of Math, Science & Health Technology at Southwest, where he spearheaded the development of new healthcare programs, secured grants, and helped expand regional access to nursing and allied health education.
Dr. Proffitt went on to serve as Vice President of Instruction and Student Development at Wytheville Community College and later as President of Virginia Highlands Community College from 2010 to 2014. In these senior leadership roles, he championed student success, guided colleges through accreditation processes with excellence, and led multimillion-dollar grant initiatives to improve healthcare training, community wellness, and educational infrastructure.
Even in interim roles late in his career, including Vice President positions at multiple colleges, Dr. Proffitt remained a trusted leader, helping institutions navigate leadership transitions and maintain accreditation standards.
Throughout his career, Dr. Proffitt served on numerous boards, including the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Board, the University of Appalachia College of Pharmacy Board, and the Virginia Board of Medicine Radiology Advisory Committee. He was a long-standing member and past president of the Virginia Society of Radiologic Technologists, where he also chaired key state and regional conferences.
An accomplished speaker and published writer, Dr. Proffitt has presented on topics ranging from ethics in radiology to multidisciplinary education in health technology at national conferences, including the NISOD International Conference.
His contributions have earned him widespread recognition, including Distinguished Service Awards from multiple colleges, the NISOD Teaching Excellence Award, and induction into the Tazewell High School Hall of Fame. He is also a life member of both the Virginia Society of Radiologic Technologists and the Southwest District Society of Radiologic Technologists.
Today, Dr. Proffitt is celebrated not only for his professional achievements but for his profound commitment to education, his vision for healthcare advancement in Appalachia, and his tireless dedication to the students, faculty, and communities he has served.
At Southwest, we are proud of our alumni. Many have achieved notable success and are serving their local communities, state, and country through good deeds and extraordinary contributions. The Southwest Alumni Hall of Fame inducts the most distinguished of these individuals for their outstanding achievement, community service, and commitment to Southwest Virginia Community College. With these awards, we aim to acknowledge and honor them, share their stories, and inspire the entire Southwest community.
Our highest-esteemed award. Presented at commencement, the Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes the distinctive accomplishments of a Southwest Virginia Community College alumni for their overall achievements, honors, leadership and innovation, impact, mentoring, service, and commitment to their community, as well as their loyalty to their alma mater.
The Legacy Award recognizes the recipient of the Commonwealth Legacy Scholarship. Each year, Southwest Virginia Community College is honored to receive the VCCS Commonwealth Legacy Scholarship to be named in honor of a donor and supporter of Southwest. It is a prestigious scholarship that is awarded to an outstanding student who has shown great achievement in their academic and extracurricular activities as well as a commitment to their community. Pre-determined award. One award is presented annually during Southwest homecoming celebrations.
The Outstanding Community Service Award is presented to alumni who have shown outstanding commitment and dedication to a community service or humanitarian cause and have made a significant contribution of leadership or service which has improved or enriched the lives of others and their community.
The Outstanding Achievement Award recognizes alumni who have demonstrated exceptional accomplishments and exemplary contributions to their chosen profession or discipline.
The Rising Alumni Award is given to current or recent students of the last 5 years who have demonstrated early career and/or exceptional community service achievement. Who also regularly demonstrate their Flying Eagle pride through recruiting potential students, representing Southwest in a positive manner, attending Southwest events, and encouraging active support of Southwest Virginia Community College among their peer groups.
To nominate an individual for an alumni award, we ask that you complete our online nomination form below. Before doing so, please review the award categories above, as this will help guide you in submitting your nomination.
Unless otherwise noted, nominations will be accepted from community members as well as Southwest faculty and staff who are interested in recognizing a person of notable achievement. Nominees should not be related to the person making the nomination. Self-nominations are not accepted.
Five total awards will be made each year. The Distinguished Alumni Award will be presented annually at commencement; a Southwest employee cannot be nominated for this award. All other categories will be awarded annually provided that sufficient quality nominations are received. All awards are bestowed at the discretion of the Southwest Alumni Association Committee and the Vice President of Institutional Advancement. Individuals may be awarded in a category other than originally nominated, if deemed appropriate by the committee.
Nominations are accepted via online submission year-round. Those not chosen for awards will be kept on file for consideration for the next year. Incomplete submissions will not be accepted. You may be contacted for additional information if necessary.
All award recipients must be willing to work collaboratively with Southwest in our efforts to properly recognize honorees, by providing photographs, biographies, and other information.
Nominees should be responsible, respectable citizens of good character and in good standing with the community.
Use this form to make your nominations for the Annual Distinguished Alumni Award and/or Hall of Fame Honors. You may nominate more than one person for each type of recognition.Thank you!
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