VCOM 2022 Annual Report

New River Community College in Dublin, Virginia. In 1979, he began his career as a realtor, where he later received the “Ethics In Action” lifetime award from the New River Valley Association of Realtors. Through his hard work, dedication and commitment to the real estate profession, Skelton assisted and made many friends throughout his career. Skelton also served on the board of the W.E. Skelton 4-H Educational Conference Center at Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia. The Center’s mission is to provide hands-on learning experiences for 4-H youth, other youth and adults to enable them to become self directing, contributing and productive members of society. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the property also created the John K. Skelton Endowment at the Educational Conference Center. Believing in the power of philanthropy and giving back to the community, Skelton indicated that investing in students at VCOM was worthwhile. “The endowment is one way I can help medical students in perpetuity, as the scholarship fund will continue to grow after I am gone,” said Skelton. “I look forward to meeting with future student recipients of the scholarship, as they, in turn, will be helping others.” “We so much appreciate John’s gift of real estate and also for his support for the College,” said Thimothy Corvin, vice president for college development and alumni affairs. When asked about property gifts, Corvin commented, “Donors who want to create a lasting legacy for VCOM can transform their real estate into meaningful gifts for the College. Often a residence, vacation home, farm or vacant lot may have so appreciated in value through the years that its sale would mean a sizeable capital gains tax to the donor if sold. By making a gift of this property instead, a donor can avoid the capital gains tax, and, at the same time, receive a charitable deduction for the full fair market value of the property.”

Helping Others: A Personal View F inancial cost is a well-documented hurdle to becoming a doctor, and scholarships are critical to help VCOM educate tomorrow’s future physician leaders. Recognizing the need for endowed scholarships at VCOM, John Skelton recently made a gift of real estate to the College. The proceeds from the sale of the property created the John K. Skelton Endowed Medical Scholarship that benefits students on the VCOM-Virginia campus. In making the gift to VCOM, Skelton said that he was pleased to be a part of expanding educational opportunities for students in the region. “By helping students from Virginia who have financial need, I hope it will encourage them to return to practice in their hometowns,” he added. The endowed Skelton Scholarship is available to either a second, third, or fourth-year medical student in good academic standing with demonstrated financial need. Preference is also given to a student whose home residence is in the Commonwealth of Virginia and who plans to return to do primary care in Virginia. Skelton has a history of involvement and support of many community and student needs. A graduate of Virginia Tech and the University of Georgia, he is a former assistant professor at

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