Now, the longtime president and CEO of the Roanoke Valley Chamber of Commerce is stepping down.
His last day is September 25 and from there he will take a position where he has the opportunity to raise scholarship money for future leaders when he becomes the new executive director of the Community College Foundation.
The foundation raises money for scholarships at Halifax Community College. “If you look at the impact on the community, I can’t think of anything better than education for our future,” he said today.
Purser sees his new job as an opportunity to raise more scholarship funds so students can learn a trade or get two years of college under their belt while they earn an associate’s degree before moving to a four-year university or college.
It was not a decision Purser entered into lightly. “The position was open. I thought about it a long time. With the skillset I can bring to the table, I think we can make a big dent in education.”
During his tenure as chamber president, he saw the country’s economic outlook crumble to a 75-year low. The chamber stayed afloat. “It wasn’t easy. Members supported us.”
He draws inspiration for his new job from his father. “If you grew up poor, which my father did, he got an education and broke the cycle of poverty.”
He has outlived the average tenure of a chamber president by 7 to 8 years and he hopes the last feather in his cap will be getting the chamber a Work Ready Community Certification. “It measures skill base in the job applicant pool, measures a lot in business growth and education.”
He has watched as area businesses have grown. The chamber advocated for the current corporate park off Highway 561, no tolls on Interstate 95 and no uranium mining in Virginia.
Purser believes the contacts he has made during his tenure as chamber president will carry over to his new job. “I think the contacts I’ve made in the community will be a benefit. I’ll still be in raising money mode.”
His dream and his goal in his new position is to see a day when students ready to further their education can either get job training or a degree at no cost. “I want to alleviate what we see when we ride by Caledonia and Tillery. Education is the only way I know to change the destiny of individuals in the country and state.”
Ervin Griffin Sr., president of HCC and chair of the chamber board of directors, believes Purser is the perfect fit for the job. “Our foundation was started by local people. We saw the need to have more opportunity for training, give people the opportunity for an associates degree. We needed someone with the energy and ideas Allen had.”
The foundation currently helps some 45 students per semester, Griffin said, and the goal that has been discussed as Purser comes onboard is raising an additional $75,000 to $80,000 per year.
Griffin said he and Purser will share news of his resignation from the chamber to its board Thursday. “I don’t think there’ll be a lack of qualified candidates.”
For Purser, his goal is to find those dollars and more. “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if our community could see every child have an opportunity to go for free? What kind of statement would that make to the state, the country and world? I wouldn’t take this job if I didn’t think I could do it.”
He said, however, “I can’t do it alone. I think we can do it as a community.”
In his tenure as chamber president, children have been part of the program. “I think we’ve made a difference in kids’ lives in our business education youth leadership partnership program and I can’t thank my staff enough for that. It’s a great community, we have great assets. The only thing holding us back is us.”