Meet the Student Success Team
David Lerman
Senior Director, Student Success and Support
dlerman@pvcc.edu | 434.961.5430
David enjoys working with students to help them reach their full potential through personal growth, development and the accomplishment of acquiring an excellent education. He has run the PVCC community garden since 2007 and enjoys talking about books, hiking, plants, and cooking. Once upon a time he dropped out of college to sell used cars during a recession - so he's very passionate about you staying in school!
Debbie Ashby
Student Success Advisor
dashby@pvcc.edu | 434.961.5360
Debbie has worked as a counselor in many different capacities from the West Coast to the East Coast, from high school to higher education. She is passionate about helping students find their goals and explore options to achieve them. Debbie is in her tenth year working at PVCC, including time as a Career Coach in Charlottesville High School. Being a first-generation student raised by a single mother with limited income, Debbie is in touch with many of the issues students face at PVCC. She loves helping others! Outside of work, Debbie is active in the community, enjoys local adventures and spends much of her time exercising, reading and playing with her dog, Boomer.
Bill Edwards
College Success Navigator
wedwards@pvcc.edu 434.961.5497
Bill Edwards is a College Success Navigator for the PVCC Student Success Office. Bill is eager to meet with students to help them plan for success in college and find the resources they need to succeed. He has 14 years of experience as an English professor at PVCC and other Virginia community colleges, and greatly appreciates the interactions he has had with students. In his free time, Bill likes to spend time outdoors observing birds and other wildlife. He is an avid woodworker.
Julia Elise Reichle
Rutgers Graduate Intern
Jhen Sullivan
College Success Navigator
jsvullivan@pvcc.edu 434.961.5497
Jhen is a long time PVCC Panther who knows first-hand the journey of getting back on track in school after getting tripped up by life. After a few years of figuring things out and finding support from PVCC's awesome faculty and staff, she graduated with her Associate of Science and a Career Studies Certificate in Graphic and Media Arts. Since 2021, she has worked in various jobs at PVCC, such as a security guard and a graphic designer. Now in her role as a College Success Navigator, she loves being able to meet with students and support them in achieving their goals. Outside of PVCC, she enjoys video games, creating art and doing Wikipedia deep-dives about whatever topic has caught her interest in the moment.
James Cooper
PVCC Work Study Intern
James Cooper works as a student intern at the Student Success Office. He enjoys getting to know students and helping them with their academic and personal needs. In high school, he learned the importance of organization, perseverance, and a positive work ethic for achieving academic success. James loves learning about Psychology and Philosophy, and in his free time, he enjoys playing basketball, baking, and drawing.
Jory Woods
College Success Navigator
jwoods@pvcc.edu 434.961.5470
Jory Woods serves as a College Success Navigator within the Student Success Office. As part of an innovative UVA Student Success Project, Jory contributes to and manages valuable research aimed at enhancing student outcomes and academic achievement. His journey—from overcoming high school challenges to working in various places, including installing safety equipment on roofs and delivering pizzas —to eventually transferring from Brightpoint Community College to James Madison University, has shaped his passion for helping students navigate community college. Jory firmly believes that failure is not the opposite of success but rather an essential component of success. Beyond academics, he brings his postgraduate experience in politics and political campaigns to foster student engagement and advocacy.