Medallion of Recognition

Laurel Ridge bestows Medallion of Recognition honors on three individuals

Laurel Ridge Community College recognized its 2025 Medallion recipients on Wednesday May 14th. The College Board awards the Medallions of Recognition, which are the highest non-academic honors possible.

This year’s Medallion recipients are Mary Leigh McDaniel, Bill Pence and Mike Wenger.

McDaniel, who was unable to attend the May 14 ceremony, first came to Laurel Ridge in her late 20s as a single mother who realized she needed to continue her education. Despite working during the day and attending classes at night, McDaniel still managed to volunteer, join campus clubs and participate in a musical at Laurel Ridge. She transferred to James Madison University and earned her degree in business administration.

Later, McDaniel would return to Laurel Ridge – this time at the newly-opened Fauquier Campus – as an adjunct professor teaching accounting. In 2023, she retired as a managing partner at a public accounting and consultancy firm where she worked for 25 years. The Virginia Chamber of Commerce named McDaniel Business Person of the Year in 2009, and Virginia Business named her a “Super CPA.”

She has a long history of community service, including time on the Fauquier County Board of Supervisors, and serving on various boards, including PATH Foundation, Fauquier Health System Governing Board, Fauquier Bank, Land Trust of Virginia and Vint Hill Economic Development Authority.

Pence worked at Laurel Ridge for 20 years before retiring last fall as the operations and registration director for Workforce Solutions. He was known for always putting the customer first, and was responsible for numerous processes and systems that support current students and remove barriers for future students. One such innovation was the Workforce Enterprise System, which Laurel Ridge was the first to pilot among the 23 colleges in the Virginia Community College System (VCCS). This system allowed students to browse workforce courses online for the first time.

A former member of both the Shenandoah County Board of Supervisors and the Woodstock Town Council, Pence has been with Rotary for more than 40 years. Among his many honors are the Laurel Ridge Distinguished Administrator Award, the VCCS Chancellor’s Expanding Opportunities Award and being named one of the Top 3 Best Operations Directors by LERN (Learning Education Resource Network).

“I can say that the 20 years I’ve had here have been amazing,” said Pence upon receiving his medallion. “I’ve had the privilege of working with some outstanding people.”

Wenger spent six years on the College Board, serving as chair from 2022-2024. He was active in VCCS strategic planning, and attended numerous events for the college, as well as drones and robotics classes and camps, always showing appreciation and admiration for Laurel Ridge’s students and employees. He often visited the Fauquier Campus, and has been a generous donor to the Laurel Ridge Foundation, is a member of the foundation’s Legacy Society and recently was named to the Foundation Board.

A U.S. Air Force Academy, University of California, Los Angeles, and Oxford University graduate, Wenger is active in his adopted home of Rappahannock County. He was named one of Aging in Place’s 5 over 50 honorees in 2022, having driven thousands of miles in a volunteer role with the agency. Wenger has also been involved with the Rappahannock Lions Club, Rappahannock League for Environmental Protection, Blue Ridge Partnership for Invasive Species Management and Old Rag Master Naturalists.

“From day one, my association with Laurel Ridge has been invigorating,” said Wenger. “The work you do here is incredibly important. It’s noble. It’s good and it really does matter to our communities and our citizens and our students.”