Drexel Rayford is a great communicator.

Anyone who spends a few moments with the pastor, teacher, musician, consultant and speaker, is likely to come away feeling like they have made a friend for life.

Recently, Rayford, the senior pastor of Walnut Grove Baptist Church in Mechanicsville, took a moment to speak during RU’s new student orientation about the necessity of parents letting go of their children as they move from high school to college life. “Many parents seem to handle well the fact that their child is going off to college and others are understandably apprehensive and need to hear the talk very much, “ said Rayford, who holds a Ph.D. in psychology of religion and pastoral care and counseling.

Rayford is the proud father of Melissa Rayford, a rising junior at RU and someone with whom he has had a date night with nearly every Thursday night since she was four years old.

Melissa made her way to RU two years ago and now Rayford, as a volunteer with the new Parent Executive Committee, is speaking to fellow parents to help them with the same struggles he had when Melissa left home for college. “Speaking is something I can do as a volunteer, and I think I can really help those parents who are struggling,” he said.

Rayford is one of a number of volunteers with the Parent Executive Committee, which was formed in 2008 to strengthen fundraising efforts for the Parent and Family Fund, an annual giving program designed especially for the parents and families of current and former students. The fund supports the RU’s 7-17 Strategic Plan, which is designed to enhance both academic and student life programs at the university, including a special initiatives grant program.

Through the initiative grant program, Parent and Family Fund provides a portion of its raised funds to student and faculty projects that support 7-17. Parent Executive Committee members review grant applications for those projects and make funding award decisions.

In addition, the committee contains subcommittees that give parents of currently enrolled RU students, like Drexel, an opportunity to provide volunteer support for RU admissions events, Family Weekend and the university’s student orientation program.

“Parents are an important member of the Radford family,” said Cassandra Dove, Assistant Director of Special and Annual Giving at RU. “The Parent Executive Committee allows us to strengthen this partnership by more actively engaging parents in the RU experience.”

Parent Executive Committee is comprised of families that contribute a minimum of $250 annually to RU.

In addition to its business at its annual spring meeting, members of the Parent Executive Committee gathered at a brunch hosted by RU President Penelope W. Kyle.

The executive committee also meets in the fall during Family Weekend to assist with developing creative ways to increase support to the Parent and Family Fund. 

Approximately 80 families from across Virginia and numerous other states make up the Parent Executive Committee.

“Volunteering for the Parents Executive Committee is a great way for parents to be involved with Radford University and work and communicate with each other through their students’ college experience,” Rayford said.

For more information about the Parent Executive Committee, contact Cassandra Dove at cpdove@radford.edu.