Biography

Dr. Virginia Foxx

Dr. Virginia Foxx was sworn in to represent North Carolina’s Fifth District in the United States House of Representatives in January 2005. She is the third woman in North Carolina history to serve in the U.S. House. During her first term, Dr. Foxx has established herself as a champion of conservative values and has helped lead the national movements to enforce our immigration laws and increase accountability within the Federal Government. National Journal ranked Dr. Foxx the most conservative member of the North Carolina Congressional Delegation and more conservative than 91.3 percent of all House members. She was also one of just 38 Republicans to score a 100 percent approval rating from the American Conservative Union.

Dr. Foxx has quickly established herself as a visible leader in the House Republican Conference. She is consistently recognized as a top Republican for promoting conservative principles on the House Floor and is often named the Conference “Messenger of the Week.” She was also the first member of her freshman class to introduce and pass a substantive bill in the House. Dr. Foxx currently serves on the House Committees on Agriculture, Government Reform, and Education and the Workforce.

Prior to serving on Capitol Hill, Foxx spent ten years in the North Carolina Senate where she successfully sponsored several statewide and local bills and consistently voted against tax increases and for legislation that would make governments more efficient and less wasteful.

Dr. Foxx is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she received her A.B. degree in English in 1968 and M.A.C.T. in Sociology in 1972. In 1985, she earned her Ed.D. in Curriculum and Teaching/Higher Education from UNC-Greensboro.

Dr. Foxx began her career as a secretary and research assistant at UNC-Chapel Hill. She taught at Caldwell Community College, was a sociology instructor at Appalachian State University and held several administrative positions at ASU, including Assistant Dean of the General College. Foxx also served as Deputy Secretary for Management in the N.C. Department of Administration for Governor Jim Martin. Prior to her election to the Senate in 1994, she served as President and later a consultant at Mayland Community College from 1987-1994.

Dr. Foxx has been active in civic and business affairs, serving on many state and national committees. She served on the Executive Committee of North Carolina Citizens for Business and Industry and was elected to three four-year terms on the Watauga County Board of Education. She was confirmed by the United States Senate for a Presidential appointment to the National Advisory Council for Women's Educational Programs. She also served on the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation Advisory Panel. Other current or former service on boards includes the Board of Directors of the John William Pope Center for Higher Education Policy, Board of Directors of the N.C. Center for Public Research, the UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Visitors, National Conference of State Legislatures' Blue Ribbon Advisory Panel on Child Care, Charter Member of the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History and the Foscoe-Grandfather Community Center Board. She is a member of the North Carolina Republican Assembly.

Dr. Foxx is the recipient of several state and national awards. Among those awards are Outstanding Public Official Award, The North Carolina Christmas Tree Association, Honorary Member of the Catawba Chapter of the Retired Officers Association, The Alan Keith-Lucas Friend of Children Award, the highest honor granted by the North Carolina Child Care Association, 2002; Contributions to Sociology Award, North Carolina Sociological Association, 2002; Roosevelt Global Leadership Institute, 2001; Guardian of Small Businesses Award, National Federation of Independent Businesses, 2000; and 2000 Flemming Fellowship. In 1994, Dr. Foxx received the N.C. Carpathian Award; in 1993, she was awarded the Distinguished Fundraising Award by the YMCA of the USA/South Field and became one of 16 people appointed by the Governor to the N.C. Partnership for Children. In 1992 received the Order of the Long Leaf Pine from Governor Jim Martin. It is among the most prestigious awards given by the governor. In 1990, she received the N.C. Distinguished Women's Award and the Mitchell County Chamber of Commerce Member of the Year Award. In 1988, Dr. Foxx was the recipient of the Watauga County League of Women Voters Award for Outstanding Citizenship for Exceptional Public Service. In 1979, she received the Award for Distinguished Service from the ASU Center for Developmental Education.  She is a former Rotarian.

At Mayland Community College, Dr. Foxx implemented several nationally recognized programs including a curriculum evaluation program which has been adopted by major universities. Another major success was that she raised over $1 million in private funds for an on-campus, state-of-the-art child development center built by prison inmates. At ASU she implemented a model orientation/academic advising program which is still in existence. 

Dr. Foxx is married to Tom Foxx. Prior to her entering Congress, the couple owned a nursery business in Watauga County. Dr. Foxx is a lay leader in her church and her hobbies are reading, gardening and being a grandparent to two.

March 2006

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