Mississippi's community and junior colleges comprise the nation's oldest two-year system. Throughout history, Mississippi has prided itself on bridging the gap between dreams and reality through increased access to higher education. In the early 1990s, through advancements made possible through telecommunications systems, educators and leaders from across the system began pursuing a shared vision for instruction. During the late 1990s, a task force of leaders and practitioners was formed to investigate ways to use technology in meaningful ways. The emphasis was not on technology in and of itself but rather the idea of using technology effectively so that students would no longer be bound by time and place. The Internet was evolving, and learning management systems were in their infancy. After a series of visits to Oregon, Washington, and North Carolina--with stakeholder members from the system in finance, instruction, marketing, technology, and accreditation--the committee determined that online learning could create new opportunities of access for students. After a two-year process, the Mississippi Virtual Community College (MSVCC) was created as a consortium of the fifteen community and junior colleges across the state. The MSVCC launched during the Spring 2000 semester. In this article, the authors discuss what the MSVCC learned regarding the professional development of the faculty.