January 2020
Happy New Year, friends!
At the start of each year I select a word that sets an intention on how I want the year to flow. My word of the year for 2020 is IMPACT. This word came to me as I reflected on the journey that prepared me to be the new executive director for the Center for Community College Student Engagement (the Center).
Along the way, many family, friends, colleagues, and mentors have impacted my life. Some of those impactful moments included my grandfather encouraging me to go to college as that was the reason he migrated his family to the United States—to give his family opportunities. I also think about when I became a doctoral student in the Community College Leadership Program at The University of Texas at Austin in 2005. Dr. Kay McClenney, who was then the director of the Center, spoke to our cohort about student engagement. Little did I know that nearly 15 years later, I would become the executive director of that same organization that she founded.
Now, I am honored to guide the Center’s IMPACT within the community college field and work alongside the Center’s National Advisory Board members. I would like to extend a very special thanks to Dr. Bill Law (former President of St. Petersburg College in Florida) for serving as our board chair for the past few years. Below are new appointments to the board:
Board Chair
Dr. Dan Phelan
President
Jackson College (MI)
Board Members
Cathy Bio
Director of Student Success
University of Hawaii Community College System (HI)
Dr. Sunita “Sunny” Cooke
Superintendent/President
MiraCosta College (CA)
Dr. Leigh Goodson
President
Tulsa Community College (OK)
Dr. Steven Gonzales
President
GateWay Community College (AZ)
Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart
President
Amarillo College (TX)
I, along with the Center staff, look forward to supporting your conversations about positively impacting the student experience!
See you out in the field!
