Kenneth Adams is president of LaGuardia Community College, a branch of the City University of New York (CUNY) in Long Island City, Queens.

Since taking the helm in 2020, he has led the college’s efforts to improve student success, strengthen its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and increase government and philanthropic support. In 2021, he launched a bold fundraising campaign to raise $15 million to help LaGuardia students and Queens residents rise and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Adams was previously dean of workforce and economic development at Bronx Community College, another CUNY institution.

Before joining CUNY, Adams spent more than 20 years leading economic and workforce development organizations in the state of New York. He served as acting commissioner of the New York Department of Taxation and Finance, president and CEO of Empire State Development, and commissioner of the New York Department of Economic Development.

Earlier in his career, he led the Business Council of New York State and the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce. He was also the founding executive director of New York Cares.

Adams serves as chairman of the boards of directors of New York State’s affordable housing agencies, including the Housing Finance Agency, the State of New York Mortgage Agency, and the Housing Trust Fund Corporation. He is a member of the boards of Opportunity America, the Queens Chamber of Commerce Foundation, the Long Island City Partnership, the Research Foundation of CUNY, and the Bronx Charter School for Excellence. He has served on boards, commissions, councils, and advisory groups on behalf of five governors and two mayors.

Adams received bachelor's and master's degrees from Middlebury College. He lives with his family in Brooklyn.

Marcia Ballinger is the fifth president of Lorain County Community College. She has been awarded the prestigious inaugural Aspen Presidential Fellowship for Community College Excellence.

Ballinger is deeply engaged in the student completion movement at the state and national level, serving in leadership roles for Completion by Design project funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, as well as Achieving the Dream. She also has served as a pathways coach for the American Association of Community Colleges.

She serves on the Ohio Articulation and Transfer Network Oversight Board and on the Ohio Association of Community Colleges Committee. She is also co-chair of the Ohio Guaranteed Transfer Pathways Statewide Steering Committee and president of the Lorain County Community College Foundation. She previously served as vice president of the LCCC Foundation, and during her tenure, the foundation’s assets have grown from $12 million in 2004 to more than $45 million today.

Ballinger holds a PhD in education with focus on community college leadership from Walden University. She is an alumnus of LCCC’s University Partnership Program, having earned an MBA from Kent State University. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

She currently serves as the co-chair for the Policy Leadership Trust for Student Success.

Michael Baston is the seventh president of Rockland Community College. He joined Rockland from LaGuardia Community College, where he served as the Vice President for Student Affairs and Associate Provost. Baston also helped grow LaGuardia’s grant funding to support new and creative interventions for student retention and success, with a special focus on diverse and underserved student populations.

Baston’s work has been featured in the Chronicle of Higher Education, Atlantic, Diverse Education, and Community College Times amongst others. An American Association of Community Colleges Pathways coach, Baston supports college leadership teams in integrating student success initiatives to advance college completion through guided pathways. Baston was selected as a member of the inaugural class of Aspen Institute Presidential Fellows for Community College Excellence where he explored systemic issues impacting the educational access pipeline and student success.

Baston began his career as a public interest lawyer representing various educational institutions and social justice organizations. His work with academic clients led him to pursue a second career in academia as both a professor of legal studies and business and a student affairs administrator.

He holds a bachelor’s degree from Iona College, a JD from Brooklyn Law School, and an EdD from St. John Fisher College.

Mordecai Ian Brownlee became the sixth president of Colorado’s Community College of Aurora on August 2, 2021.

A minority-serving institution (MSI) and a Hispanic-serving institution (HSI), CCA has campuses in Aurora and Denver and provides instruction to more than 10,000 students throughout its 350-square mile service area.

Before becoming president of CCA, Brownlee served as the vice president for student success at St. Philip's College. Located in San Antonio, Texas, St. Philip’s is the only college in the country that is federally designated as both a historically Black college (HBCU) and a Hispanic-serving institution (HSI).

During his tenure as vice president, Brownlee led St. Philip’s to a record enrollment of more than 13,500 students and the college had its four largest degree- and certificate-awarding classes in its 123-year history.

One of the youngest college presidents in the country at 37 years old, Brownlee is a higher education columnist for EdSurge. In 2020, he was featured by EdTech Magazine as one of the 30 most interesting voices in higher education who are shaping the conversation around IT and educational technology.

Brownlee earned a doctorate of education in educational leadership with a specialization in higher education at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, where he received the Outstanding Doctoral Student Award for his research regarding legislative impacts on community colleges in the state of Texas. Before completing his doctorate, he attended Houston Baptist University, where he earned a master’s degree in human resources management and a bachelor’s degree in mass communication and political science. He also holds an associate degree in liberal arts from North Harris Community College District (now known as Lone Star College) in Kingwood, Texas, and an Advanced Certificate in Community College Leadership from Dallas Baptist University.

Brownlee is an inclusive educator committed to the intellectual and economic empowerment of diverse communities by collectively partnering with all stakeholders to create a safe and equitable learning environment that promotes student inclusion, student engagement, and student success.

Tammi Chun is the interim associate vice president for academic affairs at the University of Hawai‘i Community Colleges, which serves the entire state with seven colleges throughout the islands.

In partnership with the UH baccalaureate institutions and other partners, Tammi leads statewide initiatives that enable more of Hawai‘i's residents to achieve their educational and career goals.

Tammi has held key positions in Hawai‘i's government and nonprofit sectors including assistant superintendent for the Office of Strategy, Innovation and Performance at the State of Hawaii Department of Education; vice president for programs at Hawaii Community Foundation; policy analyst for the Office of the Governor; and executive director for Hawaii P-20 Partnerships for Education. Previously, she researched education and social policies at the RAND Corporation and the University of Pennsylvania.

She earned an educational doctorate from the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education, a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government, and a bachelor’s degree from Pomona College.

Tammi is an Aspen Presidential Fellow, chair of the Center for Tomorrow’s Leaders and a member of Aloha United Way’s Community Impact Council; she previously served as an inaugural board member of the Data Quality Campaign and the ’Aina Haina Elementary School Community Council.

Marielena DeSanctis is the future president for the Community College of Denver. She currently serves as the provost and senior vice president of academic affairs and student services of Broward College.

DeSanctis has more than 22 years of experience in education, including roles in classroom teaching, curriculum development, instructional design, learning assessment, and progressive leadership roles in both K-12 and higher education.

Before taking on her current role, she had served as a high school assistant principal and principal, as an assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, and as a central campus president and vice president of student affairs.

Broward College serves approximately 63,000 students through three main campuses and five instructional centers in south Florida and 10 SACSCOC accredited centers worldwide, six international affiliates, and eight international partner institutions.

DeSanctis is an active and passionate advocate for her local, state, and nationwide community. She is a member of the 2019-20 class of the Aspen Presidential Fellowship for Community College Excellence and a member of Leadership Florida Class XXXV.

Before answering a call to education, she worked for almost six years as an engineer in the manufacturing and construction sector. She holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, a master’s degree in math education from Nova Southeastern University, and an EdS and a PhD in educational leadership from Florida Atlantic University.

Born in South Florida to a mother who emigrated from Cuba, she is fluent in Spanish. Among her accomplishments, she is most proud of her two children—Conner (26) and Allie (23). She currently resides in Palm Beach County, Florida, with her husband Lance DeSanctis, their dogs Harley, Stitch, and Lexi, and a parrot named Cowboy.

Morna K. Foy is the 12th president of the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) and the first woman president in the system’s more than 100-year history. She is committed to ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to access and succeed at a Wisconsin technical college, because she believes these institutions have the power of enrich lives and strengthen regional economies.

WTCS consists of 16 two-year technical colleges that serve more than 250,000 students each year, developing individuals at every stage of their academic and work careers into technical experts and entrepreneurs who make an immediate economic impact. Technical college curriculum is developed and routinely updated in partnership with employers representing every sector of Wisconsin's economy.

Morna has more than 30 years of experience in higher education policy development and leadership. She holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from the University of Wisconsin, an MPA in finance and policy from Indiana University, and a PhD in educational leadership and policy analysis, also from the University of Wisconsin.

Leigh Goodson is the fourth president and CEO of Tulsa Community College.

She is passionate about student success and has strong ties to education, having served previously as a university faculty member, university administrator, and school board member for Tulsa Public Schools.

Goodson serves on the board of directors of the YMCA of Greater Tulsa and the Oklahoma Innovation Institute. She is a graduate of Leadership Oklahoma class XXIII and Leadership Tulsa Class 35. She has served as chair of the Education Task Force for the Tulsa Regional Chamber One Voice initiative and as a member of its board of directors. She has a special interest in creating a pipeline for students in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math).

Goodson was a member of the first class of Aspen Presidential Fellowship Program, and under her leadership, Tulsa Community College was selected as one of 30 institutions nationwide to participate in the AACC Pathways Project.

She earned a PhD in education research and evaluation from Oklahoma State University, a master's degree in organizational communication from Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas, and a bachelor's degree in political science from OSU.

Anne M. Kress is the sixth president of Northern Virginia Community College, a role she moved into on January 6, 2020. She has more than 30 years of experience in community college teaching, administration, leadership, and community and business partnership development. She began her career in 1989 as a faculty member at Santa Fe Community College in Gainesville, Florida. She went on to serve as an associate professor, a department chair, the Title III project director, an associate vice president, and as provost and vice president for academic affairs.

Most recently, she served for 10 years as the president of Monroe Community College, the third largest community college in the State University of New York System (SUNY). Under her leadership, Monroe Community College launched a nationally recognized economic and workforce development center that has attracted over $20 million in funding. She also established a comprehensive suite of student support services to address food, housing, transportation, and childcare needs.

Kress holds a doctorate in higher education administration, master's and bachelor's degrees in English, and a bachelor's degree with honors in finance from the University of Florida.

Russell Lowery-Hart is president of Amarillo College, a Leader College for Achieving the Dream. His leadership focuses on improving student success through systemic and cultural change. In his career, he created several institution-wide initiatives targeting a systemic approach to poverty, curricular reform, instructional improvement, and partnership development across campus silos.

Lowery-Hart was selected into the inaugural class of the Aspen Presidential Fellowship for Community College Excellence, a rigorous executive leadership program led by the Aspen Institute and the Stanford Educational Leadership Initiative. Lowery-Hart served as the chair of the Amarillo “No Limits/No Excuses” Partners for Postsecondary Success Collective Impact—a 21-organization collaborative focused on education certificate and degree completion leading to living wage employment.

He served as the chair of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Undergraduate Education Advisory Committee charged with evaluating and redesigning the state of Texas general education requirements.

Lowery-Hart previously served as vice president of academic affairs for Amarillo College. He was named the National Council of Instructional Administrators Academic Leader of the Year for 2014. He received his PhD from Ohio University, a master's degree from Texas Tech University, and a bachelor's degree from West Texas State University.

While his calling is education reform, his passion is family. His wife, Tara, and children, Christopher, Campbell, and Cadence, fill his life with beauty and joy.

Cynthia Olivo has been a professional in higher education since 1995. For 23 years she has served in capacities including dean, associate vice president and vice president. This is her 16th year as an administrator including seven years at the university level and nine years in community college.

Olivo serves as the vice president of student services at Pasadena City College (PCC), serving 30,000 diverse students including 51 percent Latino, 27 percent Asian and Pacific Islander, 6 percent African American, 17 percent white, and 43 percent first-generation college students, with 65 percent meeting low-income guidelines. Initiatives include collaborating to create at scale Pathways Program, PCC Complete Graduation Initiative, Student Equity leadership to transform college practices in the classroom, hiring, and services to students. These efforts have resulted in contributing toward PCC earning these distinctions, “Top 10 Community College in the Nation” by the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence; No. 1 Veterans Resource Center in California by Military Times Magazine; No. 2 in Associate Degree for Transfers awarded to students in California; and she was selected for the highly competitive Aspen Presidential Fellows Program Class of 2017.

Cynthia holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s in counseling from California State University San Bernardino. She earned a PhD in education with an emphasis in urban leadership from Claremont Graduate University in 2008.

She is passionate about access to college, success and retention for students from marginalized populations, such as Latinos, African Americans, undocumented individuals, first-generation college students, and people from low-income backgrounds. She is the granddaughter of migrant farmworkers, raised by a single mom, the first in her family to go to college, and a third generation Mexican-American/Chicana.

Avis Proctor became the sixth president of William Rainey Harper College in July 2019.

She has more than 25 years of experience working in multicultural environments as an innovative mathematics educator and academic administrator with a focus on teaching, service, and research.

As a higher education scholar and an Aspen Presidential Fellow, she contributes to the professional discourse from local to global levels on progressive leadership in higher education, research-based instructional strategies, strategic community engagement, economic development, and the STEM pipeline for underrepresented groups.

Proctor believes in working closely with local school districts, the business community, and higher education institutions. Her work at previous institutions has included expanding articulation, internship, and employment opportunities to enhance student-employer connections for current students as well as alumni. She has also provided collaborative leadership for early childhood education, dual enrollment, and college readiness/completion initiatives which have gained national attention.

Proctor holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics education from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, a master’s degree in teaching mathematics from Florida Atlantic University, and a doctorate in higher education from Florida International University. She and her husband are the proud parents of one son.

Madeline M. Pumariega is the new President of Miami Dade College. Previous to this role, Madeline was the Executive Vice President and Provost Vice President of Academic Affairs for Tallahassee Community College. Prior to this role, Madeline was the former chancellor of the 28 colleges that make up the Florida College System, which serve more than 800,000 students. Recognized among the top in the nation, the Florida College System is committed to maintaining the highest quality programs to meet Florida's growing workforce needs and to make sure college is accessible and affordable.

Appointed as the first female, Latina chancellor in August 2015, Pumariega has worked to build on successes of the Florida College System. Her goal is to ensure that all students have a pathway to complete their degree or professional credential that leads them to their academic goals and ultimately helps them get a job.

A product of the college system herself, Pumariega began her academic career at Miami Dade College and returned to the college where she spent 20 years growing her career culminating as president of the Wolfson campus. At Miami Dade, she is regarded for her work in developing innovative approaches to support academic progress and student success, ensuring that thousands of youth can access and complete college. Pumariega was instrumental in supporting workforce programs by leveraging key partnerships in the community.

Before becoming chancellor, Pumariega served as president of Take Stock in Children, a statewide nonprofit focused on breaking the cycle of poverty through education. Take Stock in Children has helped more than 25,000 students living in poverty successfully complete high school and move into postsecondary education and careers.

Pumariega is a member of the Florida Prepaid College Board, Higher Education Coordinating Council, Florida Council of 100, The Center for Postsecondary Success at Florida State University, City Year Miami, and an advisory board member of the Florida College Access Network. She was a Kellogg Fellow for the League for Innovation’s Expanding Leadership Diversity in Community and a graduate of Leadership Florida Class 33.

Janet N. Springs became the seventh President for Forsyth Technical Community College on January 1, 2019. Prior to joining Forsyth Tech, she served seven years in various executive leadership roles at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College and for fifteen years as an executive leader at Carteret Community College, giving her more than 24 years of service in the North Carolina Community College System.

Spriggs has the unique honor of having been named an Aspen Presidential Fellow for Community College Excellence two times. She was one of 40 leaders selected from across the nation as a 2018-2019 Aspen Rising Presidential Fellow and earlier this year, she was one of 25 new community college presidents from across the nation selected as a member of the inaugural cohort of the Aspen New Presidents Fellowship.

A native of North Carolina, Spriggs grew up in Milton, North Carolina, and is also proud to be a former community college student, having attended two North Carolina Community Colleges: Rockingham Community College and Durham Technical Community College. “I have witnessed countless life-changing moments that illustrate the power of education to transform lives,” says Spriggs, “and as a low-income, first-generation student, education changed my life. As a leader, I believe leaders are more effective when they lead from within rather than from above and by influence instead of authority, and I am committed to a culture of belonging where inclusion is weaved into the fabric of who we are.”

Ajita Talwalker Menon is the president and CEO of Calbright College. Her job is to lead the college’s efforts to help underserved Californians gain greater economic mobility and to provide skilled talent for hiring employers.

Menon has dedicated her career to supporting government agencies, higher education institutions and systems, and nonprofit organizations to drive better and more equitable outcomes in higher education and workforce training.

Before relocating to California, she served in the Obama administration as special assistant to the president for higher education policy at the White House Domestic Policy Council, where she led efforts to expand college opportunity, affordability, innovation, and completion, ensuring more Americans could access the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in the nation’s growing economy. She has also held senior roles in the federal government at the U.S. Department of Education and with the U.S. House of Representatives, in addition to her more recent work as a senior advisor to the chancellor of the California Community Colleges.

She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a master’s degree from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Menon lives in San Francisco with her husband and daughter.

Randall VanWagoner is the fifth president of Mohawk Valley Community College (MVCC), a position he has held since July 2007. He currently is serving his second term as chair of the New York Community Colleges Association of Presidents, a position he has held since 2015.

VanWagoner came to MVCC after serving as the chief academic officer at Metropolitan Community College in Omaha, Nebraska, and the chief student affairs officer at Red Rocks Community College in Golden, Colorado. He has been instrumental in the development of the national Strategic Horizons Network of community colleges and serves as the co-facilitator of the Network, focused on learning about disruptive innovation and vibrant organizational cultures outside of higher education.

He holds graduate degrees from the higher education program at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and a bachelor's degree in communications from Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. He was also a two-sport athlete at Mott Community College in Flint, Michigan.

Dr. Kris Williams serves as Chancellor of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS). The Chancellor is the chief learner success and workforce development officer for the system of 16 Colleges, providing leadership, service and support for academic affairs, economic/workforce development, student services, institutional research and effectiveness, distance learning initiatives and external collaborative relationships. Previously, Dr. Williams served as the President of Henderson Community College from 2011-2018 and as the Interim President at Hazard Community and Technical College. She also served as the Chief Academic Officer at Hopkinsville Community College from 2007-2010. Dr. Williams joined KCTCS in July 2007 after several years at Santa Fe College in Gainesville, FL. Dr. Williams holds three degrees from the University of Florida—a Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, a Master’s degree in Higher Education Administration and a Doctor of Philosophy degree. She was awarded the University of Florida Institute of Higher Education Outstanding Graduate Award.