I recently attended my first CCBO conference in Orlando at the Disney Yacht Club and it was an excellent conference. As a newcomer to CCBO I was impressed with the leadership of CCBO and the vision they shared for community colleges and the people whose lives they affect. I enjoyed and appreciated all the members that I had the privilege to talk with and who helped me understand their support and affection for CCBO.
The business partners that I met all expressed a strong support for community colleges and really valued the opportunity to be at the conference. The CCBO staff deserves a shout out for the great job that they did in carrying out the conference and setting a high standard for all future conferences.
I have been honored with a great opportunity to serve as the new Executive Director for CCBO. I want to thank and recognize Dr. Bob Hassmiller for his service to CCBO and the many accomplishments he has achieved over the years. I thank him for his kindness and support as I make the transition to my new position.
I would like to share a few of my observations from the interactions I had at the Orlando conference.
All of higher education has been undergoing internal and external reviews because of the all too familiar financial challenges facing institutions and their corporate partners. Community Colleges need students to provide revenue, Associations value membership and corporate support to achieve their mission.
Community Colleges depend upon faculty to teach and administrators to keep the operations working efficiently. Associations depend upon volunteers for the leadership and support for the mission in order to deliver value. Associations also have professional staff to deliver services and provide support for members and corporate partners.
Community Colleges value diversity and the enrichment of learning opportunities for the communities where they serve. Associations have the responsibility of understanding our professional role to diversity initiatives and vision opportunities to support and increase our membership.
Community Colleges understand and value emerging leaders and the education they need to take the next steps in their professional careers. CCBO Association leadership must also understand the challenges facing emerging professionals and provide greater support for programs like the CCBO Leadership Academy.
I really tried to learn and listen to you, the members that make CCBO a strong and meaningful association. In the coming months as I make my transition, I will continue to make outreach efforts and engage us all in the valuable experience of learning from the professional diversity that can move CCBO forward. I will use this space to update you on topics that I think need to be forefront in our conversations and provide you with a glimpse of my vision for CCBO.
Thank you for making me a welcome part of the CCBO experience.