Women in the Higher Education C-Suite E-Book

Lisa Mednick Takami

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 299

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

Explore how women have succeeded in higher education administration through the collective wisdom of diverse college and university leaders As the percentage of women college and university presidents continues to increase, more and more women are considering academic administration as a viable career. Current and future leaders who aspire to rise to the top ranks of a college or university need a path to help them navigate the various issues they might encounter in today's academic institutions. Women in the Higher Education C-Suite: Diverse Executive Profiles explores the personal narratives of a diverse group of women CEOs and senior executives serving in two- and four-year public and private colleges and universities in the United States. Emphasizing real-world leadership, this book focuses on the remarkable women who continue to break barriers and inspire the next generation of leaders. Author Lisa Mednick Takami, Ed.D. draws from extended qualitative interviews with successful higher education CEOs and senior leaders to highlight their lived experiences, career trajectories, leadership lessons, and much more. Throughout the book, the leaders discuss common obstacles and offer recommendations to help you overcome them in your professional journey. The book also: * Focuses on the real experiences and formative development of current women leaders * Discusses topics such as work-life balance, career change, and professional legacy * Addresses how women leaders navigated the COVID-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter and Me Too movements Those profiled include: * Dr. Mildred García, Chancellor, California State University * Dr. Linda Oubré, President Emeritus, Whittier College * Dr. Dena P. Maloney, Retired Superintendent/President, El Camino Community College District * Dr. Katrice Albert, Vice President Office of Institutional Diversity, University of Kentucky * Dr. Jane Close Conoley, President, California State University, Long Beach * Dr. Sandra Boham, President, Salish Kootenai Community College * Dr. Judy K. Sakaki, President Emeritus, Sonoma State University * Dr. Becky R. Petitt, Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, University of California, San Diego * Dr. Erika Endrijonas, Superintendent/President, Pasadena Community College District * Dr. Javaune Adams-Gaston, Norfolk State University * Dr. Joanne Li, Chancellor, University of Nebraska, Omaha Designed to provide inspiration and guidance for future women leaders, Women in the Higher Education C-Suite: Diverse Executive Profiles is a must-read for educators, researchers, administrators, pre-service teachers, students in leadership courses, and women executives from other fields interested in pursuing senior-level college and university administration positions.

Leseprobe

Advance Praise forWomen in the Higher Education C-Suite: Diverse Executive Profiles

Compelling and insightful, Takami’s book showcases the transformative power of authentic women’s leadership in higher education, especially in times of crisis. In the process, it serves to inspire the next generation of diverse women leaders, whose voices are more critical than ever.

Dr. Lynn PasquerellaPresident, American Associationof Colleges & Universities

Dr. Takami, in sharing her leadership lessons and elevating those of executives she profiles, inspires and encourages the next generation of women leaders in higher education C-suites to prepare and persist. It took significant courage and resilience for the women leaders in this book to share their experience and engagement on difficult topics that resonate with other female leaders. Their experiences pave a wider path for other women leaders to further develop and ultimately succeed.

Marion Ross Fedrick, Ed.D.President, Albany State University

Lisa Mednick Takami’s Women in the Higher Education C-Suite aims to help grow diverse leaders by making visible the stories of women including those from African American, Asian American, Latinx, and Native American contexts who occupy the highest roles in higher education. Using their own words, the book shows how claiming one’s power can change what leaders look like and how leaders lead in ways we need. Solving challenges by prioritizing one’s sensibilities, backgrounds, and approaches opens access to leadership for anyone and everyone who has talent and inclination. Our students deserve leadership that rises to the occasion of diversity to serve and honor the abundance of experiences that our students bring to our institutions today.

Celine Parreñas Shimizu, M.F.A., Ph.D.Dean, Division of the ArtsDistinguished Professor, Department of Film & Digital MediaUniversity of California, Santa Cruz

Leading from the top of a post-secondary institution is more complicated and nuanced than ever. From these professional heights, there are many traps and tripwires, but they are not experienced universally; in fact, women and people of color have their own unique sets of hurdles to surmount. Dr. Takami’s book, Women in the Higher Education C-Suite: Diverse Executive Profiles serves as both a window and a mirror for aspiring college and university leaders. Through telling the stories – both the springboards and the hurdles – of eleven skillful, creative, and resourceful women, the reader gains valuable insight into their planned path for success. Dr. Takami’s book is an excellent resource, one that will help secure and retain more diverse senior leadership at our colleges and universities.

Dr. Aram deKovenChief Diversity Officer

In Women in the Higher Education C-Suite, Dr. Takami shares candid profiles of contemporary leaders of higher education who serve as university, college, and professional association presidents, and those who are among the first to serve in Chief Diversity Officer positions at their institutions. The artfully crafted profiles share the opportunities and challenges from being the firsts in their roles. Attending to the complexity of intersectionality, Takami brings to light the challenges of being a leader who manages the politics of race and gender. The volume is reminiscent of Astin & Leland’s Women of Influence, Women of Vision, bringing greater understanding of how this generation’s trailblazers have impacted higher education and how their leadership is transforming it.

Dr. Anna OrtizDean, College of Education, California State University, Long Beach

The brilliance in these voices and in the actions taken by these women demonstrate the diversity in leadership and thought. Dr. Takami provides the reader with an inspirational lens into their personal journeys of strength, resilience, and care for self, others, and the organization. Which is why it is beyond time for a woman to become President and reunite these States.

Mohammed I. T. BeyVice President for Institutional Inclusion, Carroll University

This book is a must-read for anyone looking to take their career to the next level while also making a positive impact on the world around them. One of the book’s key messages is the importance of being open to new opportunities and experiences, even if they don’t fit neatly into your existing career path. By embracing uncertainty and being willing to take risks, you can discover new passions and talents that can help you grow both personally and professionally. Another powerful message in the book is the importance of using your career to give back to others. Whether through mentorship, volunteering, or other forms of community service, we all have the power to make a positive difference in the world. Finally, this book offers valuable insights for working women who are trying to balance career success with other important priorities, such as family and personal fulfilment. By setting clear priorities and being intentional about how you spend your time, you can achieve a sense of balance and satisfaction that allows you to truly have it all.

Beth WhitedEVP – Sustainability & Strategy,Chief Human Resource Officer, Union Pacific Railroad

For most of history, those who have held society’s reins have understood the power and value of education. For many this education was not available, particularly for the poor and women.

The history of women and higher education reveals that higher education can not only be an

instrument of personal opportunity, but also one of societal innovation. Dr. Mildred García’s insight – “The only inheritance a poor family can leave you is a good education,” and Dr. Joanne Li’s leadership motto, “You need to look up, to reflect, and to build connections” – are fundamental truths. As women, we often continue to face obstacles, particularly as we move into leadership roles. The wisdom in this book will be impactful to all executive women and women aspiring to executive leadership positions.

Constance RyanCEO, Streck

Lisa Mednick Takami’s Women in the Higher Education C-Suite: Diverse Executive Profiles masterfully pulls back the veil to showcase the breadth of experiences of women leaders working to improve higher education. These stories in the aggregate model that change will not happen if we spectate. We have to be active participants who strategically bolster partnerships, personify fortitude, and center empathy. This imperative for change is particularly top of mind for those with marginalized identities like women, first-generation students, and people of color – all identities many of the monologues highlight.

The space given to share these dynamic decision-makers’ lived experiences simultaneously demonstrates these women’s humility and confidence. They are simple and profound. Invisible and hypervisible. Patient and decisive. They encourage us to “focus on what matters most,” “own your gift,” “get as much education as you can,” and “build[…] things to last that will outlast [you]”. They remind us that “I’m only as good as the people I hire,” “lived politics are different from perceived politics,” “sometimes leadership requires you to look up and out,” and that “equity, diversity, and inclusion should be integrated into every operation of the institution.” Most importantly they call for us all to remember that regardless of our role, we need to make sure that our students, our communities, and our campus stakeholders “…know every day that they are seen, heard, and valued.”

We won’t be able to diversify demographics and mindsets that presently predominate higher education leadership without more of the personal, genuine, and multidimensional stories like those of the women in this book who have been trailblazing “firsts” and graciously sharing their authentic stories so that they won’t be the last. Their distinct yet parallel stories remind us that one person can make a difference but that if that person wants to stay around, they don’t make that difference alone. Through the words of the spotlighted leaders, Takami reminds us of how beautiful, necessary, and cathartic transparency can be. If we want institutions to be open to change and to see and value women as the shrewd decision-makers they are, we have to be willing to embrace every page of their stories – from the lessons learned, to the inextricable link to family, to challenging cultural norms, to paying forward the investment of mentorship, to being unapologetically female, and unapologetically brilliant. Takami puts an emphatic stamp on the fact that these two descriptors never have been and never will be mutually exclusive. In fact, the profiles Takami shares model the possibilities of college and university leadership when individuals leverage the wealth and breadth of their experiences, even if others do not value them.

Raquel M. Rall, Ph.D.Associate Professor and Faculty Chair,University of California Riverside School of Education

Women in the Higher Education C-Suite

Diverse Executive Profiles

Lisa Mednick Takami, Ed.D.

Copyright © 2024 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.

Published simultaneously in Canada.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

Names: Takami, Lisa Mednick, interviewer.

Title: Women in the Higher Education C-Suite: Diverse Executive Profiles

Description: Hoboken, N.J. : John Wiley & Sons Inc., 2024. | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2023017154 | ISBN 9781394150236 (paperback) | ISBN 9781394150250 (pdf) | ISBN 9781394150243 (epub) | ISBN 9781394150267 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Women college administrators--United States--Interviews. | Women in higher education--United States. | Educational leadership--United States. | Sexism in higher education--United States.

Classification: LCC LB2341 .W5735 2024 | DDC 378.1/11082--dc23/eng/20230526

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2023017154

Cover Images: See list of credits inside the book

Cover Design: Wiley

Set in 9.5/12.5pt STIXTwoText by Integra Software Services Pvt. Ltd, Pondicherry, India

To the three loves of my life:

Masahiko, Michael, and Sarah

Contents

Cover

Advance Praise for Women in the Higher Education C-Suite: Diverse Executive Profiles

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication

About the Author

Foreword

Acknowledgments

Introduction

1 “I Represent Students in all States to Reach their Potential”

2 “It Matters Who Is in the Room”

3 “Leadership Is Really an Orientation Toward Action”

4 “I Had to Become More Proximal”

5 “The Best Way to Move Forward is to be Absolutely Great at Your Job”

6 “Your Path isn’t Necessarily a Straight Line”

7 “Running Through the Fire”

8 “The Wind of the Ancestors was at My Back”

9 “Education is the Great Equalizer”

10 “The Pulse on What Matters”

11 “You Need to Look Up”

Appendix

Index

End User License Agreement

Guide

Cover

Advance Praise forWomen in the Higher Education C-Suite: Diverse Executive Profiles

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication

Table of Contents

About the Author

Foreword

Acknowledgments

Begin Reading

Appendix

Index

End User License Agreement

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About the Author

LISA MEDNICK TAKAMI, ED.D. is a leadership consultant, writer, and higher education administrator. She currently serves as Special Project Director at North Orange Continuing Education, the noncredit educational provider of the North Orange Community College District. Dr. Takami has profiled CEOs and senior leaders for the journal Women in Higher Education since 2014. She served as COO for a labor-management apprenticeship training institute during the pandemic and has held administrator and faculty positions at several two-year and four-year institutions. Dr. Takami is the author of American Mind, Japanese Mind; Cross-Cultural Reflections from East and West and Chief Diversity Officers in U.S. Higher Education: Impacting the Campus Climate for Diversity. Takami resides in Southern California with her husband, Masahiko. They have two adult children, Michael and Sarah.

Foreword

Women in the Higher Education C-Suite makes a strong contribution to the field as an outstanding book about eleven amazing women who have emerged as exemplary leaders. Through a collection of interviews and research, author Dr. Lisa Mednick Takami, gives readers a direct lens into the careers, challenges, innovations, and breakthroughs of their individual journeys. The diverse cultural and racial context of these leaders represents a kaleidoscope of experience that converges into a commonality, the viewpoint of women.

I learned early in my own college and university presidencies that community is exactly what women leaders strive to create. I think of my journey and see part of me in each chapter of this book. These experienced CEOs tell us how they approached their new positions with grounded values while embracing the delicate balancing act of taking the reins at the right pace. I recall being told that the first year of a presidency is simply a learning experience, but to remember you are still in charge. Learning the institutional culture is critical for success. Avoiding isolation and bringing in all perspectives is the heart of building community.

Similar characteristics are easily drawn among all chapters – women influenced by upbringing, mentors, coaches, and cultural identities. These leaders embrace intentionality in their career paths, share similar moments of vulnerability and strength, push for inclusivity while following the ethos of a passionate focus on improving the lives of students through post-secondary education. The obstacles of leading through a pandemic have made them stronger, wiser, and more resilient. Each emphasizes the lifelong value of good mentors and coaches. From their perspectives, each highlights the importance of emotional intelligence for leaders. They frequently cite the priority of listening to their constituents and standing ready to change direction as needed.

Readers will be encouraged by the values that drive these women, even in their most stressful moments. They speak of the value of continuous improvement through professional development and the art of effective communication. Even at times when the dreaded “imposter syndrome” might emerge, they use that time to be self-reflective and energized toward growth. They remind us that leaders are so busy taking care of others, they can overlook their own self-care, crucial in order to maintain the strength to pursue their dreams and elevate those of their students.

I have coached presidents; those who are most successful adhere to values of these women. As the reader learns of these individual journeys, it becomes clear each followed the calling of the servant leader. They respect the opinions of others, acknowledge historical contexts, balance the intricacies of shifting cultures, and ultimately create legacies for future generations.

Many speak to the necessity of being at the table when critical decisions are made. Each reports that they are known as breaking the glass ceiling when hired as a woman, the first leader of a diverse multicultural or racial background, or both. Bringing these women into the higher education C-Suite role is not the last stop, however, demonstrated by a repeated theme in their bios of the continued need for inclusivity versus just demographic additions.

They are committed to social and economic mobility, telling stories of their families and the concomitant drivers of gender, race and ethnicity. Many emphasize the importance of authentic leadership. We know each of them in a new way by the end of their chapter because they value being present and real in how they lead.

The life stories told in each chapter demonstrate the skill set needed to navigate the rough seas that were previously captained by men, often those who served as their mentors. While most note they were the first women or racially/ethnically diverse leaders at their institutions and organizations, I would also argue they were the best candidates.

Beyond expressing appreciation for all those who have stood by their side providing guidance and support, each is committed to paying it forward. Current and future higher education leaders will add to their own toolbox by embracing what these women and the author are telling us in this book. Each story provides a very transparent and honest look at what women, and especially women of color, face in their careers. Both women and men in higher education, and those in relevant degree programs, would benefit from this book because it indeed pays forward their wisdom. As a former college president, I have no doubt this book will lead future higher education leaders to be inspired, hopeful, and more prepared to embrace the C-Suite roles that await them.

Barbara Gellman-Danley, Ph.D.President, Higher Learning Commission

Acknowledgments

With any creative or intellectual endeavor, teams rooted in collaboration and collegiality produce optimal results. This book was born of the steadfast collaboration among many. I am extremely grateful to each of the remarkable leaders whose stories are told within these pages. My appreciation extends to these leaders’ executive assistants, chiefs of staff, marketing and communications directors, and other team members who helped provide access, schedule interview dates, track chapter draft reviews, and provide liaison for related content items. I would like to acknowledge the invaluable input of colleagues and mentors who reviewed the initial book proposal and provided expert peer review of draft chapters: Dr. Bill Vega, Dr. Kristi Blackburn, Dr. Jésus Treviño, Dr. Kaye Bragg, Dr. Ashley Griffith, and Dr. Jacqueline Sims. I am indebted to the incredible Wiley teams in New Jersey and Chennai, India for bringing the vision of this book to fruition: Executive Editor, Todd Green, Managing Editor, Pascal Raj François, former Wiley Editor, Monica Rogers, Executive Editorial Assistant, Kelly Gomez, Content Operation Manager, Farhana Haseen, Content Specialist, Krithika Shivakumar and the Wiley creative and production teams. Thank you to Mia Ricci via LinkedIn for the introduction to Todd Green. I am profoundly grateful to Dr. Barbara Gellman-Danley for reviewing the entire manuscript and writing the Foreword. Shout out to Kristie and the Starbucks crew in Torrance for serving up oceans of peach tranquility tea. A special remembrance to my Auntie Debbie, for her steadfast support of my writing, and to my cousin of blessed memory, Sam Albert, also a brilliant writer. Paralleling the leaders profiled in these pages, my success is grounded in the family who support and sustain me in all things: My husband, Masahiko, our son and daughter, Michael and Sarah, my parents, Ellie and Jerry Mednick, and my mother-in-law, Yoshiko Takami.

Introduction

Dr. Lisa Mednick Takami, Ed.D.

During the summer of 2020, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, I was recruited and accepted a C-suite position in the private industry education sector. With good wishes from my vice president boss and the college’s then president, I bid goodbye to cherished colleagues, a middle management role, and the public, higher education institution where I had successfully served for more than five years.

Within a few months of assuming the C-Suite role, I realized I had underestimated the impact of sexism on the work environment. In retrospect, it was difificult to discern the organization’s marginalization of women from the outside. Warning signs and organizational history I overlooked at time of hire became salient later such as one woman serving on a 26-member board.

At the time, I believed the organization was invested in my success after hiring their first woman executive. As COO, I was charged with fulfilling the organization’s mission and operationalizing its strategic plan on behalf of 2500 students. I could not see then that I had been placed on a Glass Cliff, a term used by several of this book’s participants. The Glass Cliff refers to talented women selected for executive leadership positions without being provided the resources-the personnel, budget, and mentoring support necessary to excel in their roles. In the Glass Cliff scenario, these same resources are readily provided to male executive colleagues. I took charge and concluded I had moved too far from my core values grounded in equity, diversity, inclusion, access, and justice, and I made the difficult decision to transition into a new role.

Learning from this chapter in my career trajectory led to the idea for this book. I endeavored to explore the lived experiences, challenges, and triumphs of successful and diverse women higher education C-suite leaders. What could be learned from this remarkable group of women to inform and prepare the next generation of women leaders?

This book builds on a series of executive profile interviews I wrote for the journal, Women in Higher Education, published from 2014-2022. With the onset of the pandemic, I determined there would be significant and relevant experiences to be gained from women CEOs and senior leaders all over the country. I set out to explore diverse higher education women executive leaders in large, public universities, small private colleges, public community colleges, HBCUs, and Tribal Colleges. This book extends my dissertation on higher education Chief Diversity Officers published in 2017 for my doctorate from California State University Long Beach’s Education Leadership department.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine women CEOs and two cabinet-level senior executives from January-September 2022. The interviews were conducted via telephone or Zoom with the participants’ permission to record the interviews for accuracy. Each chapter begins with a biographical snapshot of how I became acquainted with the executive leader. Responses to interview questions are captured in the leaders’ words edited for clarity and publication. Chapter notes, citations, and explanation of votes of no-confidence and the Glass Cliff effect provide context for leaders’ experiences and topic discussions. Each chapter ends with the reflection, “What Can We Learn?” describing what the reader can glean from the specific leader’s experience and career journey to add to their own leadership toolbox.

I am indebted to these high-achieving women for inviting me into their personal and professional experiences leading higher education institutions before and through the Covid-19 pandemic and the 2020 racial reckoning that continues.

Themes that emerged from the interview data include:

The foundation of leaders’ family relationships, aspirations, examples, and values

The critical role of mentors, sponsors, trusted supporters, and advisors

The importance of targeted and ongoing professional development

The importance of building high performing teams and hiring exceptional candidates

The complexities and uncertainty of leading through the Covid-19 pandemic

The commitment to improve access and opportunity for underserved students

The differential treatment of women leaders relative to their male counterparts including racism, sexism, gender inequities, and the Glass Cliff effect

The significance of emotional intelligence, political savvy, and collaboration in leadership success

The ability to self-reflect, course-correct, admit mistakes, and communicate apology when needed

The joy and exhilaration of leading from the higher education C-Suite despite inherent challenges

Through the writing this book, my respect and admiration for these women has only increased. My belief in the complex higher education mission to provide access and opportunity, inform, prepare, and engage tomorrow’s citizenry and leaders has deepened.

I am grateful to these women leaders for their time, their patience, and their willingness to share their experiences leading in higher education today: Dr. Mildred García, Dr. Dena P. Maloney, Dr. Linda Oubré, Dr. Jane Close Conoley, Dr. Judy K. Sakaki, Dr. Katrice Albert, Dr. Becky R. Petitt, Dr. Joanne Li, Dr. Sandra Boham, Dr. Erika Endrijonas, Dr. Javaune Adams-Gaston, and Dr. Barbara Gellman-Danley.

May the high bar that these women leaders have set serve as models for the women higher education leaders of today and those of tomorrow.

Lisa Mednick Takami, Ed.D.

June, 2023

1 “I Represent Students in all States to Reach their Potential”

Interview with Dr. Mildred García

Chancellor, California State University System

A portion of this chapter originally appeared in Women in Higher Education in December 2021.

Dr. Mildred García became the first Latina woman Chancellor of the California State University System on October 1, 2023. She served as President of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities from January 2018 to September 2023. Previously, she served as President of California State University, Fullerton, California State University, Dominguez Hills, and Berkeley Colleges NY and NJ. I became acquainted with Dr. García at an alumni event during her tenure as President of CSU, Dominguez Hills.

Describe your job in one sentence.

I represent the country’s regional state colleges and universities that educate the new student majority in America.

You impart passion for making a difference in higher education. How do you encourage others to take a stake in today’s underserved students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs?

You must be authentic. I recall bell hooks’ quote that you must be a little vulnerable and share a bit about yourself for people to understand the lenses you use to see the world. I tell my personal story, my family’s story, my nieces’ and nephews’ stories and how we started from very little to where we are today. People connect, see themselves, and realize that not everyone is born with a silver spoon in their mouth. Everyone can reach their highest potential if they set their mind to it and have mentors.

What were the significant educational and professional steps in your career trajectory?

My mom gave me the best education I could have asked for when she allowed me (at age 14) to get authorization to work in the factory where she and my cousins worked over the summer. I realized I never wanted my family or me to work in a factory again. It was an awakening. Like many first-generation, low-income students, you want to get yourself and others out of poverty. When you go to school and college, your teachers and professors help you to fall in love with education. That was very significant in my life. I had wonderful teachers and mentors along the way who encouraged and saw things in me that I did not see in myself.

You have spent much of your career in California. What impact did your upbringing have on your career path and decision to return to the East Coast as AASCU President?

Growing up in Brooklyn, there were two tenement buildings filled with people from different ethnicities: Italian Americans, African-Americans, Jewish Americans, and Puerto Ricans all living together. We learned and understood diversity from each other. We learned so much about our neighbors’ cultures, and they learned about ours. I brought this experience of diversity to California.

I also brought my school trajectory to California. I started at a community college, which was fortunate. More than 50% of Latinos and many African-American and low-income students start at community colleges. That my first language was Spanish and I began at community college was unique for me as it is for so many students today.

Dr. García with Dr. Cynthia Teniente-Matson, President, San Jose State University

My parents were very strict about speaking Spanish at home and learning English at school so I would have the asset of speaking two languages. When I talk to families, I impart the importance of their children learning English, but I also tell them to hold onto their own language because the asset of language will be important to their kids’ future. I transferred from community college and continued my path, which led to earning a master’s degree and Doctorate of Education in Higher Education Administration from Teachers College, Columbia University NY.

I now represent 3.5 million students from so many different backgrounds. Regardless of their income, students from red states and blue states, it does not really matter. I represent students in all states to reach their potential.

How would you describe the transition from serving as a university president to a national public policy advocate?

I was the first Latina woman president in the California State University system, and I am the first Latina president at AASCU and of the six higher education presidential associations. It is about showing that we have a seat at the table. I have the opportunity to use my bully pulpit not only for Latino students, but for all students, particularly the underrepresented.

When you look at the presidential associations today, there are men at the table, and there are also women! It is extremely important that those who come after me see there is a seat at the table for them. This is important for students but also for the country. The country is slowly starting to recognize that if we do not educate those who have been underserved, this country is in trouble.

What opportunities are inherent to your role at AASCU?

Through AASCU, state college and university presidents have the opportunity to share, learn, and speak about challenges and mistakes among peers they trust. That is exciting for me. All our professional development programs help diversify executive leadership: The New Presidents Academy and The Millennial Leadership Institute, now 22 years old, was started by African-American presidents to diversify the presidency. We have 165 leaders who have become presidents.

AASCU also offers the Academy for New Provosts and the Becoming a Provost Academy, among many other programs.

In the four-year public sector, we have more underrepresented people as presidents than in the private sector. To be the voice of public, regional, comprehensive institutions on Capitol Hill is extremely important. Our students’ debt is on average $12–16K when they finish a degree, not the $100K of many other institutions. We stake our rightful place on the Hill and in the public so that families understand we are more affordable, we are smaller, and our faculty teach classes rather than teacher assistants.

What mentors and sponsors have had the greatest impact on your professional journey?

My parents have a wonderful saying that I often use in speeches: “The only inheritance a poor family can leave you is a good education.” This expression has stayed with me all my life because it rings true. If you have a good education, you can go far in this country. I had teachers and staff at the community college that saw potential in me. I still have a thesaurus in which a professor wrote, “To Millie, a young lady that will go very far” and encouraged me to go on to my four-year degree.

The staff I worked with in Financial Aid made me a peer advisor and put me through professional development training, all of which helped me to grow. Friends who went before me, my dissertation sponsor, all encouraging me to keep going. My dissertation sponsor, Bob Birnbaum, wrote in his book, “To Millie, who will someday be a president.” At that point in my life, I thought he was crazy. When I became president of CSU Fullerton, I called him and he said he was wrong [because] “you are on your third presidency!” My sisters and brothers have been fundamental to my success. Family!

What was the most significant challenge you faced in your career and how did you navigate this situation?

I had been President of Berkeley College for four days when 9/11 hit. We lost 11 students and a faculty member’s husband. I remember taking a deep breath, getting everyone together in the auditorium and saying: “Let’s hold hands. If you pray, pray. We are going to get through this together.” There was no playbook for presidents for 9/11, just like with Covid now. The time after 9/11 and the healing—speaking with family members who lost loved ones and the graduations with posthumous degrees—I still get emotional about it. As a president, I had to be compassionate and upbeat and talk about hope—that was the most challenging. I am a spiritual person. It is about taking moments behind closed doors to acknowledge what you are feeling and then going out there to be empathetic, to give people hope, and to help people get through a horrible situation.

What suggestions do you have for readers aspiring to serve as the CEO of a college, university, or national public policy agency?

Continue learning. Understand what your North Star is and why you want to do these positions. They are not easy. They may look glamorous—they are not. Do the job you are doing well, and other people will recognize you and help you to move forward. Have mentors. Susan L. Taylor (1993) writes in her book, In the Spirit