American Association of Community Colleges Elects 10 New Board Members

National organization leading community college movement welcomes education leaders at pivotal time

WASHINGTON, May 9, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) announces the election of 10 new members for its 32-member board of directors. The board determines policy for the association and oversees its work on behalf of the nation's close to 1,200 community, junior and technical colleges.

The selection of new board members injects new energy into the association's leadership, and comes during a pivotal time for the community college movement, say association leaders. "How we address the challenges we are facing today in the community college system, will determine the quality and access Americans will have to higher education in the future," said Dr. Walter G. Bumphus, president of AACC.

Institutional representatives chosen for the AACC Board of Directors are: Quintin Bullock, president at Schenectady County Community College (N.Y); Ken Ender, president at Harper College (Ill.); Erma Johnson Hadley, chancellor at Tarrant County Community College District (Texas); Wilfredo Nieves, president at Capital Community College (Conn.), Shirley Reed, president at South Texas Community College; and Jim Selbe, president/CEO at Hopkinsville Community College (Ky.).

Council Representatives are: Charlene Dukes, president at Prince George Community College (Md.) and representative for the National Council on Black American Affairs and Lee Lambert, president at Shoreline Community College (Wash.) and representative for the National Asian/Pacific Islander Council.

The Institution At-Large Representative is Eugene Giovannini, president at Gateway Community College (Ariz.).The Public At-Large Representative is Ricardo (Rick) A. Torres, Jr., CEO & president at the National Student Clearinghouse.

The new board members were recently approved during AACC's annual convention in Orlando, Fla. Board members serve for three years. Their terms of office begin July 1 and expire June 30, 2015.

Twenty-four board members are elected by the AACC membership (18 institutional representatives and six affiliated council representatives). Six are elected by the board itself (three institutional at-large members and three public at-large members, representing constituencies such as boards of trustees, business or government).

The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) is the primary advocacy organization for the nation's community colleges. The association represents nearly 1,200 two-year, associate degree–granting institutions and more than 13 million students. For more information see www.aacc.nche.edu. Follow AACC at www.Facebook.com/CommCollege and www.Twitter.com/Comm_College.

SOURCE American Association of Community Colleges