The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) has examined this issue in the community college sector. According to a 2023 report, the average age of a community college CEO was 57.8 and more than half planned to retire within five years. The report notes that it remains unclear whether current leadership development efforts have prepared new CEOs for the increasing complexity of the role.
Maricopa Community Colleges, one of the largest systems in the country, has not been immune to these pressures. Dr. Steven Gonzales, Maricopa’s current chancellor, was appointed permanently in 2022 after serving as interim for two years. Since then, he has hired nine of the 10 college presidents, a new general Counsel, chief operating officer, executive vice chancellor and provost, and senior vice chancellor of external affairs.
Maricopa serves over 140,000 students annually across ten individually accredited colleges. The system receives no operational funding from the state, relying instead on property tax and tuition. It operates in a competitive urban environment alongside private colleges and the nation’s largest public university. In this context, the chancellor introduced a new initiative: an internal leadership development program.
Planning began in Fall 2023, and the first tier of the Maricopa Leadership Institute (MLI) launched in June 2024. The planning team continues to meet regularly to refine the program and develop additional tiers.
MLI aligns with AACC leadership competencies and is designed through a community college-specific lens. The program is guided by these design principles:
- • Organizational Values and Culture: Align with Maricopa’s core values.
• Student and Community Connections: Rooted in service to students and communities.
• System Positioning and Sustainability: Focused on long-term viability and leadership in education.
• People-Centered: Invested in the growth of individuals as change-makers.
• Future Forward: Anticipates and adapts to the evolving educational landscape.
• Public, Academic Identity: Tailored to the unique context of being a public academic institution.
The MLI was designed with multiple tiers to meet a variety of leadership development needs. The first tier, Actualizing Leadership, targets mid-level leaders aspiring to move into dean or vice president roles. Admission was competitive, requiring an application, resume, letter of recommendation, and interview.
The inaugural cohort launched in June 2024 with a four-day in-person intensive, followed by seven monthly sessions. Presenters included Maricopa leaders and external partners who blended theoretical frameworks with practical tools. Participants completed a capstone project, identifying a Maricopa “pain point” and proposing a solution with system-wide impact.
The second cohort launched in June 2025, using the same format with minor improvements. This year’s capstone shifts focus to identifying outdated or ineffective practices the system should discontinue to improve operational efficiency.
A second tier, Aspiring and Emerging Leadership, is designed for individual contributors who aspire to become people leaders. In addition, a Leadership Summit was held as a two-day intensive for all vice presidents and associate vice chancellors. It focused on system-wide issues and fostering collaboration among senior leaders.
To ensure Maricopa continues to ignite talent, transform lives, and enrich communities, we must go beyond conventional job training. The Maricopa Leadership Institute provides a structured, competencies-based model to build leadership capacity and foster a shared culture, laying the foundation for long-term success. Deanna Villanueva-Saucedo serves as Associate Vice Chancellor / Center for Excellence in Inclusive Democracy, Maricopa Community Colleges. She is a Doctoral Candidate in the Kansas State University Community College Leadership Program.
The Roueche Center Forum is co-edited by Drs. John E. Roueche and Margaretta B. Mathis of the John E. Roueche Center for Community College Leadership, Department of Educational Leadership, College of Education, Kansas State University.
