Achieving the Dream has selected Dr. Lenore Rodicio as its next president and CEO, the national community college organization announced Thursday.
Dr. Lenore Rodicio
The appointment comes as ATD expands its mission beyond increasing college graduation rates to also focus on graduates' economic mobility and community well-being, according to the organization's board.
"Among an impressive field of candidates, Dr. Rodicio's deep experience within community colleges and across organizations that serve them made her the right leader for ATD's next step," said Dr. Gregory D. Williams, ATD board chair and president of Odessa College in Texas.
Rodicio spent 18 years at Miami Dade College, starting as an adjunct chemistry professor in 2002 before rising through administrative ranks including department chair, dean and provost. Since leaving MDC in 2020, she has advised higher education organizations including the Aspen Institute's College Excellence program, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Complete College America.
A first-generation college graduate with a doctorate in chemistry, Rodicio said community colleges face both challenges and opportunities in demonstrating their value to students and policymakers.
"We have the responsibility to ensure that learners who have previously been left out of higher education have affordable access to college, have the support they need to complete their certificates and degrees, and find sustainable pathways to careers," she said.
