Developing and Sustaining a Pipeline of Black CEOs in Community Colleges

For the last 33 years, I have enjoyed a successful pathway to becoming a CEO for a community college. My path is fairly traditional: faculty, program leader, dean, associate vice chancellor, vice chancellor and chancellor. As a Black woman who began her career in Orange County in Southern California, where the Black campus student population was 3% and Dr. Kimberly Beattythe employee population was equally dismal, I made a commitment to myself to work hard to earn my spot when the time was right, but I also made a commitment to do whatever I could to increase the success of Black students, faculty and staff. Now, from my current seat as a chancellor of a multi-college system in Kansas City, Missouri, and convener of the Presidents’ Round Table, a professional network of Black CEOs, I am more in tune than ever with the work that is ahead if our higher education system wants to maintain a cadre of Black presidents and chancellors.

The Imperative

More than ever, community college boards have seen a mass exodus from the president and chancellor seats. There is a real opportunity to build a cadre of Black leaders to lead our country’s community colleges. America also finds itself in a time where racial tensions have escalated on the streets and it pours over onto many of the college campuses. These tensions create a racial climate that can set up young Black professionals for failure or leave them feeling as if “the game is rigged." There is also the circumstance of burn-out. The Black leaders are stretched so far and in between, Black CEOs feel compelled to accept any and all invitations for service work to ensure that a diverse perspective is represented. 

The Myths

The myths designed to support a lack of Black leaders abound:

• “Black applicants don’t apply”: I would say this is true and false. There are many community college districts that don’t have a reputation for hiring diverse populations, whether intentional or not. As a result, Blacks may not apply. I remember when I was a faculty member at a college in Southern California; I was often asked to attend the statewide recruitment fair to support the effort and attract Black applicants. It worked! The false side of this myth is that Black applicants do apply, only to be (un)intentionally screened out given the existing hiring procedures and committee structures. 

• “There aren’t any Black qualified candidates out there”: This is absolutely false and closely tied to the first myth. At my own institution, I have learned of VERY qualified Black candidates for campus president who were not even selected for an interview!