Summit Info Registration Agenda
Speakers
Dr. Curtis Ivery,
Chancellor, Wayne County Community College
Dr. Curtis L. Ivery, a pioneer in education, became Chancellor of the Wayne County Community College District (WCCCD) on September 1, 1995. Under his leadership, he has transformed WCCCD, the largest urban community college district in the state, into a six-campus, inclusively pluralistic District serving more than 70,000 students annually.
As Chancellor of WCCCD, Dr. Ivery has achieved a matchless record of advances and growth in higher education. Currently, he oversees an annual operating budget of just over $100 million, and a $650 million capital improvement program. He has spearheaded the creation of more than 120 workforce development, career and academic programs to retain workers for new careers in emerging sector industries.
Dr. Ivery serves on the Board of Directors for the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). His leadership has impacted community colleges nationally through his participation on the 21st Century Commission on Higher Education. He plays a key role in crafting national initiatives that promote community colleges as the premier workforce development providers in America, and helps influence government and corporate funding policies to support community colleges in taking on this crucial responsibility.
Prior to becoming Chancellor of WCCCD, Dr. Ivery served as Vice President of Instruction and acting President at Mountain View College of the Dallas County Community College District (DCCCD), serving over 85,000 full and part-time students. He also served as Vice President of Instruction at El Centro College for five years, the oldest of the seven colleges within the DCCCD. Dr. Ivery has also served as Commissioner/CEO of Human Services for the State of Arkansas managing over 3,000 employees and a budget of over one billion annually. He was the first African American and the youngest appointee to the Cabinet of the Governor of Arkansas.
Dr. Ivery has been a columnist, commentator and a much in-demand speaker for several decades – from his position as a journalist, prominent educator and government official, calling on his expertise with urban and minority issues as a community leader, and above all, bringing the wisdom he learned from his family and colleagues as he overcame the obstacles of a difficult childhood to a life filled with professional and personal success.
Dr. Ivery has written, authored and compiled 15 books. He has also published more than 600 articles for publications across the nation. He has written several children’s books which include: Papa Take My Hand, Papa and Jason Go To Africa, Papa and Jason Meet the River Shark and Papa and Jason’s Christmas Magic which he co-authored with his daughter Angela Ivery. Demonstrative of his dedication to family values, Dr. Ivery and his son Marcus Ivery collaborated on Black Fatherhood: Reclaiming Our Legacy, which provides advice and observations for the next generation of men on the importance of being an active, caring and responsible father. In his book, Don't Give Up, Don't Give In, Dr. Ivery demonstrates his motivational gifts, as he seeks to inspire young men to live their lives with purpose and integrity. Journeys of Conscience contains a collection of essays that examine both the shortcomings and richness of modern American culture reminiscent of Mark Twain. In the preface to this book, renowned columnist Clarence Page writes of Dr. Ivery, “His years in education and other public service make him a valuable voice in the cause of closing economic and cultural gaps, opening doors of opportunity and helping all of us to take full advantage of opportunity once it has been opened up to us." Dr. Ivery’s collection of books also includes America's Urban Crisis and the Advent of Color-Blind Politics: Education, Incarceration, Segregation, and the Future of the U.S. Multiracial Democracy. In his book titled, America’s Urban Crisis; Reclaiming Integration and the Language of Race, a chapter on Advice for Leaders Advancing the Open-Door Philosophy was published by the American Association of Community Colleges in the book Reinventing the Open Door-Transformational Strategies for Community Colleges and The Future of the Urban Community College: Shaping the Pathways to a Multiracial Democracy.
Dr. Ivery was the initiator and driving force behind the nationally acclaimed 2002 Crisis in Urban America Summit in Detroit – a symposium of prominent educators, politicians and community activists addressing the problems facing urban America in order to bring the issues more strongly to national attention and devise workable solutions. As a follow-up, two additional summits have been held with one titled “Rebuilding Lives: Restoration, Reformation, and Rehabilitation in the U.S. Criminal Justice System” in 2004 and the most recent in 2018 titled the “Detroit Urban Summit III.” The recent summit brought focus to critical areas such as integration, civic engagement, and educational equity in advancing the project of American Democracy.
Dr. Ivery is the recipient of numerous awards and accolades. Most recently, he was honored with the 2019 Education Award at the Let Freedom Ring event celebrating the 90th birthday of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In 2017, he received the Leadership Excellence Award for Diversity and Inclusion from the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education. In 2016, Dr. Ivery received the Trumpet Award for Education. He was presented with the Distinguished Service Award by the Detroit City Council in 2011. Later that year, he was honored again by the Detroit City Council with the Spirit of Detroit Award in recognition of exceptional achievement, outstanding leadership and dedication to improving the quality of life. In 2010, Dr. Ivery was chosen as one of the first recipients of the Dr. Charles H. Wright Vision Awards during the “Builders of the Vision” Celebration of Higher Education. For his many profound contributions, he was named ‘2008 Newsmaker of the Year’ by the Michigan Chronicle and that same year was also selected as a Man of Excellence by the Michigan Chronicle. Dr. Ivery was a recipient of the 2004 Michiganian of the Year Award, and the SCLC Septima Clark Award for Excellence in Education. In 2004, he received the Walter E. Douglas Humanitarian Award from Detroit Omega Foundation, Inc., honoring him for his commitment to Detroit area youth and families. In 1996, the Life Extension Foundation selected Dr. Ivery as the “Community College President of the Year.”
Dr. Ivery and his wife, Ola, have a daughter, Angela, a graduate of Texas A&M, a son, Marcus, a graduate from Michigan State University, and three grandchildren.
Dr. Tracy D. Hall,
President, Southwest Tennessee Community College
Dr. Tracy D. Hall assumed the presidency of Southwest Tennessee Community College on July 13, 2015. After a national search that attracted more than 65 applicants, the Tennessee Board of Regents selected Dr. Hall out of four finalists.
Dr. Hall believes deeply in the access and success mission of the Community College and is passionate about increasing economic and social mobility opportunities for urban students.
Prior to joining Southwest, she served as Vice-President of Academic Affairs at St. Louis Community College-Forest Park where she oversaw the planning, development, implementation and assessment of general transfer studies and more than 30 career and technical programs.
She previously served six years as associate dean of instruction and five years as a full-time speech, mass communication, and intercultural communication faculty member at Metropolitan Community College-Penn Valley in Kansas City, MO.
Dr. Hall also served as the minority student retention services coordinator for Kennesaw (GA) State University and began her professional career as a full-time Communications instructor at St. Louis Community College-Meramec from 1993-1997.
She currently serves on local and national boards and commissions including the Greater Memphis Chamber, The Memphis Medical District Collaborative, the American Association of Community College’s Commission on Economic and Workforce Development, The President’s Roundtable, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), and the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis’ Community Development Advisory Council.
Dr. Hall earned a doctoral degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis, a master’s degree in Communications from Wichita State (KS) University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri-St. Louis in Speech and Mass Communications.
Dr. Merrill Irving
President, Hennepin Technical College
Dr. Merrill Irving, Jr. became the fourth president of Hennepin Technical College (HTC) in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system on July 1, 2015. As president, he is responsible for overseeing the college’s mission of providing excellence in career and technical education for employment and advancement in an ever-changing global environment.
Dr. Irving is a visionary leader with an accomplished record of serving diverse learning communities and championing underserved and nontraditional students. He is committed and focused on systematic and transformational changes embedded in equity and inclusion to create structure, culture and management that fosters belonging and engagement of diverse populations. He remains authentic by sticking to his values of trust, honesty and integrity.
Dr. Irving began his presidency by leading the college through a successful reaffirmation of accreditation with the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) with no findings. This accomplishment reinforces HTC’s commitment to educational quality, continuous improvement and ensuring ethical responsibility of public and private resources.
Following reaffirmation of accreditation, Dr. Irving, together with the college community, began a 3-year process of developing a new 5-year strategic plan (Access to Success), effective July 1, 2020. Access to Success, under guiding values of excellence, innovation and inclusion, includes four (4) areas of focus (Equity & Inclusion, Student Success, Quality Education and Resources), that serve as a roadmap to ensure accountability and continuous quality improvement that meets the needs of HTC’s diverse student population, workforce partners and community members.
The college as well as its faculty and staff have received numerous awards and recognitions including being ranked 22nd nationally for granting Associate’s degrees for minorities in Engineering Technology (Diverse Magazine, December 2019); White House Healthy Campus (2017); Minnesota State Board of Trustee Educator of the Year awards (2017, 2018). In 2017, the Minnesota State College Student Association (LeadMN) named Dr. Irving President of the Year for his efforts around equity and inclusion and student success.
Dr. Irving is engaged in local, state and national communities of interest including being appointed by the State of Minnesota Governor to the Workforce Development Board and the Young Women’s initiative of Minnesota Council. He was also appointed to the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) Task Force on Community College Apprenticeships and the Public Relations and Advocacy Commission. Other roles include serving as a Peer Reviewer for the Higher Learning Commission, and a member of the President’s Round Table (PRT, an affiliate of the National Council of Black American Affairs (NCBAA)) and LGBTQ Presidents and Chancellors in Higher Education. He is a former AACC Board of Director; former chair of the Commission on Diversity, Inclusion and Equity; former chair of the Commission on Public Relations Advocacy and Advancement; and former chair of the Commission on Economic and Workforce Development.
Dr. Irving earned a Bachelor of Arts and Masters of Public Administration from West Virginia University. He also holds a Doctorate of Educational Psychology from the University of Southern California.
Dr. Rolando Garcia
President, North Hennepin Community College
Dr. Rolando Garcíais is a compassionate leader with an accomplished record of promoting diversity and championing underserved students. Serving North Hennepin Community College (MN) since 2020, Dr. García has a record of visionary and transformational leadership.
Before assuming his current role, Dr. García served Broward College (FL) as President of the Judson A. Samuels South Campus and Vice Provost of Academic Resources since 2015 and Dean of Academic Resources and Assessment from 2014 to 2015. Prior to joining Broward College, he served Northern Virginia Community College’s Woodbridge Campus as the Dean of Learning and Technology Resources from 2011 to 2014, and Miami Dade College from 2002 to 2011 in various capacities including Program Coordinator, Instructional Designer/Technology Trainer, Director of the Computer Courtyard, and Campus Director of Learning Resources. He has served on the faculty of Broward College and Miami Dade College teaching Information Technology, Educational Technology, and Management Information System courses.
As an administrator, he has developed, nurtured, and sustained positive relations and partnerships with business and industry, college and university partners, community nonprofit organizations, and k-12 school districts. Dr. García has extensive board experience serving on the Miramar Pembroke Pines Regional Chamber of Commerce, the YMCA of South Florida, and Hispanic Unity of Florida board of directors.
Dr. García earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychobiology from the University of Miami. He holds a Master of Science degree in Management Information Systems and a Doctorate of Education in Higher Education from Florida International University.
Dr. Elizabeth Gassel Perkins
Campus President & Chief Academic Officer, St. Louis Community College - Florissant
Valley
Elizabeth Gassel Perkins, Ed.D., joined STLCC as provost of the Florissant Valley campus in August 2016 and served in that role until the title of provost was changed to campus president and chief academic officer in January 2019. In addition to her role as campus president, she serves as the administrator for the College’s dual credit, dual enrollment, and early college partnerships. She also serves as the administrator responsible for overseeing the College’s developmental education redesign efforts. While at STLCC, Dr. Perkins has led district-wide taskforces on departmental reorganizations and waitlisting options for students and serves on a variety of standing committees and taskforces for the College and the campus.
Dr. Perkins is also heavily involved in her community. She serves as the Past Chair and an Executive Board Member for North County, Inc., is a board member of the Greater North County Chamber of Commerce, and is a former board member of the St. Louis County Workforce Investment Board. She has worked with Shawntelle Fisher, CEO of The Soul Fisher Ministries, to present at the St. Louis chapter of the United Nations on the importance of education for justice-involved individuals during incarceration and after release. Last year, Dr. Perkins also presented options for educational programs in correctional facilities to the Area Resources for Community and Human Services (ARCHS) program, an event hosted each year at the Florissant Valley campus. She has also volunteered for the Educators for Social Justice Conference, an event that is also sponsored by the Florissant Valley campus. She has been recognized by the Christian Hospital Foundation as a Drum Major Award recipient in 2021 and by North County Churches Uniting for Racial Justice and Harmony with an Outstanding Education Award in 2019. Under her leadership, the campus also received the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Excellence Award from North County, Inc., in 2021.
Prior to joining STLCC, Dr. Perkins served in a variety of academic roles at Darton State College, which is now Albany State University. She most recently served as interim vice president of academic affairs at Darton after serving as dean of the school of humanities and social sciences. Throughout her tenure at Darton, she also served as interim dean of math and science, dean of learning support, and dual enrollment program coordinator. She served as the statewide chair of the University System of Georgia (USG) Learning Support Advisory Committee, as well as on several state and college committees. Additionally, she served on the consolidation task forces for what is now Albany State University. Dr. Perkins began her career at Darton in 2006 as an English instructor and was promoted to tenured associate professor. She has taught as an adjunct instructor for the University of Montevallo and Valdosta State University, and served as a course content expert for eMajor for the USG.
Dr. Perkins earned her doctorate in leadership with an emphasis in higher education from Valdosta State University. Her research work includes studies in critical race theory, post-colonial theory, and narrative analysis. She earned her bachelor's degree summa cum laude in English from the University of Montevallo, where she also earned a master's degree in English.