Montgomery College Named a Finalist for Two Awards of Excellence

Montgomery College is a finalist for two American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) Awards of Excellence which recognize exceptional work among the nation’s two-year colleges. President Dr. DeRionne P. Pollard is one of four finalists in the “Emerging Leadership” category and the College itself is one of four finalists recognized for an “Outstanding College/Corporate Partnership.”

The winners of each category will be announced at the annual AACC convention April 18-21 in San Antonio, Texas. The AACC recognizes colleges in seven categories:

• Advancing Diversity
• Community College Safety Planning and Leadership
• Emerging Leadership
• Exemplary CEO/Board
• Faculty Innovation
• Outstanding College/Corporate Partnership
• Student Success

“I am humbled that Montgomery College has been named a finalist for these two prestigious awards. However, the most enduring honor is that I can stand alongside our staff and faculty and recognize them as the driving forces responsible for the success of our students and our institution,” Pollard said. “Furthermore, the partnerships we’ve created in the community continue to place the College at the forefront of workforce development and economic sustainability in Montgomery County.”

The AACC Emerging Leadership Award recognizes CEOs who have developed exemplary systems of leadership and professional development and created a campus culture that proactively supports career and leadership advancement for all campus personnel. Nominees should demonstrate an ongoing commitment to leadership development for emerging community college leaders through programming that includes exposure to the AACC Competencies for Community College Leaders.

Since her 2010 inauguration as president of Montgomery College, Pollard has spearheaded the development of a new Montgomery College mission and Montgomery College 2020, the institution’s strategic plan. Other priorities have included partnering with Montgomery County Public Schools and the Universities at Shady Grove in the creation of Achieving Collegiate Excellence and Success (ACES), a support program designed to help students transition from high school to college completion.

Pollard was named a 2014 White House Champion of Change, is a graduate of Leadership Montgomery and was named its Outstanding Leader for 2013. Other awards and honors include Washingtonian Magazine’s 100 Most Powerful Women; the Daily Record’s Influential Marylander; and Washington Business Journal’s Minority Business Leader Award.

The Outstanding College/Corporate Partnership Award honors local, regional and national collaboration between a college and corporate partner that has achieved demonstrable, multi-year success in advancing the mission of the institution(s), the economic prosperity of a community, region or the nation, and the learning excellence of students.

Pollard formerly served as president of Las Positas College in Livermore, California. Her community college career began at College of Lake County (Ill.) as a faculty member in English. She received her PhD in educational leadership and policy studies in higher education from Loyola University Chicago and her MA and BA in English from Iowa State University.

The AACC annual convention is an event that attracts close to 2,000 educators, policymakers, corporate and foundation representatives each year. In addition to the Emerging Leadership and Outstanding College/Corporate Partnership Awards, categories include Advancing Diversity, Community College Safety Planning and Leadership, Exemplary CEO/Board, Faculty Innovation and Student Success.

Finalists for the AACC Awards of Excellence were chosen by a specially-appointed committee of the association’s board of directors, based on specific criteria.

For a list of the 2015 finalists, click here 
 

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