Bo Drake, vice president of Economic and Workforce Development (EWD) at Chattanooga State Community College is one of 32 leaders invited by the State Collaborative On Reforming Education (SCORE) to participate in the 2021-22 cohort of the Complete Tennessee Leadership Institute (CTLI).

Participants from higher education, K-12 education, government, business, and nonprofit organizations, bring varied expertise and perspectives to the program.

“Bo’s participation in CTLI will benefit Chattanooga State, our wider community, and our state. Now more than ever, non-credit, short-term education, like the programs in Bo’s area at the College, is an important on-ramp to completing a college degree,” stated Dr. Rebecca Ashford, Chattanooga State president. “He will make significant contributions to the dialog about removing the barriers to degree completion, and he will represent the College well.”

SCORE, in partnership with The Hunt Institute, will provide learning opportunities that will translate that learning into action over the next 12 months. The CTLI goal of eliminating barriers to postsecondary education completion became more urgent due to the ongoing effects of the pandemic.

“Community College enrollment rates in Tennessee dropped significantly in the fall of 2020, most notably for Black and Hispanic students,” said David Mansouri, SCORE president and CEO. “Given the compounding effect the pandemic is having on college enrollment, persistence, and completion, it is more urgent than ever that we partner with the leaders in this cohort to ensure that every Tennessee student has the opportunity and supports needed to attend and complete postsecondary education.”

By 2025, the Lumina Foundation projects that 60% of adults in the U.S. will need to further their education beyond high school to obtain gainful employment. Tennessee’s current attainment rate is “just shy” of 47%.

Hunt Institute President and CEO Dr. Javaid Siddiqi noted that the past three cohorts of CTLI participants have demonstrated “an immense increase in leadership capacity and knowledge regarding higher education issues,” and that further improvements will be forthcoming as the new cohort continues championing education reform.