The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program today announced that Dr. Rebecca Ashford, president at Chattanooga State Community College, is one of 25 leaders selected for the 2021-22 class of the Aspen New Presidents Fellowship. This program supports community college presidents in the early years of their tenure as they aim to achieve higher and more equitable levels of student success. The Fellowship’s philanthropic partner is JPMorgan Chase.

The 25 Aspen Fellows, who lead colleges that collectively serve more than 280,000 students, were selected through a highly competitive process. Starting later this year, the Fellows will engage over nine months in residential sessions and virtual learning to develop strategies to meet their goals for student success and equity with data to assess challenges and progress.

“We continue to learn how the best community colleges improve outcomes for students and close persistent race- and income-based equity gaps,” said Josh Wyner, executive director of the College Excellence Program. “This year’s fellows have demonstrated their commitment to achieving excellent and equitable student outcomes, and we are eager to work with them as they join Aspen’s network of more than 100 fellows who serve as community college presidents.”

“Dr. Ashford’s selection for the highly competitive Aspen Institute fellowship is a deserved distinction and represents her commitment to community college excellence during her first four years serving as Chattanooga State’s president,” said Tennessee Board of Regents Chancellor, Dr. Flora Tydings.

“I am incredibly honored and humbled to have been selected to be a member of this year’s Aspen New Presidents Fellowship cohort,” stated Dr. Ashford. “I look forward to learning with colleagues from across the nation about how we can improve our student success and equity outcomes. I hope that by participating in this program, I can better serve Chattanooga State and our students to fulfill our purpose of supporting everyone in our community to learn without limits.”

As community colleges grapple with the impact of COVID and enrollment declines, turnover among presidents remains high. Aspen is committed to helping prepare the next generation of exceptionally capable and highly diverse leaders through its fellowship programs for new and rising presidents. This new class of Aspen Presidential Fellows is 48 percent female, and 64 percent are people of color. Located in 18 states, their institutions too are diverse, from a tribal college with fewer than 500 students to an urban college that educates more than 35,000 each year.

“Community colleges play a critical role in helping to prepare young adults and incumbent workers for in-demand jobs of the future,” said Monique Baptiste, Vice President and Head of Jobs & Skills for Global Philanthropy at JPMorgan Chase. “Ensuring that the leaders of these institutions are equipped with the support and training they need to develop equitable student success is an integral part of building capacity over the long-run. JPMorgan Chase is proud to partner with the Aspen Institute to build the next generation of exceptional college leaders as they work to advance the prosperity of the diverse communities and students they serve.”

JPMorgan Chase funds the Aspen Presidential Fellowship as part of New Skills at Work, a five-year, $350 million investment to prepare for the future of work and meet the growing demand for skilled workers, including support for community colleges and other pathways to great careers and economic mobility.

The 2021-22 Aspen New Presidents Fellows

• Rebecca Ashford, Chattanooga State Community College (TN)
• Seher Awan, Los Angeles Southwest College (CA)
• Vincent Bowhay, Independence Community College (KS)
• J.B. Buxton, Durham Technical Community College (NC)
• Karin Edwards, Clark College (WA)
• Angélica Garcia, Berkeley City College (CA)
• Veronica Garcia, Northeast Lakeview College (TX)
• Tracy Hartzler, Central New Mexico Community College (NM)
• Greg Hodges, Patrick Henry Community College (VA)
• Stephanie Kashima, West Valley College (CA)
• Georgia Lorenz, Seminole State College of Florida (FL)
• Kimberlee Messina, Spokane Falls Community College (WA)
• Rachel Pokrandt, Umpqua Community College (OR)
• Christy Ponce, Temple College (TX)
• Omid Pourzanjani, San Joaquin Delta College (CA)
• Monte Randall, College of the Muscogee Nation (OK)
• Anton Reece, West Kentucky Community and Technical College (KY)
• Ángel Reyna, Madera Community College (CA)
• Claudia Schrader, CUNY Kingsborough Community College (NY)
• Ricky Shabazz, San Diego City College (CA)
• Ron Slinger, Miles Community College (MT)
• Willie E. Smith, Baton Rouge Community College (LA)
• Russell Swagger, Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe College (WI)
• Justina Wilhelm, Iḷisaġvik College (AK)
• Jermaine Williams, Nassau Community College (NY)

For bios and photos of all extraordinary 25 leaders, visit HERE.