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Three chosen as finalists to be Mesa Community College’s next President
The Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) has selected three finalists after an extensive nationwide search for the next President of Mesa Community College (MCC). The search committee, comprised of College, student, and community representatives, has conducted a thorough screening and preliminary interviews with applicants in order to identify those best suited to lead MCC with long-term success.
Public forums with finalists will take place on Tuesday, April 12, 2022, from 1 - 5 p.m. The forums are open to students, employees, and the general public. Each forum allows the audience to ask questions and provide feedback that goes to the Chancellor for further consideration as a part of a comprehensive and inclusive evaluation of each candidate. Participants may also attend the public forums in person at Mesa Community College:
Navajo Room – KSC 35S
Southern and Dobson Campus
1833 West Southern Avenue
Mesa, AZ 85202
You can learn more about each candidate and our forum schedule by visiting the Mesa Community College President Search website.
In alphabetical order, the finalists are:
Kim E. Armstrong, Ph.D.
Dr. Kim Armstrong’s work experiences span research, instruction, clinical and administrative strata. She is one of only 50 nationally certified Student Success/ Guided Pathways Coaches in the country, where she assists colleges nationwide through the transformational change process and is also a trained Peer Holistic Student Support Coach. Both coaching opportunities were the result of being appointed by the Arkansas Community College Student Success Center and Achieving the Dream.
In addition to her research publications on learning and memory, Dr. Armstrong co-authored a report for the National Science Foundation on “Diversity in the Workplace.” She prepared and presented a report for the American Psychological Association, National Science Foundation, and U.S. Congress on “Mental Health Services in Rural Minority Populations” and she authored an article for the Illinois-Iowa Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce on diversity. In 2011, she published “Access and Success for First-Year Students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.” She currently serves as Vice Chancellor for Student, Equity and Community Affairs at Arkansas State University Three Rivers.
Tammy Robinson. Ph.D.
Dr. Tammy Robinson has over 25 years of experience as a community college administrator and faculty member. Since 2018, Dr. Robinson has served as the Vice President of Instruction at Cañada College in Redwood City, Calif. Prior to this position, she served as the Dean of Global Learning Programs and Services and Dean for Social Science and Creative Arts at Skyline College in San Bruno, Calif. She also served as Interim Vice President of Academic Services Services/Athletic Director/CIO at Lassen Community College in Susanville, Calif. from 2013 to 2015.
Currently, Dr. Robinson is the Vice President of the California Community College Chief Instructional Officers Executive Board. She also serves on several national boards, in addition to the Workforce Development Commission for the American Association of Community Colleges. She also remains active in hosting community, statewide and national events that affect both students and future leaders in education.
J. Nathaniel Southerland, Ph.D.
Dr. Nate Southerland is Provost and Chief Academic Officer at Coconino Community College in Flagstaff, Ariz., where he leads the College’s efforts to create and deliver outstanding undergraduate and CTE programs and provide support for students to access and succeed in postsecondary education. During his time at CCC, he has overseen the development of new programs in early childhood education, teacher education, forestry, information technology, automotive technology, marine maintenance, commercial truck driving, and a forthcoming Colorado Plateau Studies summer institute. He has also been actively engaged in leading efforts to secure additional resources such as a $1M grant for the Construction Technology program from the Del E. Webb Foundation and a $2.1M federal Title III Native American-Serving Nontribal Institution grant for CCC’s Strengthening Indigenous Student Success project.
As chair of the Strategic Enrollment Management Committee, he has helped to spearhead the development of recruitment and retention plans for the College and participated in a number of process and policy redesigns to reduce barriers to student success and completion. As CCC’s Accreditation Liaison Officer, he helped prepare the College for a successful reaffirmation of its regional accreditation in October 2021. He is currently leading a subgroup of the AZTransfer Steering Committee to reimagine the Arizona General Education Curriculum for the 21st century.