SANFORD -- The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program today announced that Dr. Brian S. Merritt, Vice President, Learning & Workforce Development/Chief Academic Officer, at Central Carolina Community College, is one of 40 leaders selected for the 2020-21 class of the Aspen Rising Presidents Fellowship, a highly selected leadership program preparing the next generation of community college presidents to transform institutions to achieve higher and more equitable levels of student success.

The Rising Presidents Fellows will embark on a 10-month fellowship beginning in July 2020. Delivered in collaboration with the Stanford Educational Leadership Initiative, the fellows will be mentored by esteemed current and former community college presidents who have achieved exceptional outcomes for students throughout their careers, and will learn strategies to improve student outcomes in and after college, lead internal change, and create strong external partnerships with K-12 schools, four-year colleges, employers, and other partners.

"Evidence shows that substantial improvements in student success are achieved only when presidents have the commitment and skill needed to lead change within their institutions and through partnerships in the community," said Josh Wyner, executive director of the College Excellence Program. "These fellows have been chosen because they embody that commitment and, we believe, will build their skills even further to become transformational presidents."

Dr. Lisa M. Chapman, Central Carolina Community College President, said, "It is no surprise that Dr. Merritt has been selected to join this elite group of national education leaders. He has been successfully leading at CCCC since his return to the college in 2011. His visionary approach to student learning as well as his ability to assemble and engage proactive teams whose members bring out the best in each other has been instrumental in supporting much of CCCC's current success. While this is an honor and great opportunity for Dr. Merritt, I am certain the other rising president fellows will benefit from their time with him. His potential as a transformative college president is unquestioned and this recognition is well-deserved."

"I am extremely grateful for this opportunity to learn from phenomenal colleagues and community college thought-leaders nationwide," said Dr. Merritt. "I so appreciate Dr. Chapman and [CCCC Trustees] Chairman [Julian] Philpott's support with this chance to grow professionally. There is an urgency today for community colleges to improve our commitment to equity, redefine how we measure our progress, all while meeting the needs of an ever-changing workforce. But, we can't do that alone. I am eager to learn from peers with similar goals."

The Aspen Rising Presidents Fellowship responds to the growing need for a new generation of leaders well-equipped to meet the challenges of the future. Nationally, nearly 80 percent of sitting presidents plan to retire in the next decade.

Together, the 2020-21 fellows are leaders at colleges that collectively serve more than 500,000 students. As well, 42 Rising Presidents Fellowship alumni have become presidents of community colleges that collectively serve an additional 500,000 students nationwide.

2020-21 Aspen Rising Presidents Fellows

Margaret Annunziata, Davidson County Community College (NC)
Gita Bangera, Bellevue College (WA)
Kaylyn Bondy, Williston State College (ND)
Naima Brown, Santa Fe College (FL)
Monica Brown, Montgomery College (MD)
DeAnna Burt, South Central College (MN)
Monica Castaneda, Glendale Community College (CA)
Tamara Clunis, Amarillo College (TX)
Mildred Coyne, Broward College (FL)
Renee Craig-Marius, Reedley College (CA)
Mark Curtis-Chavez, College of DuPage (IL)
Chrissy Davis Jones, Spokane Falls Community College (WA)
Tawny Dotson, Clover Park Technical College (WA)
Kurt Ewen, Houston Community College (TX)
Mary Gutierrez, Diablo Valley College (VA)
Susan Guzman-Trevino, Temple College (TX)
Paul Hernandez, Mount Wachusett Community College (MA)
Lloyd Holmes, Monroe Community College (NY)
Jennifer Kent, Ranger College (TX)
Kimberly Lowry, Lone Star College - Houston North (TX)
Ali Mageehon, Southwestern Oregon Community College (OR)
Corey McCray, Tidewater Community College (VA)
Donna McDaniel, Texarkana College (TX)
Brian Merritt, Central Carolina Community College (NC)
Scott Newman, Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology (OK)
Mayra Olivares-Urueta, Tarrant County College (TX)
Tammi Oyadomari-Chun, University of Hawaii (HI)
Julie Penley, El Paso Community College (TX)
Dilcie Perez, Cerritos College (CA)
Nicole Reaves, Northern Virginia Community College (VA)
Star Rivera Lacey, San Diego Continuing Education (CA)
Irene Robles-Lopez, Pima Community College (AZ)
Vince Rodriguez, Coastline Community College (CA)
Kate Smith, Rio Salado Community College (AZ)
Jackie Thomas, Lone Star College-Tomball (TX)
Lena Tran, San Jose City College (CA)
Joel Welch, Western Piedmont Community College (NC)
Kristina Whalen, Las Positas College (CA)
Jermaine Whirl, Greenville Technical College (SC)
Jonathan Woodward, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (MS)

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Central Carolina Community College, located in Central North Carolina, offers a wide variety of programs, as students can earn associate degrees or college transfer credits, diplomas, or certificates. CCCC also offers instruction in such areas as Short-term Job Training, College & Career Readiness, Personal Interests, Business & Industry, and Emergency Services Training. CCCC has been ranked among the Top 50 community colleges in the nation by College Consensus, a unique college ratings website that aggregates publisher rankings and student reviews. In addition, CCCC was ranked first in the Niche 2020 Best Community Colleges in North Carolina rankings. For more information, visit www.cccc.edu.

The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program aims to advance higher education practices and leadership strategies that significantly improve student outcomes. Through the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the Aspen Presidential Fellowship for Community College Excellence, and other initiatives, the College Excellence Program works to improve colleges' understanding and capacity to teach and graduate students, especially the growing population of low-income students and students of color on American campuses. For more information, visit highered.aspeninstitute.org and follow us on Twitter at @AspenHigherEd.

Stanford Educational Leadership Initiative (SELI) strives to help education leaders further develop their ability to transform education systems and drive meaningful change. SELI programs bring together the strengths of Stanford Graduate School of Education and Stanford Graduate School of Business, as well as additional Stanford faculty and resources, to offer multidimensional and immediately impactful professional development programming for practicing leaders in PreK-12, higher education, and policy. By fostering collaboration and building relationships between existing colleagues and among new peers, SELI programs create networks supporting participants' continued learning and organizational improvement. For more information, visit https://seli.stanford.edu.

The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization committed to realizing a free, just, and equitable society. Founded in 1949, the Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve the most important challenges facing the United States and the world. Headquartered in Washington, DC, the Institute has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, and an international network of partners.