National Park College (NPC) Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Jerry Thomas
was one of 35 leaders selected for the 2023-24 class of the Aspen Rising Presidents
Fellowship. This program, delivered in collaboration with the Stanford Educational
Leadership Initiative, prepares the next generation of community college presidents
to transform institutions to achieve higher and more equitable levels of student success.
Many sitting community college presidents plan to retire in the next decade, creating
vacancies and an opportunity to diversify college leadership. Aspen Presidential Fellows
represent the next generation of college leadership: this incoming class of Aspen
Rising Presidents Fellows is 74% women, and 60% are people of color. The institutions
they represent are also diverse, located in 18 states, from small rural colleges to
large urban campuses. The fellows, selected through a competitive process, will work
closely with highly accomplished community college presidents, Aspen leaders, and
Stanford University faculty over 10 months to learn from field-leading research, define
and assess student success at their colleges, and clarify their visions for excellent
and equitable outcomes for students while in college and after they graduate.
“Each cohort of the Rising Presidents Fellowship is different,” said Josh Wyner, executive
director of the College Excellence Program. “And what they all share is a passion
to advance excellence and equity in student outcomes and the commitment to ensure
that the colleges they lead continuously improve.”
"I am proud and delighted that Dr. Thomas's accomplishments and capabilities have
been recognized by the Aspen Institute for Rising Presidents Fellowship. I am certain
that this experience will contribute to his continuing professional success," said
Dr. John Hogan, NPC president.
Rising Presidents Fellows aspire to enter a college presidency within five years of
completing the fellowship. As fellows, they join a network of over 300 forward-thinking
peers—155 of whom are sitting college presidents—who are applying grounded and innovative
strategies to meet student success challenges in their colleges.
The Aspen Rising Presidents Fellowship is made possible by the generous support of
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, College
Futures Foundation, and JPMorgan Chase.
For bios and photos of all 35 leaders, visit highered.aspeninstitute.org/meet-the-rising-presidents-fellows.
