Mentoring Mondays

Permanent link for Mentoring Mondays - May 10, 2021 on May 10, 2021

When you visit the MI-ACE Network’s website and click on “about MI ACE” you will find these words at the beginning:

“The Michigan American Council on Education Women’s Network (MI-ACE) is the professional network for Michigan women in higher education. We work in concert with the ACE Office of Inclusive Excellence Group nationally to identity, develop, encourage, advance, link, and support (IDEALS) women in higher education.”

This Network is a wonderful resource in the advancement of careers, and we are extremely proud of the women who have been a part of our network and have advanced to major leadership positions as college presidents. On behalf of the Network, we extend congratulations to our esteemed colleagues now leading higher education institutions across the country

Dr. Kenya Ayers

President of Tarrant County College, Northeast Campus, Hurst, TX

effective July 1, 2019

Dr. Kenya Ayers served William Rainey Harper College (Palatine, IL) as Vice President and Chair of the Board of the Northwest Educational Council for Student Success (NECSS) and previously was Dean, Academic Enrichment and Engagement. NECSS is a secondary- and postsecondary collaborative for college and career readiness, which encompasses twenty-three communities. While in Michigan, Dr. Ayers served as Associate Provost for Kettering University for six years and led academic support operations including institutional effectiveness, international studies, the Academic Resource Center, the First Year Experience program and the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. She also served as Dean of Student Services for Trinity Washington University in Washington, D.C. Her other higher education experience includes Learning Skills Specialist and Academic Counselor at the University of Houston, Coordinator of Academic Support Services at Florida Atlantic University and Coordinator of the Minority Teacher Initiative at Oakland Community College. President. Ayers is a former State Chair of the MI-ACE Network.

Dr. DeAnna R. Burt-Nanna

effective Friday, May 21, 2021

Dr. Burt-Nanna will become President of Monroe Community College, SUNY, Rochester, NY. Dr. Burt-Nanna is a staunch advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion, educational access and attainment, philanthropy, and workforce development at local, state, and national levels. She is an Aspen Rising Presidents Fellow and a 2019 graduate of the Thomas Lakin Institute for Mentored Leadership. She currently serves as the Vice President of Student and Academic Affairs for South Central College, located in Faribault and North Mankato, Minnesota, a unit of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System. She brings more than 20 years of experience in higher education, including serving in faculty and administrator roles at community colleges. Dr. Burt-Nanna has contributed to the success of educational institutions in Michigan and Minnesota, including those that are two- and four-year, union and non-union, public and private, multi-campus and statewide systems. Her leadership has advanced strategic priorities in support of student success, operational efficiency, and organizational culture change. She has also held various positions in business and industry. Incoming President Burt-Nanna is a former member of the MI-ACE Network’s Executive Board.

Dr. Lisa Copprue Jones

effective July 15, 2021

Dr. Copprue Jones will become President of Colorado Northwestern Community College (CNCC), Rangely, CO. Dr. Copprue Jones, a Henry Ford College (HFC) alumna and former Vice President, will become the first African-American woman to assume the Presidency at CNCC and in the Colorado Community College System (CCCS) as a whole. From 2007-17, Jones served as Vice President of Student Affairs at HFC. Other positions Jones has held include Vice President/Associate Provost/Dean of Students at Marygrove College in Detroit, and Director of Student Life at the University of Detroit Mercy. For Jones, the role and value of community colleges – especially those in rural and under-resourced locations – means providing supportive and empowering pathways for students to achieve social mobility and to set the path for future generations. “As a first-generation, low-income, minority woman who came from an underperforming high school in Detroit, the odds were stacked against me, but through (HFC), I was able to rewrite my story and achieve my American Dream. Community colleges play a pivotal role in transforming lives and communities, and I am excited to become a part of this important work at CNCC,” said Jones. Incoming President Copprue Jones is a former Institutional Representative in the MI-ACE Network.

Again, we salute these former members of the Michigan American Council on Education Women’s Network (MI-ACE) and applaud their accomplishments.

Dr. Kenya Ayers

Dr. DeAnna R. Burt-Nanna