President

About Central Arizona College

Central Arizona College (CAC) opened its doors in 1969 to bring higher education to Pinal County, which is strategically located between two major metropolitan areas in Arizona. CAC is a diverse community college which includes international students. It values the power of innovation, continuous quality improvement, and the contribution of the individual. CAC has the Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) designation and is located on what is historically tribal land. With five campuses located strategically throughout the county, CAC provides accessible, educational, economic, cultural, and personal growth opportunities for those of all ages.

Central Arizona College offers a wide range of associate degrees and certificate programs designed to support both career advancement and university transfer. Programs span fields such as business, health sciences, skilled trades, and the arts, and are delivered through in-person, online, and hybrid formats to meet the needs of both traditional and non-traditional students. Academic offerings are complemented by workforce and continuing education opportunities that align with regional economic needs.

Central Arizona College provides a comprehensive range of student support services to promote student success, including academic advising, counseling, tutoring, financial aid, career services, disability resources, and veteran services. Students also have opportunities to engage in campus life through clubs, leadership development, and intercollegiate athletics. CAC’s athletic programs compete in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), supporting student-athletes in achieving both academic and athletic goals.

Guided by its mission, vision, and strategic priorities, Central Arizona College is committed to fostering student success, strengthening community partnerships, and supporting economic development across Pinal County. Through a focus on continuous improvement and innovation, the College continues to expand its programs and services to meet the evolving needs of the communities it serves.

Role of the President

The next President of Central Arizona College will be a visionary, inspirational, and transparent leader who is committed to building trust among all college stakeholders and addressing the following opportunities and challenges:

Regional Growth

• Futuristic and Visionary Leadership: Strategically respond to population and economic growth by providing a medium to long-term vision for aligning the college’s programs, services, and infrastructure to the needs of one of the fastest growing counties in the nation. Integrate CAC into the life of its communities, enhancing its visibility, reputation, and role as a trusted educational, cultural, and economic partner. Identify opportunities for innovation.

Academic Excellence, Enrollment, and Student Success

• Enrollment Strategy and Student Success: Understand student interests and needs at all locations. Assess and align college operations (including scheduling) to implement enrollment, retention and completion strategies that are responsive to these interests, geographic needs as well as workforce opportunities.
• Leverage new programs: Promote new programs within the community, such as the bachelors in Nursing and Education to attract students.

Economic and Workforce Development

• Workforce and Economic Alignment: Strengthen partnerships with business, industry, K-12, university and regional stakeholders to ensure smooth transfer and program alignment with current and emerging workforce demands. Expand dual enrollment, apprenticeships, and employer-sponsored training opportunities.
• Positioning CAC as a center of training excellence to meet the demands of tomorrow’s workforce.

Marketing and Visibility

• Brand Strengthening: Strengthen the College’s public image and reputation through consistent communication, community engagement, and demonstrated institutional effectiveness.
• Visibility, Marketing and Outreach: Actively promote CAC to increase awareness, enrollment, and community pride, positioning the College as a vital and forward-thinking institution. Expand awareness of the college’s offerings within the county.

Institutional Culture and Communication

• Shared Governance: Foster a culture of shared governance which engages the college community at all levels in decision making.
• Institutional Culture: Foster a culture where transparency, accountability, and ethical leadership build trust, morale and collaboration among faculty, staff, and the community. Address community concerns while cultivating a unified, mission-driven institutional culture.
• Organizational Effectiveness: Create a strong executive leadership team among senior leadership. Eliminate silos across departments and campuses, and improve operational efficiency. Create clear, consistent processes and systems that enhance collaboration, foster service excellence and support a cohesive college-wide identity.
• Employee Retention: Assess and address causes of faculty and staff turnover, including salary levels.
• Communication: Strengthen internal communication in ways that keep the college community informed of key decisions, college news and provide a centralized location for key documents that articulate the college’s vision and goals. Frequently articulate the vision for the college both internally and externally.

Resources, Infrastructure, and Technology

• Financial Sustainability and Resource Allocation: Ensure responsible fiscal stewardship, including evaluation of resource allocation, staffing, and long-term sustainability. Navigate funding constraints while aligning institutional resources with strategic priorities. Increase financial transparency.
• Revenue: Assess current revenue streams and identify and develop new ones that support growth and sustainability.
• Technology and Systems Modernization: Improve and modernize technology infrastructure and student-facing systems to enhance efficiency, access, and the overall student experience.
• Facilities and Infrastructure Planning: Ensure that facilities and physical resources keep pace with growth while maintaining quality learning environments across all campuses. Assess student housing needs and explore possibilities.

Characteristics and Skill Sets of the President

Integrity and Accountability

• Transparent Leadership: Demonstrated commitment to honesty, fairness, and ethical decision-making, with the ability to build trust and foster confidence across the institution.
• Accountability and Decision-Making: Willingness to make difficult decisions, hold leadership and teams accountable, and ensure alignment with institutional policies.

Leadership and Vision

• Visionary and Strategic Leadership: Ability to articulate and execute a clear, future-focused vision that aligns with the College’s mission, regional growth, and workforce needs.
• Setting the Course: Demonstrated successful experience in Strategic Planning.
• Transformational Change Agent: High emotional intelligence and capacity to lead meaningful, sustainable change while addressing institutional challenges with transparency, accountability, and integrity.

Student-Centered Focus

• Commitment to Student Success: Deep understanding of community college students, including first-generation, working, and rural populations, with a focus on access, retention, and completion.
• Student Experience: Commitment to supporting both academic success and student engagement through inclusive and responsive programming.

Communication and Collaboration

• Effective and Transparent Communication: Exceptional listening, writing, and speaking skills, with a commitment to open, consistent, and authentic communication.
• Collaborative and Inclusive Leadership Style: Proven ability to engage faculty, staff, students, and community stakeholders in shared governance and collaborative decision-making.

Operational and Financial Expertise

• Proven Financial Acumen and fundraising ability: Experience managing complex budgets, aligning resources with strategic priorities in a constrained funding environment and identifying new sources of income.
• Operational Effectiveness: Ability to improve systems, processes, and organizational structures to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.

Institutional Knowledge and Innovation

• Higher Education Expertise: Significant leadership experience in higher education, with a strong understanding of community college operations, teaching, and learning.
• Innovation and Adaptability: Willingness to embrace innovation, including technology and evolving educational models, while remaining grounded in student and community needs.
• Data-Informed Leadership: Ability to use data thoughtfully to guide decision-making while considering institutional context and nuance.

People-Centered Leadership

• Visible and Engaged Presence: Commitment to being accessible and present across campuses, building relationships and fostering morale.
• Empathy and Emotional Intelligence: Demonstrated ability to lead with empathy, understand diverse perspectives, and support faculty, staff, and students.
• Team Development: Ability to build, support, and develop a strong leadership team while empowering employees at all levels.
• Community-Connected Leader: Visible, approachable, and actively engaged across all campuses and communities served by the College.

Minimum Qualifications

• Minimum Master’s degree. A terminal degree from a regionally accredited institution is preferred.
• Three to five years of senior level administrative experience in higher education, preferably at a community college.
• Teaching experience at a community college is preferred.