Presidential Transition Advisory Committee

The Presidential Transition Advisory Committee

Dr. Williams established the Presidential Transition Advisory Committee (PTAC) to deepen his understanding of the College and the community and to learn about the College’s needs from internal and external leaders. The PTAC was composed of a diverse representation from the College, including students, faculty, staff, and administrators, as well as community members. With a charge to advise and support Dr. Williams in experiencing an inclusive, welcoming, informed, and effective transition to Montgomery College for the first 500 days as president, the PTAC had three objectives:

• Design a process for the new president to listen and learn about the current and future plans, priorities, and major opportunities and challenges faced by the College and external communities served by the College.
• Recommend meetings with students, faculty, staff, donors, alumni, business leaders, community leaders, and other members of the community, both on and off campus.
• Identify and recommend major strategic objectives and action steps to help guide his leadership, focusing on the traditional work that must be accomplished, while simultaneously concentrating on a future that is transformational.

In accordance with its charge, the PTAC’s ultimate task was to develop a dynamic and fluid presidential transition plan, with concrete recommendations that are flexible, thereby allowing the president to pivot as needed. The plan framework addresses five key areas:

• Commitment to student-centeredness via innovative, data-informed, and equitable approaches to enhancing student access, completion, and post-completion success.
• An unrelenting focus on the needs of Montgomery County.
• Appreciation and support for faculty and staff who provide excellent academic and academic support experiences for students.
• Dedication to social justice, radical inclusion, racial equity, and antiracism.
• Commitment to external communities and partners that will build an ecosystem contributing to the economic vitality of the region and driving economic mobility.

The PTAC met from April through August 2022 to research, discuss, and deliberate the content for developing the presidential transition advisory plan. The plan provides recommendations of action opportunities within areas of institutional focus for Dr. Williams to consider in the first 500 days and beyond and proposes presidential engagement opportunities. The strategic objectives are to keep students first; measure success by quality of outcome; spark innovation; expand partnerships; and nurture a culture of care. The plan also offers insights about how the College might sustain its current successes, develop new successes, and pursue traditional needs while simultaneously seeking transformational opportunities. Accordingly, such transformation will require the College to broaden its measures of accountability and success to include a focus on how students' lives and the community are positively changed. Among the measures of accountability and success are monitoring the College and county’s progress toward students ultimately achieving a family-sustaining wage; accelerating existing partnerships and fostering new partnerships to transform the Montgomery County economy and community life with impacts that matter; ensuring intergenerational mobility; building a future-ready and trained workforce; and redesigning ways to support employers, develop pathways, and advance community services.

It is inarguable that the COVID-19 pandemic has created challenges and opportunities for higher education and its leadership to rethink nearly every aspect of its operations. As a result, the context and landscape of higher education has been forced to rapidly adapt and change. As tempting as it might be for Montgomery College to simply refresh or reset, this is a pivotal moment to amplify our aspirations and deepen our commitment to responding to the educational needs and economic mobility of our students and the community, responsibly, boldly, and compassionately.

The College’s steadfast focus is to prepare our students and the workforce of today—and those of tomorrow, while also fortifying them to meet the challenges they will face in a rapidly changing and complex world. The insights and action opportunities offered in this report offer a pathway to further position the College in embracing new and transformational opportunities that enhance teaching and learning, economic security, community and civic engagement, and stewardship, while removing barriers to access and success.

Among the College’s unwavering goals and commitments is to fuel the economy and drive economic mobility. Education and market-relevant skills remain key to individual and county economic success. With more intentionality, the College must engage and mobilize its local and regional partnerships with employers and educational leaders to reimagine the future and ensure effective responses to labor market needs. This is a most effective way to expand economic opportunity for MC students, all county residents, and businesses. Local business and industry leaders ask the College, with urgency, to continue building, engaging, and strengthening community partnerships. Such action opportunities include sustaining and expanding innovative partnerships and outreach initiatives to work with the College; partnering with business and industry to develop stackable credentials and microcredentials that cut across industry sectors; and collaborating to develop a robust program of experiential and community learning opportunities that include internships, mentorships, real-world projects, and experimental joint learning spaces.

Steering Committee

Dr. Michael Brintnall, PTAC Co-chair
Ms. Kimberly Jones, PTAC Co-chair
Dr. Frieda Lacey, PTAC Co-chair
Mr. Benjamin H. Wu, PTAC Co-chair
Dr. Stephen Cain, Chief of Staff/Chief Strategy Officer, MC
Dr. Michelle Scott, Special Assistant to the President for Board Relations, Operations, and Services, MC

Committee Members

Ms. Rebecca Fuchs, Student, MC
Mr. Yihao Lin, Student, MC
Ms. Maria Nachivula, Student, MC
Ms. Mary Pat Alcus, Institutional Investment Advisor; Vice Chair, Montgomery College Foundation
Ms. Carole Carlson, Montgomery College Alumni Association
Mr. Chris Cusic, Interim Director of Instructional Technology, MC
Ms. Jackie DeCarlo, Executive Director, Manna
Dr. Maria-Elvira Luna Escudero-Alie, Chair of Humanities, MC
Dr. Linda Ferrell, Special Assistant to Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent
Ms. Chevelle Glymph, Director of Public Health and Environmental Safety, MC
Ms. Lupi Quintero Grady, Executive Director of the Latin American Youth Center
Ms. Angela Graham, President and CEO, Quality Biological; Member, PIC MC Foundation Board
Mr. Javon Inman, IT Support Specialist and Microsoft Exchange Administrator, MC
Dr. Vedham Karpakakunjaram, Professor of Biology, MC
Dr. Muhammad Kehnemouyi, Dean, Science, Engineering and Technology, MC
Dr. Anne Khademian, Executive Director, The Universities at Shady Grove
Ms. Carmen Larsen, President of Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Montgomery County; Chair of the Board, CEO of AQUAS, Inc.
Mr. Mark Levine, Counselor, MC
Dr. Andres Maldonado, ACES Academic Coach, MC
Ms. Sharon Maxwell, Program Director, Transportation and Public Safety for Workforce Development and Continuing Education, MC
Dr. Monifa McKnight, Superintendent of Schools, Montgomery County Public Schools
Dr. Kimberly McNair, Associate Senior Vice President for Student Affairs, MC
Dr. Nancy Newton, Grants and Sponsored Programs Manager–WDCE/Other Grant Support, MC
Dr. Mary Robinson, Professor, English/Reading Department, MC
Ms. Pat Ruppert, Part-time Faculty, Philosophy, Global Humanities, Women’s & Gender Studies, MC
Ms. Karla Silvestre, Director of Community Engagement, MC
Ms. Farah Vivas, HR Specialist, MC
Mr. Kenneth White, Chair, Maryland Black Chamber of Commerce; Senior Vice President and Relationship Manager, Sandy Spring Bank
Mr. Elias Woldu, Director, Ethiopian Community Center in Maryland

Resource Group Members

Ms. Bridget Abraham, Board of Trustees Operations and Services Specialist
Ms. Bridget Abraham, Board of Trustees Operations and Services Specialist
Dr. Monica Brown, Senior Vice President for Student Affairs
Mr. Sherwin Collette, Senior Vice President for Administrative and Fiscal Services
Dr. Meghan Gibbons, Deputy Chief of Staff for Presidential Publications and Operations
Mr. Ray Gilmer, Associate Senior Vice President for Advancement and Community Engagement
Ms. Lily Lee, Manager, Board Operations and Services
Ms. Susan Madden, Chief Government Relations Officer
Ms. Joyce Matthews, Interim Senior Vice President for Advancement and Community Engagement
Ms. Lisannie Montilla, Executive Assistant to the President
Dr. Sanjay Rai, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
Dr. Clevette Ridguard, Governance Director and Manager of Presidential Projects