ECoNA update for Jan. 4

Recently, ECoNA Executive Board member and Coconino Community College President Dr. Colleen A. Smith was appointed to the Arizona Commission for Post-Secondary Education by Gov. Doug Ducey. We caught up with her to talk about what brought her to Flagstaff, her long interest in higher education and her reflections on almost two years of being the head of CCC. You can read the full interview HERE.

What got you into education and community colleges in particular? My parents both stressed the importance of education. Neither of my parents had a college degree and money was always scarce. To them education represented opportunity and a more secure life. I started my first job at age twelve (mopping floors at the Sabine Valley Ice Cream shop in Texas) and had opportunities to experience many work environments before I entered college. I was fortunate to have some amazing college professors and mentors as an undergraduate student and set my goal to become a university professor. My husband and I took our first full-time teaching positions at a community college and never looked back. It was at that rural college in Wyoming that we first understood the difference community colleges make in students’ lives and the communities we serve.

What do you see as your role on the board of ECoNA? The community college is important to the infrastructure of the community and plays a significant role in economic development and workforce training. By partnering with various organizations and individuals throughout Coconino County, we help provide training for a skilled workforce that meets the needs of the community we serve. The mission of lifelong learning at CCC helps build safer, stronger communities, and helps put people to work.

You’ve been at CCC for just under two years. What achievement in that time are you most proud of? I am most proud of the many different partnerships we have created throughout Coconino County and the spirit of collaboration we are developing at the College. I have put into place a strong team at CCC and we are moving forward with determination and grit. We are meeting our funding challenges with innovation and hard work.

To see the full interview with Dr. Smith, click HERE.

Sincerely,

John Stigmon

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