Overview
An estimated 1 in 5 people are “neurodivergent” – i.e., have a mind that works differently, such as the autistic, ADHDers, the dyslexic, synesthetes, and other unique neurotypes. The vast majority of neurodivergent individuals are motivated, capable, and unemployed or underemployed. According to research and publishing, 50% of Generation Z (born between 1997 and 2012) identify under the neurodivergence umbrella. This is a significant issue among community college students. Notably, research has shown that as many as 80% of autistic students begin their higher education journey at community colleges.
Moderator – Dawn Erlandson
Dawn Erlandson is a member of the Board of Trustees of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. On a national level, she has served as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT). Founder and president of Aurora Strategic Services, a public affairs firm based in Minneapolis, MN, she has extensive experience in stakeholder communications, and media and government relations.
Speaker – Dr. Maureen Dunne
Dr. Dunne is the author of The Neurodiversity Edge: The Essential Guide to Embracing Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, and Other Neurological Differences for Any Organization (Wiley, release date March 12, 2024). The book presents a framework for harnessing the power of neurodiversity.
Dr. Maureen Dunne leverages decades of immersive cognitive science research, case studies, stories from neurodivergent voices, in-the-trenches work with hundreds of organizations from start-ups to global Fortune 500 leaders, and her own lived experience as a neurodivergent employer, entrepreneur, board member, and CEO.
Dr. Dunne is a graduate of the College of DuPage, an Illinois community college. She received BA and MA degrees from the University of Chicago, MSc from the London School of Economics, and a doctorate from the University of Oxford. She was the first community college student to become a Rhodes Scholar. Dr. Dunne is a trustee at College of DuPage and a member of the ACCT Board of Directors.
About the Enrollment Cliff
The Enrollment Cliff refers to the anticipated drop in the college-age population in years ahead, based on lower birthrates during the Great Recession. Between 2008 and 2011, a time of economic stress and uncertainty, people were having fewer children. Based on demographic projections, the drop in the college age population resembles a cliff beginning in 2025. Over the succeeding four years, the number of 18-year-olds is projected to decrease by 15 percent.
Facilitator
Dawn Erlandson is a member of the Board of Trustees of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. On a national level, she has served as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT). Founder and president of Aurora Strategic Services, a public affairs firm based in Minneapolis, MN, she has extensive experience in stakeholder communications, and media and government relations
Speakers:
Peace Bransberger is Interim Director for Programs and Evidence at the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE). She has been a researcher with WICHE for 13 years.
Ms. Bransberger leads the production and analysis of WICHE’s projections of high school graduates, research on the use of administrative holds, and other research focused on equitable college access, success and financing. Previously, she was a consultant and evaluation researcher with the Aspen Institute’s Economic Opportunities and Workforce Strategies Initiatives and Westat’s education and mental health evaluations, in Washington, DC, as well as a licensed adult educator.
Ms. Bransberger is a former foster youth and first-generation college graduate with an M.A. from the American University in Washington, DC, and B.A. from St. Cloud State University, in Minnesota.
Dr. Thomas Brock is Director of the Community College Research Center (CCRC) at Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY. He is the Principal Investigator for the Accelerating Recovery in Community Colleges (ARCC) Network, in which researchers across the country are partnering with states and institutions to identify successful strategies to rebuild enrollments and address learning loss related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Previously, Dr. Brock served as commissioner of the National Center for Education Research at the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), within the U.S. Department of Education, where he led a comprehensive research program focused on improving outcomes for students from pre-K through adult and postsecondary education. Prior to his work for the U.S. Department of Education, Dr. Brock led the postsecondary education division of MDRC, where he was involved in evaluations of major community college reforms, including the Opening Doors Demonstration and Achieving the Dream.
Dr. Brock earned a BA in anthropology from Pitzer College and an MPA from Columbia University and a PhD in social welfare from UCLA.
Dr. Nathan Grawe is Professor of Economics at Carleton College, a private liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota, where he has served on the faculty since 1999.
Dr. Grawe’s work as a labor economist studies the connections between family background and educational and labor market outcomes. In his book, Demographics and The Demand for Higher Education, he examines how recent demographic shifts are likely to affect demand for higher education. In a follow-up project, The Agile College, he draws on interviews with higher education leaders to provide examples of how proactive institutions are grappling with demographic change.
Dr. Grawe has participated in the leadership of Carleton’s Quantitative Inquiry, Reasoning, and Knowledge (QuIRK) initiative and has shared what Carleton has learned through this initiative through lectures and professional development workshops at colleges and universities across the U.S. and Canada. Since 2015 he has served as Senior editor of Numeracy, the flagship journal of the National Numeracy Network. In 2018, he took on the role of Executive Editor of the journal.
Dr. Grawe earned a BA from St. Olaf College and MA and PhD in Economics from the University of Chicago.
Dr. Doug Shapiro is Vice President for Research and Executive Director of the Research Center at the National Student Clearinghouse, where he works to advance student success by providing the education community with research, data and insights from the nation’s largest student-level dataset of college enrollment and degree information.
Since joining NSC thirteen years ago, he has established critical new metrics and reports on student access, persistence, transfer and completion, and also developed research services to help high schools, states, and colleges to measure their students’ educational outcomes.
Shapiro has been conducting research on higher education using multi-institution, student-level data, for nearly twenty years. Before joining the National Student Clearinghouse, Dr. Shapiro was the Director of Institutional Research at The New School in New York City. Prior to that, he was the Vice President for Research and Policy Development at the Minnesota Private College Council.
Dr. Shapiro earned a B.A. in History from the University of Chicago, and an M.A. in Mathematics and Ph.D. in Education, both from the University of Michigan.
Moderator: Dawn Erlandson, a member of the Board of Trustees of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities.
Speakers: Kenneth McDonnell has served as a Financial Education Program Analyst in the Office of Financial Education at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) for 10 years. The Office of Financial Education is responsible for developing and implementing initiatives intended to educate and empower consumers to make informed financial decisions. Mr. McDonnell is responsible for forming relationships and strategic partnerships with financial education non-profits, libraries, service providers to employers, and organizations within the financial services industry.
Prior to joining the CFPB, Mr. McDonnell served as the Director of Research and Outreach at the Insured Retirement Institute (IRI). In this capacity, Mr. McDonnell oversaw and directed the IRI’s research producing one original research report per month and the IRI’s consumer outreach efforts through the National Retirement Planning Coalition, a group of prominent education, consumer advocacy and financial services organizations to raise public awareness of the need for comprehensive retirement planning. Prior to that Mr. McDonnell was with the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) where he lead and oversaw EBRI’s two financial capability programs, the American Savings Education Council (ASEC) and Choose to Save.
Mr. McDonnell has held leadership positions in the Alliance for Investor Education as Secretary and Treasurer of the Board and in the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy, most recently as Vice Chairman of the national board.
Mr. McDonnell is a native of Chicago, IL. He holds Master of Arts and Bachelor of Arts degrees from Northern Illinois University.
Leslie Jones is a Youth Financial Education Analyst at the CFPB. A former business teacher, instructional designer, curriculum supervisor and developer, she advises on the benefits of financial education in schools and the challenges of incorporating personal finance topics into classroom courses.
Ms. Jones’ focus is on supporting financial capability skill building in education. She has led the CFPB’s work in creating content to provide educators with free resources to help students develop financial knowledge, skills, and habits. These resources make it easy for educators to find, download and use relevant classroom activities. Ms. Jones helps educators evaluate financial education programs and understand the research-based building blocks of youth financial capability.
Ms. Jones is a certified business teacher in Virginia. She was recognized in three editions of Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers and was a member of the 2004 National Outstanding High School Business Department, sponsored by the Association Career and Technical Educators (ACTE).
Ms. Jones has a Master's Degree in Instructional Design and Development from George Mason University in Fairfax, VA and two Bachelor's Degrees – one from Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, OH in Marketing Education and the other from Lake Erie College in Painesville, OH in Arts Management and Sales.
Moderator: Dawn Erlandson, Trustee, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities.
Speaker: Dr. Thomas Brock, Director, Community College Research Center
Housed at Teachers College, Columbia University, the Community College Research Center (CCRC) has been a leader in the field of community college research and reform for over 25 years. CCRC’s work provides a foundation for innovations in policy and practice that help give every community college student the best chance of success.
CCRC is an independent research organization funded entirely by grants from foundations, government agencies, and other organizations. CCRC’s mission is to conduct research that helps community colleges strengthen opportunities and improve outcomes for their students, particularly those from underserved populations. A leader in the field of community college research and reform, the Center’s research focuses on community colleges because they provide critical access to postsecondary education and are uniquely positioned to promote equity and social mobility in the United States.
During the May 24, 2022 online forum, CCRC Director Tom Brock discussed the world-class community college research CCRC has conducted since 1996. Areas of CCRC’s research focus include High School to College, Developmental Education, Guided Pathways, Advising and Student Supports, Teaching and Learning, College to Career, and Equity.
If you would like to receive a copy of CCRC Director Tom Brock’s PowerPoint slides from May 24, 2022, please email Tom Downs, TCDowns@downsgovaffairs.com.
Moderator: Dawn Erlandson, Trustee, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities.
Speaker: Dr. Carol Cutler White
Dr. Carol Cutler White, Assistant Professor of Community College Leadership at Mississippi State University, is the editor of “Advocacy for Change: Positioning Community Colleges for the Next 75 Years,” published in Vol. 197 of New Directions for Community Colleges, Copyright © 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC, a Wiley Company.
Before joining Mississippi State University faculty in 2018, Dr. Cutler White served as a statewide college access program director for the University of North Carolina System. Previously, she was Dean of Sponsored Programs and Federal Relations at Wake Technical Community College, in Raleigh, NC.
With over 20 years of higher education experience, Dr. Cutler White studies state governance of community colleges, college access and success, and community college advocacy practices. She has garnered over $60 million in federal funds for college access and community college programs. Dr. Cutler White consults on grant development and state and federal community college advocacy strategy.
Carol Cutler White received a BS degree in Recreation Management from the University of Vermont, a Master of Public Administration from North Carolina State University, and a Ph.D. in Education Research and Policy Analysis from North Carolina State University.
Note: To request a copy of Carol Cutler White’s PowerPoint slides presented during the April 6 Zoom forum, contact Tom Downs at TCDowns@downsgovaffairs.com
Moderator: Dawn Erlandson, Trustee, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities.
Panelists:
Nicholas Geale is Vice President for Workforce Policy at the American Trucking Associations (ATA). In this role, he has broad responsibilities for policy initiatives relating to trucking industry training and education. Before joining ATA, Nick served as Chief of Staff and Counselor to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL). Previously, he served on the National Mediation Board; on the staff of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee; on the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority; and as an attorney at Thelen Reid and Priest LLP, in Washington, D.C.
Robert Braswell is Executive Director of the Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC), an ATA technical council. He is responsible for TMC’s 100-plus Task Forces and 15 Study Groups, which develop recommended practices and information reports covering all aspects of light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicle engineering, maintenance, and maintenance management. Robert has served as co-host and content producer of the satellite radio segment, “Tech Talk with TMC,” on The Dave Nemo Show on SiriusXM Channel 146, providing information and exchange on a wide range of technical issues.
George Arrants is Vice President of the ASE Education Foundation, where he works with the automotive, medium/heavy truck and collision industry in partnerships involving student work-based learning and apprenticeships. A former high school and community college automotive technology instructor, George has worked with instructors and administrators to develop partnerships with industry and to help guide them through ASE program accreditation. Among his many leadership roles, George led the automotive strategic development team for USDOL’s High Growth Job Training Initiative.
American Trucking Associations
American Trucking Associations is the largest and most comprehensive national trade association for the trucking industry. A federation with state trucking association affiliates in all 50 states, ATA represents every sector of the industry, from less than truckload (LTL) to truckload, agriculture and livestock to auto haulers, and from large motor carriers to small mom-and-pop operations.
ATA leverages the strength and size of its membership to develop, advocate, and advance innovative research-based policies that promote highway safety, security, environmental sustainability and profitability. As the recognized leader in truck transportation advocacy, ATA diligently educates and guides policymakers at all levels of government concerning the essential role that trucking plays in the economy.
ASE Education Foundation
The ASE Education Foundation is a nonprofit organization that evaluates and accredits entry-level automotive technology education programs against standards developed by the automotive service industry. The Foundation also develops career-readiness education for students and promotes partnerships, rigorous standard-based education, workplace experience, and mentorship
Moderator: Dawn Erlandson, Trustee, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
Keynote: Rob Denson, President, Des Moines Area Community College
Rob Denson is President of Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC), in Iowa’s capital city of Des Moines. Now in his 19th year at DMACC, he serves on the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council and Executive Committee. Rob previously served on the National STEMconnector Innovation Task Force and the National Leadership Council of Opportunity Nation.
Before leading DMACC, Rob served as President of Northeast Iowa Community College, among other higher education leadership positions. He also practiced law for nearly 20 years.
Rob holds BS and MS degrees from Iowa State University, and a law degree from the University of Florida.
National Security Agency (NSA)
National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (CAE-C) and National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (NCAE-CD), programs within NSA’s National Cryptologic School (NCS), aim to reduce vulnerability in the nation’s information infrastructure by promoting education and research to produce professionals with cybersecurity expertise.
Lori Pfannenstein is Program Manager for CAE-C. Lori has worked extensively in the cybersecurity arena, including in Computer Network Operations for the Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) mission, and other management and technical positions at NSA over a 39-year period.
Karen Leuschner is Program Manager for NCAE-CD. In her 37-year career at NSA, Karen has worked in the Telecommunication and Information Assurance Directorates as well as the NCS. Under her leadership, the CAE program expanded to include community colleges and research institutions.
Anne Arundel Community College (AACC)
Mary Wallingsford is an Associate Professor and former academic chair for the Cybersecurity, Networking and Digital Forensics department at AACC, serving Maryland’s capital region, where she has taught for over 12 years.
Mary’s technology career began 27 years ago at Microsoft Corporation and includes technical support, training, sales, IT administration and consulting.
Mary holds a master’s degree from UMUC (now UMGC) in Telecommunications Management. She is CCNA certified, specializing in the areas of Cisco networking, forensics, DEVNET and Windows Server.
Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC)
Jeremy Hoffmann is an Associate Professor and Cybersecurity Chair at DMACC. He has worked in many areas of information technology and information security and has been a cybersecurity instructor for the past 10 years, including a faculty position at Community College of Baltimore County, Maryland.
Jeremy is involved with the SecDSM group, The Open Organisation Of Lockpickers (TOOOL), BSides Iowa, and the Information Systems Security Association (ISSA). He holds a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering and is working toward a graduate degree in Cyber Information Assurance.
Moderator:
Dawn Erlandson, Trustee, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
Angela Hanks is the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary and Acting Assistant Secretary of the Employment and Training Administration within the U.S. Department of Labor. In that role she helps oversee many of the Department’s employment, unemployment insurance, and training programs, and works to ensure those program investments advance the Biden-Harris administration’s workforce development, job quality, and equity goals. Previously, Angela served as a Counselor to the Secretary of Labor.
Before joining the U.S. Department of Labor, Angela was Deputy Executive Director of the Groundwork Collaborative, where she worked to advance an inclusive and people-centered vision of the economy. She also served as Director of Workforce Development Policy at the Center for American Progress, Director of the Center for Postsecondary Education and Success at CLASP, and at National Skills Coalition, where she has written extensively about how education and training programs and the labor market can be more inclusive of people of color, women, justice-involved individuals, and other marginalized groups, and on other topics including racial wealth inequality and criminal justice reform.
Angela Hanks’ work has been cited in various publications including the New York Times, Washington Post, and The Atlantic. She also has been a contributor to Forbes.com, writing about employment, wages, and workforce development.
She began her career on Capitol Hill as legislative assistant to Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD), and later became a counsel on the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
Angela earned her bachelor’s degree in political science from the George Washington University and her law degree from the University of Maryland School of Law.
Moderator:
Dawn Erlandson, Trustee, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, and Member, American Association of Community Colleges (ACCT) Board of Directors
Alejandra Y. Castillo was sworn in as U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development on August 13, 2021. She has served in leadership positions for three presidents – Biden, Obama and Clinton. Her professional career spans two decades, focusing on creating equitable and inclusive opportunities for all Americans.
Prior to EDA, Castillo was the Chief Executive Officer of YWCA USA, where she championed the 163-year-old organization delivering critical social, educational, and economic development services throughout its 204 associations.
In 2014, Castillo was appointed by President Obama to serve as the national director of the Commerce Department's Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), becoming the first Hispanic woman to lead the agency. During her tenure, she led MBDA's efforts to boost the growth and global competitiveness of minority business enterprises (MBEs). Under her leadership, MBDA expanded its effort to help MBEs gain access to capital, contracts, and business opportunities, assisting MBEs in growing in size and scale.
Castillo first joined the Department of Commerce in 2008 as a Special Advisor to the Under Secretary for the U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration (ITA). Additionally, Castillo served as a Senior Policy Analyst in the White House during the Clinton Administration.
She holds a bachelor's degree in Economics and Political Science from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, a master's degree in public affairs from the LBJ School at the University of Texas at Austin, and earned a Juris Doctor degree from American University's Washington College of Law.
Moderator:
Dawn Erlandson, Trustee, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities,
and member, American Association of Community Colleges (ACCT)
Board of Directors
Dr. Amy Loyd is Deputy Assistant Secretary of Education for Policy and Strategic Initiatives in the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE). She is Acting Assistant Secretary of OCTAE, and oversees national programs related to adult education and literacy, career and technical education, and community colleges.
Dr. Loyd has an extensive background in education and the nonprofit sector. Most recently, Dr. Loyd was a Vice President at Jobs for the Future, where she led the organization’s programs in college and career pathways. Previously, she was the Director of Education at Cook Inlet Tribal Council, leading a network of schools and programming providing comprehensive, culturally responsive education, training, and wraparound services to Alaska Native and Native American communities. Dr. Loyd holds a bachelor’s degree from St. John’s College and a doctorate in education leadership from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where she is an adjunct lecturer focusing on using career pathways to increase opportunity and equity.
Hosted by the Capital Cities Community College Consortium
The NSF Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program supports community and technical college partnerships with industry to promote improvements in the education of science and engineering technicians. For nearly 30 years, the ATE program has supported curriculum development, career pathways, faculty professional development, and other activities. Congressional committees currently are considering a reauthorization of the ATE program.
Introduction: Tom Downs, for the Capital Cities Community College Consortium
Facilitator: Dawn Erlandson, Board of Trustees, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, and Board of Directors, Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT)
Panel #1: United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
· Mary Guenther, Professional Staff Member, Majority
· Dr. Alexis Rudd, Professional Staff Member, Minority
Panel #2: National Science Foundation, Division of Undergraduate Education
· Dr. V. Celeste Carter, ATE Lead Program Director
Discussion:
Panelists addressed questions from the audience
Moderator:
Dawn Erlandson, Trustee, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities,
and member, American Association of Community Colleges (ACCT)
Board of Directors
Panel #1
Florida Hurricane Experience
Facilitator:
· Candice Grause, Chief of Staff, Tallahassee Community College, Tallahassee, Florida
Panelists:
· Leda Khoury, Federal Coordinating Officer, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Region IV
· Jared Moskowitz, Director, Florida Division of Emergency Management
Panel #2:
Oregon Wildfire Experience
Facilitator:
· Marshall Roache, Executive Dean, Chemeketa Community College, Salem, Oregon
Panelists:
· Toney Raines, Federal Coordinating Officer, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Region X
· Andrew Phelps, Director, Oregon Office of Emergency Management
· Mariana Ruiz-Temple, State Fire Marshal, State of Oregon
Panel #3:
Expert guidance and resources
Facilitator:
· Tom Downs, Downs Government Affairs
Presenter:
· Jane Bullock, Founder and Principal, Bullock & Haddow LLC
(Formerly Chief of Staff, Federal Emergency Management Agency)
Facilitator:
Dawn Erlandson, Trustee, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities,
and member, American Association of Community Colleges (ACCT)
Board of Directors
Speakers:
Dr. Eunice Bellinger, President, BridgeValley Community
and Technical College, Charleston, West Virginia
Bob Proctor, Trustee, Lansing Community College,
Lansing, Michigan
Dr. Jianping Wang, President, Mercer County
Community College, Trenton, New Jersey
Rudy Rodriguez, Trustee, Minnesota State Colleges
and Universities, St. Paul, Minnesota
Contact: Tom Downs, tcdowns@downsgovaffairs.com
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