MATC’s Gonzalez-De Jesus Selected for Aspen Institute’s Rising Presidents Fellowship

One of 31 Leaders Selected for Prestigious Program Developing the Next Generation of Community College Leaders

Darryll Fortune, fortundl@matc.edu

August 23, 2022

MILWAUKEE -- The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program announced today that Milwaukee Area Technical College Executive Vice President of Student Success Dr. Naydeen Gonzalez-De Jesus is one of 31 leaders selected for the 2022-23 class of the Aspen Rising Presidents Fellowship.

This program, delivered in collaboration with the Stanford Educational Leadership Initiative, prepares the next generation of community college presidents to transform institutions to achieve higher and more equitable levels of student success. Many sitting community college presidents plan to retire in the next decade, creating vacancies and an opportunity to diversify college leadership.

Aspen Presidential Fellows represent the next generation of college leadership: this incoming class of Aspen Rising Presidents Fellows is 70 percent female, and 54 percent are people of color. The institutions they represent are also diverse, located in 16 states, from small rural colleges to large urban campuses.

The fellows, selected through a competitive process, will work closely with highly accomplished community college presidents, Aspen leaders, and Stanford University faculty over ten months to learn from field-leading research, define and assess student success at their colleges, and clarify their visions for excellent and equitable outcomes for students while in college and after they graduate.

“The leaders that come through the Rising Presidents Fellowship continually inspire us,” said Josh Wyner, executive director of the College Excellence Program. “We are motivated by the dedication and expertise that our fellows bring to advancing excellence and equity on their campuses, and we look forward to supporting their work.”

“Dr. Gonzalez-De Jesus leads at MATC with a strong commitment to student success and an unwavering focus on eliminating gaps at the college,” said Dr. Vicki J. Martin, MATC president. “She works diligently to bring together and strengthen academics and student services to advance our strategic goals and ensure we are student-centered. I congratulate her on this unique honor and incredible opportunity.”

Rising Presidents Fellows aspire to enter a college presidency within five years of completing the fellowship. As fellows, they join a network of over 300 forward-thinking peers—122 of whom are sitting college presidents—who are applying grounded and innovative strategies to meet student success challenges in their colleges.

The Aspen Rising Presidents Fellowship is made possible by the generous support of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation College Futures Foundation, Joyce Foundation, and JPMorgan Chase.

For bios and photos of all 31 leaders, visit highered.aspeninstitute.org/meet-the-rising-presidents-fellows.

Wisconsin’s largest technical college and one of the most diverse two-year institutions in the
Midwest, Milwaukee Area Technical College is a key driver of southeastern Wisconsin’s
economy and has provided innovative education in the region since 1912. More than 25,000
students per year attend the college’s four campuses and community-based sites or learn
online. MATC offers affordable and accessible education and training opportunities that
empower and transform lives in the community. The college offers more than 170 academic
programs; and transfer options leading to bachelor’s degrees with more than 40 four-year
colleges and universities. Overwhelmingly, MATC graduates build careers and businesses in
southeastern Wisconsin. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.