Milwaukee Area Technical College President Dr. Anthony Cruz recently looked back on his first year on the job with the Milwaukee BizTimes, reflecting on his accomplishments since last July and discussing some of his goals moving forward.
Here are his expanded replies.
What did you learn in the last year?
In my first year of serving at MATC, my sense of how important the college is to our community has been continually reaffirmed during my many meetings with our civic leaders, our community-based organization partners and our elected officials. I have gained a true appreciation for how the college impacts our community and how it serves our district residents: Our region needs the skilled graduates we produce to help fill thousands of job openings.
I believe such affirmation makes everyone at MATC, especially myself as a leader, stronger. It makes me a better advocate for our students, faculty and staff, which in turn, forges better connections to our community. That means we can be better attuned to our residents when they tell us what they need from us.
What is your favorite success story?
Our district board of directors recently approved a new, five-year strategic plan, called Ascend Together. This plan will serve as our guide to building a shared, focused future for the college. There are three strategic priorities, each supported with three objectives. This approach allows us to give greater attention to what is going to be most important for us moving forward.
Priority one is Student Success: Our students will gain the knowledge and skills to succeed because we will deliver hands-on, transformative learning experiences that elevate student involvement and sense of belonging, and provide student-centered, steadfast access to supportive resources.
A second priority is Community Trust: We will expand regional economic opportunity by strengthening career readiness and employment pathways, deepening relationships with our K-16 partners, and cultivating economic mobility.
Finally, we want to create a Caring Culture by nurturing employee engagement and appreciation, investing in employee professional growth, and promoting employee well-being and connectivity.
The plan was shaped by voices reflecting deep engagement at every level including more than 500 MATC employees, 300 students and nearly 100 community members who participated at Presidential Roundtable sessions.
What challenge have you learned the most from?
The last six months have been fraught as the number of federal executive orders involving education proliferates and Congress mulls possible changes and the potential elimination of funding and federal programs that the college depends on. Despite this uncertainty, we are making sure that we are ready under any circumstances to serve our students and our community.
At one point, changes were proposed that would have eliminated Pell Grants for students who are less than half-time and another that would require students to increase credits earned to be considered full-time.
Because of this uncertainty, we engaged with our lawmakers and partners to raise concerns about these proposed changes. I wrote to the U.S. House members who represent the MATC District to express my concerns. We also remain connected to the national associations that advocate for two-year colleges, as well as the Wisconsin Technical College System. These connections allow us to continue to be apprised of developments and updates that affect our students and the taxpayers in our district. We are pleased that the Pell changes do not appear to be moving forward and that the federal government remains open to Pell grants for shorter-term programs.
We have learned to stay vigilant and to fully understand the value of continually looking forward and having contingency plans in place.
What do you see as your most important responsibility to students and families?
My most important responsibilities are to ensure that we have up-to-date curricula in all the programs that we offer so our graduates have the technical knowledge, professional skills and career essentials our regional employers are looking for. The college currently works with more than 900 partners that help craft courses and curriculum to ensure MATC teaches the skills employers want and need their workers to have. We will always need that expertise. It’s vital we understand the needs of industry and the workforce.
My other important responsibility is to ensure that we have support services in place to help students overcome barriers and obstacles to getting here, staying here and graduating from here. Our students can face not only financial barriers, but other factors that keep them from succeeding at MATC.
We offer scholarships, emergency grants and other financial aid. Our Student Resource Center connects students with free resources that can help them stay in school, including child care, food, housing, mental health services, legal aid and transportation.
The college also offers bilingual services and programs, tutoring, academic advising, career counseling and employment services, tech assistance, and services for students with disabilities and international students.
We are always looking for new ways to help everyone succeed.
Do you have any new services to announce?
MATC will play a pivotal role in advancing personalized medicine in Wisconsin’s federally-funded biohealth tech hub by training highly skilled professionals to work with these cutting-edge technologies.
With nearly $4 million from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration, the college established a Biotechnology Laboratory Technician program, designed to equip students with the foundational knowledge and practical skills necessary to pursue biotechnology careers.
In the program, slated to begin in January 2026, students will explore molecular biology, genetics, microbiology, bioinformatics, bioprocessing, sequencing and cell culture techniques.
The college is renovating several classrooms in the Main Building of the Downtown Milwaukee Campus into space specifically for the new program.
Also, the college is working to establish a peer mentoring program for students to enhance their experience and to provide yet another level of support. We hope that having students interact with their fellow students can deliver a positive message, help us keep more students in school and help us increase the number of students graduating. We are finalizing the program now and hope to put it into effect either in the fall or by the spring of 2026.
What is your corporate philosophy? What sets it apart?
Our mission is to transform lives, industry and our community by training students today for the careers of tomorrow.
We offer more than 180 high-quality programs that prepare students for a family-sustaining career in as little as one to two years and provide an affordable transfer path to a four-year degree. Our graduates are becoming the skilled professionals that regional businesses and industries need right now.
I believe this college is a special place. I think we’re doing some amazing things and even greater things are on the horizon.
About MATC: 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 30,000 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 180 academic programs — many that prepare students for jobs immediately upon completion and others that provide 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.