Dr. Vicki J. Martin
President of Milwaukee Area Technical College
Dr. Vicki J. Martin is the 10th president of Milwaukee Area Technical College. She has served in higher education for four decades, at MATC for three decades and has led the college since 2014. A Milwaukee native and first-generation college student, she holds a bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, master's degrees from the University of North Dakota (counseling and guidance) and Cardinal Stritch University (business management), and a doctorate degree in educational leadership and policy analysis from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Dr. Martin is a champion of access to affordable education, greater student success and enhancing the talent pipeline from high school through postsecondary education. In 2015, she launched the MATC Promise, a public-private partnership that provides free tuition for eligible new high school graduates. The first-in-Wisconsin program drew the attention of Dr. Jill Biden, the nation’s current first lady, who addressed MATC’s graduates in Spring 2017. In Spring 2018, Dr. Martin announced a major expansion of the program – the MATC Promise for Adults – which provides free tuition for eligible adults to finish their degree.
She led MATC through its implementation of the American Association of Community Colleges' Guided Pathways framework to improve student success and partnered with leaders of Carthage College, UW-Milwaukee and UW-Parkside to form the country’s first regional consortium participating in EAB’s Moon Shot for Equity to eliminate equity gaps in higher education.
Dr. Martin has attracted growing private-sector and foundation support to the MATC Foundation Inc., serves on the steering committee of the Higher Education Regional Alliance, and is a founding leader of the M3 (pronounced M-cubed) initiative, which brings together MATC, Milwaukee Public Schools and UW-Milwaukee to transform the future of Milwaukee through education. She also is a board member of City Year Milwaukee and serves as the chairperson of the Bradley Tech High School Commission, where she has helped implement an Early College program connecting students to both college credits and career exploration.
Dr. Martin has repeatedly been named to the Milwaukee Business Journal’s lists of Executives to Watch and Powerbrokers.
Office of the President
Downtown Milwaukee Campus
700 West State Street
Room M200
414-297-6322
MATC Presidential History
Robert L. Cooley 1912 - 1940
William F. Rasche 1940 - 1958
George A. Parkinson 1958 - 1968
William L. Ramsey 1968 - 1981
Rus F. Slicker 1981 - 1990
Barbara Holmes 1990 - 1992
John R. Birkholz 1992 - 2001
Darnell E. Cole 2001 - 2009
Michael L. Burke 2010 - 2014
Vicki J. Martin 2014 -