President's Office

Dr. Vicki J. Martin

President of Milwaukee Area Technical College

Dr. Vicki Martin

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. Since her presidency began in July 2014, Dr. Martin’s accomplishments include:

  • Building MATC’s first full-ride scholarship — the Ellen and Joe Checota MATC Scholarship Program — supported by our largest-ever scholarship fund at $7.5 million and graduating nearly 200 students in its first year;
  • Creating a nationally-groundbreaking Promise program for returning adults;
  • Launching Wisconsin’s first Promise program for new high school graduates (together, the Promise programs have graduated more than 600 students since inception);
  • Receiving a record-setting $6 million gift to create the Froedtert Memorial Hospital Scholarship;
  • Helping 500 students relieve their debts and return to college through MATC ReStart;
  • Offering the state’s first Second Chance Pell program;
  • Implementing the nationally-recognized Guided Pathways model, helping improve our student retention rates including by 7 percentage points in the last year.
  • Setting a goal to eliminate student performance gaps by 2030 and implementing hold reforms as the first two-year college in the nation to be selected for EAB’s groundbreaking Moon Shot for Equity;
  • Opening the Student Resource Center and food pantries at all four campuses plus Walker’s Square
  • Addressing housing insecurity by opening apartments for nearly 200 students each year at Westown Green; 
  • Co-founding M-Cubed, harnessing the exponential power of Milwaukee Public Schools, MATC and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to transform the future of Milwaukee through education; 
  • Leading the Bradley Tech Commission and implementing an early college model to help students access more career exploration and college-level credits; and
  • Serving as chair of the Higher Education Regional Alliance, bringing together all 17 colleges and universities in the seven-county Milwaukee region

Dr. Martin has attracted growing private-sector and foundation support to the MATC Foundation Inc., the college’s philanthropic partner. In 2013-14, the Foundation issued $251,705 in scholarships to 391 students. By 2022-23, that grew to an incredible $1.8 million and 2,290 scholarships awarded. Also, students have received $1+ million since 2015 through MATC’s Student Emergency Assistance Program, a program that did not previously exist.

Throughout her tenure, she has received several recognitions for her leadership including: Power Brokers (Milwaukee Business Journal, 2023, 2020), Wisconsin 275 - The State’s Most Influential Business Leaders (BizTimes, 2022), TEMPO Mentor Award (2017), and Women of Influence - Educational Leadership (Milwaukee Business Journal, 2016).

Office of the President
Downtown Milwaukee Campus
700 West State Street
Room M200
414-297-6322

matcpresident@matc.edu

 

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 -