Dr. DeRionne Pollard was named president and CEO of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) in July of 2025. Her passion for higher education has driven her leadership in several roles, most recently as the president of Nevada State University, Montgomery College (MD), and Las Positas College (CA).

Dr. Pollard’s career in higher education began in the classroom teaching English and she remains deeply committed to life-long learning for her students and herself. A student-centered ethos is at the core of her leadership and she is a champion for access, fairness, and opportunity for all. Throughout her career, Dr. Pollard's vision has been grounded in a belief that higher education is a pillar of economic mobility and community strength.

Dr. Pollard’s experience in the higher education sector is rich, having served on the American Association of Community Colleges’ 21st Century Commission on the Future of Community Colleges, the Commission on Academic, Student, and Community Development, and the Board of Directors. Dr. Pollard is a member of the National Board of Directors and Executive Committee for Generation Hope, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the success of teen parents and parenting college students. 

Dr. Pollard was named one of Washington’s 100 Most Powerful Women by Washingtonian Magazine, won a 2017 Academic Leadership Award from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, and a Visionary Award from the Washington Area Women’s Foundation. She holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in English from Iowa State University and a Ph.D. in educational leadership and policy studies in higher education from Loyola University Chicago.

Dr. Pollard is the first woman to be named president and CEO of AACC and now serves as the nation’s leading advocate for community colleges.

Dr. Amelia Parnell is an accomplished higher education executive and an internationally recognized thought leader regarding current issues and emerging trends in the field. She is a passionate advocate for higher education as a tool for personal advancement and impact, and she seeks opportunities to partner with organizations and individuals who share her sincere commitment to centering students' needs.

In her prior role as vice president for research and policy for NASPA, Dr. Parnell led many of the association's scholarly and advocacy-focused activities and fostered partnerships with college administrators, researchers, grant makers, and other higher education professionals.

As a frequent keynote speaker at national and regional conferences, Amelia presents on topics related to higher education, student affairs, college affordability, student learning outcomes, and institutions' use of data and analytics. She has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal, the Chronicle of Higher Education, Inside Higher Ed, and PBS NewsHour.

Amelia recently completed four years of service on the Board of Directors for EDUCAUSE, where she was Chair of the Finance & Investment Committee and the Audit Committee. She is also the past chair of the Higher Education Equity Network (HEEN), a collective impact network representing more than 25 organizations at the forefront of addressing racial equity in higher education.

Amelia enjoys opportunities to teach, and she is energized by making complex concepts easy to understand. She has had enriching engagements with students and peers as an adjunct instructor and lecturer and she is the author of the book, You Are a Data Person, which she wrote to encourage all higher education professionals to discover and embrace their unique data identity.

Amelia holds a Ph.D. in higher education from Florida State University and master’s and bachelor’s degrees in business administration from Florida A & M University.

Kimberly M. Lowry serves as the Vice President of the Texas Association of Community Colleges and Executive Director of the Texas Success Center. In this leadership role, Kim spearheads initiatives aimed at enhancing student success and community college leadership across Texas.

Prior to joining TACC, Kim was the Director of Leadership and Impact at The Aspen Institute’s College Excellence Program. There, she played a pivotal role in developing strategies and executing initiatives that significantly advanced student success and community college leadership nationwide. Her leadership substantially contributed to the professional growth of numerous community college presidents and the overall enhancement of community college education standards.

Dr. Lowry's career is distinguished by her dedication to fostering educational excellence and her ability to lead impactful programs. As a nationally recognized expert on community college student success and a published author, Dr. Lowry has made substantial contributions to the field through her research and thought leadership. Before her tenure at The Aspen Institute, she held several key positions, including Vice President of Instruction and Student Services at Lone Star College-Houston North and Associate Vice Chancellor of Student Engagement and Success at Houston Community College. Her efforts have consistently led to significant improvements in student retention, graduation rates, and overall student engagement.

Kim graduated from Antelope Valley Community College before transferring to California State University, Long Beach, where she earned both her M.S. in Counseling with an emphasis on Student Development in Higher Education and her B.A. in Psychology. Dr. Lowry then earned her Ph.D. in Higher Education from the University of North Texas, where her research focused on community college choice,African American students, and student- high-achieving athletes.

Dr. Lowry remains actively involved in numerous professional associations. She has served as the Director of the Community College Division for NASPA, as well as a board member for the National Council of Instructional Administrators and the Southern Region of the National Council on Black American Affairs.