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Grant director chosen for national program for Hispanic community college leaders

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BAYTOWN, TX — Lee College grant director Victoria Marron was one of 22 community college administrators from around the country selected for the 2016 National Community College Hispanic Council’s (NCCHC) Leadership Fellows Program, which aims to develop a pool of highly qualified Hispanics and assist them in attaining high-level positions in community colleges.

As part of the program, Marron traveled to the University of San Diego School of Leadership and Education Sciences for two residential seminars. She prepared an individualized professional development plan, engaged in a mentoring relationship with a Hispanic community college leader and attended the NCCHC Leadership Symposium, where she also completed online activities between sessions.

“Assisting in creating policies, offering services and helping students is part of my core,” said Marron, who oversees the college’s $2.7 million U.S. Department of Education First in the World Grant and more than $5.3 million in federal Hispanic-Serving Institutions STEM Grant funding, while also serving as coordinator of the Puente Project mentoring program for academically under-served students.

“I myself had been a Lee College student in developmental education courses, fresh out of high school with a newborn baby. I walk across campus and understand the struggles our students face,” Marron said. “I look forward to continuing my growth and having the ability to continue to learn how to serve all of our students better. Lee College is truly a family and I am very appreciative of the ongoing support from my teams, faculty, staff and administration.”

NCCHC is an affiliated council of the American Association of Community Colleges, a national organization that has provided leadership to the community college movement for more than 50 years. The council works to promote the educational interests and success of the Hispanic community and emphasizes access, equity and excellence for students and staff in community colleges.

Marron is one of more than 250 NCCHC Leadership Fellows who have graduated from the program since its inception. Of the original 72 Fellows, more than 15 are now community college presidents and many others have moved to positions of increased responsibility as executive-level administrators.

“Preparing strong leaders for the future is the primary purpose of the NCCHC Leadership Fellows Program,” said council Pres. Maria Harper Marinick. “A demographic shift is occurring in the United States and we need leaders who can model the way for the growing Hispanic population. Through this program, Fellows gain the knowledge and skills they need to lead higher education into the future and positively impact the economic and civic success of their respective communities.”