Felder said the “multi-faceted” application process, which required written essays and letters of support, allowed her to reflect on the work she has done for Clark State.
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“One of the achievements I am most proud of is the college’s increase in course completion,” Felder said. “As a result of our strategic planning process and creation of focused initiatives, the college has improve our overall course completion rate over the past 4-5 years.”
Blondin, president of Clark State, described Felder as, “a dynamic and visionary leader.”
“Theresa Felder exemplifies the values of Clark State Community: she works tirelessly to ensure that our students are successful,” Blondin said. “I can think of no one more deserving of this participation in the Aspen Presidential Fellowship than my esteemed colleague.
The Aspen Presidential Fellowship for Community College Excellence is a leadership program designed to prepare the next generation of community college presidents to transform institutions to achieve higher levels of student success, both in college the labor market, according to their website.
The selected group of 40 Aspen Presidential Fellows will embark on a 10-month fellowship beginning in July. Delivered in collaboration with the Stanford Educational Leadership Initiative, the fellows will work with mentors who have achieved exceptional outcomes for students throughout their careers.
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Fellows will also learn from national experts about ways to harness data to assess student success outcomes, strategies for internal change leadership and how to create strong external partnerships with K-12 schools, four-year colleges and employers.
Josh Wyner, executive director of the Aspen Institute’s College Excellence Program, said evidence shows that substantial improvements in student success are achieved only when presidents have the commitment and skill needed to lead change within their institutions and through partnerships in the community.
“These fellows have been chosen because they embody that commitment and, we believe, will build their skills even further to become transformational presidents,” Wyner said.
To date, 33 Aspen Presidential Fellows are now sitting community college presidents at institutions that collectively serve more than 450,000 students nationwide, according to their website.
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