CCBA Convenes Higher Education Leaders During Annual National Conference
ECMC Announces $760,000 Grant Project
Community colleges excel at offering “quality and opportunity for all” and the Community College Baccalaureate Association (CCBA) celebrated this theme during its 2025 national conference in Austin, TX, February 5-7, 2025.
During the event, the nation’s brightest community college administrators, educators, and researchers convened to strategize the future of accessible, affordable community college bachelor’s (CCB) degree programs.
“This conference was truly a celebration of everything that we, as a network, have been able to move forward over the past 25 years, including our 205+ visionary CCBA member colleges, foundation partners, university partners, associations, corporate partners, and legislators,” says CCBA President Dr. Angela Kersenbrock. “The strength of our network lies in our shared passion and commitment to promoting baccalaureate opportunities for all. Together, we have forged a force of innovation and resilience, driving positive change and creating opportunities for countless students, families, and communities.”
In recognition of its national leadership role in the CCB movement, ECMC Foundation Chief of Staff Steve Handel announced during the conference that CCBA and its partner, Bragg & Associates, Inc., had been awarded a $760,000 grant to further their work to scale up quality CCB degrees across the country.
The conference, which took place at the Austin Marriott Downtown, also featured nationally recognized keynote speakers including Dr. Sunita Cooke, President of MiraCosta Community College District and Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart, Chancellor, Austin Community College District and celebrated CCB student and colleague successes, including:
- Presentation of the 2025 Student Scholarship Awards. These $1,000 scholarships are funded by the CCBA Board of Directors and honor academic excellence in those seeking a community college baccalaureate degree.
- 2025 Honorees included: Ashley Darling, Yavapai College, AZ; Indira Serrano, Miami Dade College, FL and Mary Tagle, Weatherford College, TX.
- Presentation of the Debra D. Bragg Dissertation Award, which recognizes an individual who has completed an exceptional doctoral dissertation that examines topics pertaining to community college student baccalaureate attainment, to Dr. April Mazon who completed her doctoral degree in Community College Leadership at San Diego State University in December. Her dissertation titled Voces Rurales: Examining Latina Rural College Student Experiences in Navigating Transitions from College to Career or Post-Baccalaureate Studies explores the critical intersection of rurality, gender, and ethnicity in higher education.
- Recognition of the 2025 Pioneer Award honorees: Ohio State Representative, House Speaker Matt Huffman. The award is presented annually to individuals who have “bravely and tenaciously served as a leader in improving access for community college graduates into baccalaureate programs.”
- 11 Gold Medallion Promising Practices that serve as examples of proven solutions for making innovative, workforce-focused CCB programs succeed.
At the close of the conference, Kersenbrock announced that the 2026 CCBA National Conference will take place in Long Beach, CA February 11-13, 2026.
