Dr. Kay McClenney, a veteran leader in education and a community college advocate, has been named the recipient of the 2017 Diverse Champions Award.
McClenney has served as a faculty member, program director, system administrator, author, and interim CEO during her career. She currently is a senior adviser to the president and CEO of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) as well as an independent consultant and partner in Mc2 Consultants.
Throughout her career, McClenney has been recognized as a force in promoting diversity and equity in higher education, often bringing needed emphasis to issues of structural racism and disproportionate outcomes. She has served as a consultant to education institutions, state higher education systems, state government, and professional associations in 47 states and internationally.
The Diverse Champions Award recognizes higher education leaders who have shown unwavering commitment to equal opportunity and access for all, particularly at the community college level.
The award was created by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education in 2012 upon the retirement of Dr. John E. Roueche, the inaugural winner. Other Champion Award recipients are: Dr. Terry O’Banion (2016), Dr. Eduardo Padrón (2015), Dr. Jerry Sue Thornton (2014) and Dr. Walter Bumphus (2013).
This year’s award will be presented during the 97th AACC annual meeting, April 22-25 in New Orleans and the April 20 edition of Diverse will contain a tribute to McClenney.
