Other Duties, as Assigned

Being a community college president affords me lots of opportunities to get out in front of people, to let my voice be heard and my face seen... but who would have thought that it would come to this! 

 

At this year's Runaway Pumpkin Half Marathon, a fundraiser for ABC House, I got to spend 3 1/2 hours cheering on 970 half-marathoners of all shapes and sizes and speeds.... An amazing gathering of dedicated runners and walkers, at least a few of whom were deaf (they'd say “thank you” to me in sign language as they ran by), a few were physically disabled, and all of them running or walking those 13.1 miles through the pouring rain and thinking that it was great humor that I was standing 1/2 mile from the finish line in my Grim Reaper costume and encouraging them with the words "The end near"  .....Priceless!!!

What I Learned in Boston

For the ACCT Congress, I actually stayed in one
of these cobblestone rowhouses, 3rd floor

What I Learned in Boston (....and at the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) Annual Congress)

Boston is one of my favorite cities and, if you're willing to step outside the protective cocoon of the conference site, you get to experience "Bean Town" at least a bit like the "natives" do.  The historic roots of our country are here, found in somewhat equal proportion in its historic churches and taverns, and I was fortunate to take in both.  But Boston isn't just about the past.  As my picture visually demonstrates, this town has managed to bring the past and future together in ways that respect both; in ways that make both better.

The ACCT Congress brought thousands of community college trustees together, affording them a once-a-year opportunity to see their work in the context of a powerful national agenda of improved student completion.  And, as I watched (and presented too!), I couldn't help but hope that our community colleges - and LBCC in particular - take a lesson from this great city of Boston, building a future in a way that honors our past.