ACCCA provides California Administrators with timely news and information about legislation, policy and other issues that impact your college and your career. In addition to this up-to-the-minute website, we keep you in the loop with email alerts.
Meet our featured speakers!
Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart serves as the ninth Chancellor of the Austin Community
College District (ACC). His leadership is centered on the principle of love and a deep commitment to systemic and cultural transformation that advances student success for all students.
Since beginning his tenure at Austin Community College, Russell has championed innovative student-focused initiatives, including the launch of a pilot for free tuition, creating opportunities for more Central Texans to attend college without financial barriers. Russell has also expanded the College’s basic needs supports, including emergency aid, child care, food assistance, and more, ensuring students have the resources they need to persist and thrive.
At ACC, Russell has guided the development of the College’s Theory of Change, a strategic framework built on four pillars: Starting Strong, Enrolling Full Time, Meeting Basic Needs, and Belonging and Connection. These pillars drive ACC’s North Star goal of ensuring that 70 percent of students complete, transfer, or successfully enter the workforce.
Russell often says ACC is the glue of Central Texas, serving as the anchor for the region’s educational, workforce, and community needs. He has positioned ACC as a national leader in workforce development, particularly in the semiconductor sector, while also deepening partnerships with schools, employers, and community organizations to strengthen opportunity and economic mobility across the region.
Prior to joining ACC, Russell served as President of Amarillo College from 2014 to 2023 and earlier as Vice President of Academic Affairs. During his tenure, Amarillo College was named co-winner of the 2023 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. Other distinctions included recognition as a 2021 Aspen Top Five Institution and Rising Star, the Leah Meyer Austin Award for Achieving the Dream, the Bellwether Award, and membership in the inaugural Aspen Institute Presidential Fellowship class.
In addition to his leadership in Texas, Russell is a nationally recognized speaker and thought leader, frequently invited to share insights on community college transformation, student success, equity, and workforce alignment.
Russell is deeply engaged in Central Texas, serving on the boards of American YouthWorks, United Way for Greater Austin, the Hays Caldwell Economic Development Partnership, Austin 2030 Network, and the Austin Healthcare Council, as well as the Board of Directors for the Kody Hodge Foundation. Russell also serves on the Boards of Directors for the American Association of Community Colleges and the League for Innovation in the Community College.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in speech communication and rhetoric from West Texas State University, a master’s degree in communication studies from Texas Tech University, and a doctorate in interpersonal communication, with an emphasis on gender and diversity, from Ohio University.
Russell and his wife of nearly 30 years are the proud parents of three children.
Dr. DeRionne Pollard was named president and CEO of the American
Association of Community Colleges (AACC) in July of 2025. Her passion for higher education has driven her leadership in several roles, most recently as the president of Nevada State University, Montgomery College (MD), and Las Positas College (CA).
Dr. Pollard’s career in higher education began in the classroom teaching English and she remains deeply committed to life-long learning for her students and herself. A student-centered ethos is at the core of her leadership and she is a champion for access, fairness, and opportunity for all. Throughout her career, Dr. Pollard’s vision has been grounded in a belief that higher education is a pillar of economic mobility and community strength.
Dr. Pollard’s experience in the higher education sector is rich, having served on the American Association of Community Colleges’ 21st Century Commission on the Future of Community Colleges, the Commission on Academic, Student, and Community Development, and the Board of Directors. Dr. Pollard is a member of the National Board of Directors and Executive Committee for Generation Hope, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the success of teen parents and parenting college students.
Dr. Pollard was named one of Washington’s 100 Most Powerful Women by Washingtonian Magazine, won a 2017 Academic Leadership Award from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, and a Visionary Award from the Washington Area Women’s Foundation. She holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in English from Iowa State University and a Ph.D. in educational leadership and policy studies in higher education from Loyola University Chicago.
Dr. Pollard is the first woman to be named president and CEO of AACC and now serves as the nation’s leading advocate for community colleges.
Michelle Fischthal, DBA (She/Her), Vice Chancellor, Institutional Innovation &
Effectiveness at San Diego Community College District
Dr. Michelle Fischthal joined the San Diego Community College District (SDCCD) in 2010 after five years as a consultant with the district’s IT department. Following roles in instruction and administration at the San Diego College of Continuing Education, she became the inaugural SDCCD Vice Chancellor of Institutional Innovation and Effectiveness in 2023. Dr. Fischthal is dedicated to data-informed practices, strategic planning, and integrating emerging technologies to advance student success and equity across SDCCD, focusing on continuous improvement and innovation to strengthen the district’s mission.
Wendy Stewart, Associate Vice President, Chief Inclusion, Diversity, Equity
& Accessibility Officer at MiraCosta College
Dr. Wendy Stewart has worked in the field of higher education for over 26 years and currently serves as the inaugural Associate Vice President, Chief Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility Officer at MiraCosta College. She has earned a Bachelor of Arts in Literature Writing from the University of California, San Diego, a Master’s of Science in Counseling with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy from San Diego State University, a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Southern California, and Professional Certificates from the Institute for Management Leadership in Education from Harvard University and in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University. Dr. Stewart brings a deep passion for supporting student success and closing equity gaps for historically marginalized students, guided by the belief that education is a critical pathway to breaking cycles of generational inequity. She has conducted research on effective equity practices in higher education and has presented at several statewide and national conferences in addition to having her research published.
She serves on the Commission for Finance, Legislation, and Advocacy for the Association of California Community College Administrators, on the Commission for Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion for the American Association for Community Colleges (AACC), and participates in the Statewide Institutional Effectiveness Partnership Initiative with the California Community College Chancellor’s Office. She serves as part-time faculty at the University of California, San Diego in the Extended Studies Education program and National University teaching in the graduate Counseling and School Psychology program where she helped to create the institution’s first-ever program focused on community college counseling.
She has received recognition for being a community leader from the City of Oceanside and Congressman Mike Levin and received awards for Leadership in Education from Phi Delta Kappa, the “Salute to Women” award from the North San Diego County NAACP, and recognition from local nonprofit organization “Operation Hope” for her family-founded nonprofit “The Lucky Box Project” providing new household items for San Diego County families transitioning out of homelessness.
Greg Smith, Chancellor at San Diego Community College District
Gregory Smith has served as the chancellor of the San Diego Community College District since February 1, 2024, and previously served as the district’s Vice Chancellor of People, Culture, and Technology Services.
As chancellor of one of the largest of California’s 73 community college districts, serving approximately 90,000 students through its four colleges: City College, Mesa College, Miramar College, and the College of Continuing Education, Smith is responsible for a $2 billion annual budget and operations for a district that is the largest provider of workforce training and higher education in the San Diego region.
Smith has over 20 years of public sector service, including in the U.S. Department of Labor, where he enforced equal employment opportunity and affirmative action regulations. He has served as associate vice president of Human Resources and interim vice president of Administrative Services at Shasta College in California.
Throughout his career, Smith has worked to reframe how public, private, and nonprofit organizations operate to ensure diverse communities have access, achieve equitable success, and experience authentic belonging. He has been a key contributor on statewide workgroups which have produced policy and practice innovations to expand diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and anti-racism in teaching, learning, service delivery, and employment. He has led initiatives to redesign resource and budget allocation models to ensure equitable investments in and outcomes for diverse communities.
A first-generation college graduate, Smith started his collegiate education at Cerro Coso Community College in California. He earned bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and English Literature at Arizona State University and a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Southern California.
