George Boggs, Ph.D.
President and CEO
American Association of Community Colleges (AACC)

Dr. George R. Boggs is President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC).   From its Washington, D.C., headquarters, AACC represents over 1,100 associate degree-granting institutions and over 11 million students. 

Prior to coming to AACC, Dr. Boggs served as faculty member, division chair, and associate dean of instruction at Butte College in California and, for fifteen years, he served as the Superintendent/President of Palomar College in California. He served as a member of the Committee on Undergraduate Science Education of the US National Research Council and has served on several US National Science Foundation panels and committees. 

Dr. Boggs holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from The Ohio State University, a master’s degree in chemistry from the University of California at Santa Barbara, and a Ph.D. in educational administration from The University of Texas at Austin.

Hal Higdon, Ph.D.
President
Ozarks Technical College

On July 1, 2006, Dr. Higdon became the second President in the nineteen year history of Ozarks Technical Community College.  Since assuming the OTCC presidency, Dr. Higdon has focused on the adoption of a new strategic plan for the college that includes an emphasis on workforce training and community responsiveness.  These efforts have seen a major increase in the scope of short-term workforce training, a major increase in on-line academic instruction, and new allied health programs designed to assist in overcoming a short-fall of qualified allied health professionals in Missouri.

Enrollment at the College has increased dramatically since 2006, making OTCC the fastest growing institution of higher learning in Missouri.  These increases have largely been a result of a new emphasis on enrollment management and the coupling of student services with recruitment and instructional management.

Dr. Higdon served thirteen years in administration with Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.  He served MGCCC for seven years as Associate Vice President for Human Resources and six years as Vice President for Administration, which made him the chief operating officer and chief personnel officer of a $40 million payroll with more than 800 full-time and 300 part-time employees.  He also was employed as Human Resource Director and Workforce Training Director at Alabama’s Faulkner State Community College and spent several years in private business.  Born in Decatur, Alabama, he holds a degree in business from the University of Alabama and a Master’s and Ph.D. in higher education from the University of Southern Mississippi. 

Throughout his career, Dr. Higdon has been heavily involved in community service organizations and was active in the Silver Cloud District of the Boy Scouts of America and worked to raise funds for a scouting district made up of troops based in housing projects, Boys Clubs and other low income areas.  He was recently appointed to the Board of Directors of CoxHealth Systems.  His involvement also includes the Board of Directors for the United Way of the Ozarks, the Urban Districts Alliance, Springfield Business Development Corporation, as well as the Community Relations Board of the U. S. Medical Center for Federal Prisoners. 

He is Chair-Elect of the Presidents and Chancellors of the Missouri Community Colleges Association (MCCA), which represents community college interests in the state legislature and professional and governmental agencies.  

One of the most challenging times in Dr.  Higdon’s personal and professional life occurred during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.  Dr. Higdon’s home and most of the campus at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in Perkinston, Mississippi sustained significant damage from the hurricane.  Dr. Higdon was charged to lead the reconstruction and resumption of operation of the college and has spoken to professional groups in the United States and Canada on recovering from natural disasters. 

Dr. Higdon is married to Nancy, a Business instructor, and has one daughter, Alexandria, who is a Sophomore in college.

Kathleen Mock
Recruiter
Disney Worldwide Services

Katie Mock began her career with the Walt Disney Company on the Disneyland College Program.  She worked as a Front desk Hostess at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel.  After graduating from Northern Arizona University with a Bachelor's of Science in Parks & Recreation Management, she returned to the company on a second Disney College Program, but this time in Florida at the Walt Disney World Resort.  She spent a number of years in Management as a Front Desk, Bell Service, Valet and Concierge Manager at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.  She has been working as a recruiter for the past 2 years traveling all over the western US.  She currently is the California based recruiter for the Disney College Program.  

Mr. Jerry Patton
President
College of the Desert

Jerry R. Patton currently serves as President of College of the Desert in Palm Desert, California. His previous position was Assistant Superintendent/President for Administrative Services at the college. He holds a Master of Business Administration, Bachelor of Science in Management/Accounting and a Bachelor of Arts in Education.

His thirty years in higher education include executive positions in business and finance for Palomar College, San Marcos, CA; West Hills College, Coalinga, CA; and Missouri State University in Springfield, MO. He has also spent time in the classroom as a professor of Financial & Managerial Accounting, Financial Statement Analysis, and Business Administration -  Management. Mr. Patton served in the U.S. Marine Corp and was honorably discharged from the Missouri Army National Guard in 1974 as a commissioned officer, after receiving the Distinguished Candidate Award, the OCS Staff Award, and the Erickson Trophy.

He resides in Indian Wells, California, with his wife, Mary.

Jill Wakefield Ph. D.
Chancellor
Seattle Community Colleges in WA

Dr. Jill Wakefield is recognized for the depth of her experience in community college education and community partnerships. She took the post as Chancellor of the Seattle Community Colleges in January 2009, after serving as president at South Seattle Community College for five years, where under her leadership, the college developed several new programs and an architecturally vibrant campus.

The college was among the first two-year colleges in the state to be approved for an applied bachelor’s degree, and is now offering a successful BAS degree program in Hospitality Management. South also offers four-year degrees on campus through partnerships with City University, Eastern Washington University, and Heritage University. The new Northwest Wine Academy doubled in enrollment over the last year, and its student-produced wines have continued to win awards in industry competitions. South piloted a successful and innovative healthcare training program that combines English language skills with technical training. Earlier this year, the college inaugurated its Georgetown Campus, the former “Duwamish Branch,” with three new buildings and appointment of leadership for the Puget Sound Industrial Excellence Center. The Georgetown Campus is becoming widely recognized for developing training to support the growing green economy, and sustainable construction techniques through its apprenticeship programs.

Prior to her service as president, Wakefield held a variety of positions during a 30-year career at South, gaining extensive knowledge of community college administration, the region, and the state’s higher education system.

Wakefield is a community college graduate who earned her associate’s degree from Centralia College, bachelor’s degree in education from Central Washington University, master’s degree in public administration/public policy from the University of Washington, and doctorate in educational leadership from Seattle University.

She has taught as a part-time faculty member at Washington State University, Seattle University and Centralia College. Her research, presentations and publications have been focused on business and college partnerships that lead to more effective training and fund development.

She has been honored as Communicator of the Year by the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations and was selected for the Institute for Executive Management at Harvard University and the Executive Leadership Institute sponsored by the League for Innovation in the Community College. Centralia College named Wakefield its “2007 Alumna of the Year.”

Mr. Rob Widmer
CCBO President
VP of Business Services
Heartland Community College

Rob Widmer is the Vice President of Business Services at Heartland Community College in Normal.  Widmer is responsible for all College business and administrative services; facilities planning, construction and operations; information technology; and human resource functions.   

Widmer joined Heartland in 1996, just five years after the College was founded.  Prior to Heartland, Widmer spent two years as a Vice President at Joliet Junior College, nine years as the chief financial officer at the Illinois Community College Board, and eight years as an administrator and faculty member at Lincoln College.      

Widmer has earned Bachelor and Master degrees in Business and Economics as well as post-graduate study in Education Administration.