Announcing the 2021 Community & Technical College Advisory Council

Community and technical colleges play a vital role in providing equitable access to education, and we at Salesforce.org are committed to supporting these institutions through technology, workforce development, and lifelong learning initiatives. With Community College Month in full swing, we’re proud to announce the launch of the 2021 Salesforce.org Community and Technical College Advisory Council.  

Innovators across 12 institutions nationwide have come together to share best practices to drive learner and institution success, leverage Salesforce.org Education Cloud, and accelerate digital transformation. Meet the diverse, passionate group of Trailblazers across our community!

Announcing the new members of the 2021 Community & Technical College Advisory Council.

Community & Technical College Advisory Council Goals

“When we connect across institutions and regions, we have the opportunity to learn from each other – triumphs and tribulations. In this sense, collaboration is really central to the heart of education.”
– Shannon Thomas, Dean of Technology and Institutional Research

Council members convene regularly to collaborate on the following important topics:

• The role two-year institutions play in driving social mobility
• Tackling challenges, fostering innovation, and preparing for the future  
• Sharing insights and experiences to benefit peers through events, presentations, and community outreach
• Advising Salesforce.org in shaping products and solutions to serve the unique needs of two-year institutions

In the most recent meeting, members discussed market trends, as well as the challenges and opportunities facing community colleges. The energy, passion, and commitment to supporting learner success was clearly on display.

“We are focused on creating dynamic relationship management and constantly look for ways we can support the entire student lifecycle. Empathy mapping has been an important exercise in ensuring equity drives our student experience work,” shared Samantha Sengel, the Vice President for Advancement and Enrollment Strategy at Central New Mexico Community College (CNM). “At CNM, we’re excited to work alongside our peers and Salesforce.org to understand issues community colleges face in creating an exceptional student experience.”

Council members convene regularly to collaborate on issues facing the community and technical college sector.

Charting a Path Forward, Together

Matt Etchison, CIO of Ivy Tech Community College which serves over 150,000 learners, shared his excitement for the council’s impact on two-year institutions and the larger communities they serve.  

“As a CIO, I look forward to ideating and learning from my community college peers on the Salesforce.org advisory council. These are some of the most innovative leaders in the country, and it’s great to hear about their successes and challenges. All of us are striving to improve and optimize the student journey for our respective institutions.”

We are fortunate to work alongside these leaders and look forward to the continued collaboration, learning opportunities, and innovation to come. 

To learn more about the council members’ inspiring work, register for our webinar about How Community Colleges Can Digitally Transform, learn how Ivy Tech Community College got started on Education Cloud, and register to attend the upcoming Education Summit.

About the Author

Scott Gutowski is an industry solutions director for community colleges on the Education Cloud team at Salesforce.org. Obsessed with efficiency, if there is a better way to do something, Scott is focused on figuring it out and helping schools get more out of their investments, technology, and time so they can focus on what matters — students, teachers, parents, and employees. Scott worked in both private and public education as a technical leader for the past 15+ years where he learned to listen in order to improve.