Pierce to Resign From American Association of Community Colleges

Black Issues in Higher Education, Nov 11, 1999

WASHINGTON -- Dr. David R. Pierce, president and chief executive officer of the American Association of Community Colleges for the past nine years, announced late last month that he will step down in August.

Pierce, who graduated from a California community college in the 1950s and went on to spend four decades in the two-year college field, cited personal needs and political timing in making the announcement.

With a new administration taking office following the 2000 elections, it offers a tremendous opportunity for my successor to learn and make connections that will be beneficial to community colleges at the national level," Pierce said. "I believe my decision is best for my family and good for the association."

Pierce, who took over an association that had run into money troubles when he took over 1991, has been widely credited with restoring the association's financial health. He also has won praise for his work with national politicians to raise the profile of the nation's 1,250 community, junior and technical colleges.

"He's done a wonderful job," says Dr. Zelema Harris, the president of Parkland College in Champaign, Ill., a member of the committee that selected Pierce to lead the association.

"He's taken the movement one step higher," Harris says. "That's what you expect leaders to do. You don't just want them to maintain. He has expanded the vision of what community colleges are and what they can do."

Dr. David L. Buettner, president of North Iowa Area Community College in Mason City, Iowa, where Pierce once served as president, calls his predecessor "the consummate professional."

"Community colleges have gained credibility and stature in the eyes of business and government leaders in the last 10 years," Buettner says. "That's not all because of David's efforts alone, but a lot of it is."