Broward College Provost Named President of the Community College of Denver Following Nationwide Search

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL (Dec. 3, 2020) – Broward College is pleased to congratulate Dr. Marielena DeSanctis, provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs and Student Services of Broward College, on being selected as the next president of the Community College of Denver (CCD). Colorado Community College System Chancellor Joe Garcia announced her appointment today. Dr. DeSanctis will leave her current role at Broward College on January 14, 2021 and assume her new role on January 15, 2021. Broward College will announce a transition plan shortly.

“Dr. DeSanctis has displayed an exceptional will to support our students and a values-based system rooted in student success. She has also proven herself a champion of academic excellence and innovative teaching,” said President Gregory Adam Haile, J.D. “Although the Broward College community will miss her, we are excited for her opportunity to positively impact the Denver community, and I look forward to supporting her continued success.”

Dr. DeSanctis, who is a member of the 2019-2020 class of the Aspen Presidential Fellowship for Community College Excellence, is a distinguished educator who will bring demonstrated leadership and a commitment to advancing access to higher education, increasing student success, and closing equity gaps to CCD.

“My passion is to transform students’ lives through education,” said Dr. DeSanctis. “Throughout my career, I have led from a place of deep appreciation for the trust placed in me and my teams to deliver on the promise that our work will result in equitable outcomes and upward economic mobility for every student. I am excited for the opportunity to continue this transformative work at CCD.”

Prior to joining Broward College, she accumulated almost six years of experience as an engineer in private industry and 16 years of experience in K-12 and technical college education.  Dr. DeSanctis joined Broward College in 2014, serving as A. Hugh Adams Central Campus president and vice president of Student Affairs prior to assuming the role of provost and senior vice president in July 2019.  During her tenure at the College, she deployed research-based best practices that supported the reduction of achievement gaps between Pell and non-Pell eligible students and course passing rates between Black and White students. Dr. DeSanctis also led the implementation of a new college readiness and enrollment program in partnership with the local school district focused on supporting schools with high rates of racial/ethnic minorities and Free and Reduced Lunch eligibility; stewarded shared governance principles and practices; and has played significant roles in many other successful endeavors.  

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