🚍✨ Barrier Removed. Access Restored. Future Unlocked.

Today, the Community College of Aurora celebrated the reinstatement of the RTD bus stop at our CentreTech campus. What may seem like a small change is, in fact, transformative—removing a barrier that kept too many of our students from accessing the education they deserve.

This milestone was made possible through the leadership of our Student Government Association, the advocacy of students who spoke up, and the steadfast support of our community.

We are grateful for the contributions of:

• Mayor Mike Coffman and the City of Aurora leadership

• RTD General Manager & CEO Debra Johnson and RTD Director Kathleen Chandler

• Our dedicated CCA faculty, staff, and board members

• And the many community leaders and elected officials who worked tirelessly behind the scenes

Together, we’ve proven that when we listen to students and act with purpose, we create pathways to opportunity.

Brand New Episode of Discovering Your Mission Featuring Dr. Anthony Cruz is Now Available!

🎙️ Episode 28 of Discovering Your Mission w/ Dr. Mordecai is live—and it’s a masterclass in authentic leadership.

Meet Dr. Anthony Cruz, President of Milwaukee Area Technical College. A first-generation college student who turned personal experience into purpose, Dr. Cruz now leads one of the nation’s most diverse technical colleges with vision, courage, and heart.

💡 In this episode, you’ll discover:

✅ How being first-gen shaped Dr. Cruz’s lifelong commitment to student belonging and success
✅ What it really takes to make the leap from reporting to a chancellor or president to leading your own board
✅ His bold five-year vision for MATC—centered on enrollment, economic mobility, and breaking cycles of poverty in Milwaukee
✅ Why digital presence and authenticity are essential leadership strategies in today’s higher ed landscape
✅ How a paddle and a pickleball court keep him grounded and connected beyond the office

At the core of it all? Dr. Cruz’s simple yet powerful mission: to change lives through education.

🎧 Tune in to hear how one leader is shaping futures, building trust, and reminding us why authentic leadership matters more than ever.

Link: https://youtu.be/CxMh0TcGKOk

Brand New Article From Dr. Mordecai

The world of higher education is changing fast—and leaders who don’t adapt will be left behind.

In Dr. Mordecai’s latest article for Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, he challenges colleges and universities to stop being “one-trick ponies.” Survival—and impact—requires innovation, agility, and boldness. In this piece, he unpacks:

• Why traditional models of higher ed are no longer enough

• How institutions can evolve to meet learner and workforce demands

• The urgent call for leaders to either adapt… or step aside

READ THE FULL ARTICLE: https://www.diverseeducation.com/opinion/article/15751885/no-more-onetrick-ponies-adapt-evolve-or-step-aside

The Community College of Aurora Opens Its Third Campus

Historic day at the Community College of Aurora!

Last week, we officially opened CCA’s Centennial Campus—a milestone made possible by our community’s belief in our mission.

Deep gratitude to Mayor Stephanie Piko, the Centennial City Council, and the dedicated City staff for extraordinary partnership. Thank you to the many elected officials whose support, especially for our inaugural nursing program, expands pathways to high-demand careers and strengthens Colorado’s workforce.

A special shoutout to fellow Colorado Community College System president Dr. Colleen Simpson of Front Range Community College for stopping by and showing support. We appreciate you!

To our remarkable faculty, staff, instructors, and students—your tireless work to prepare, move, stage, and welcome our community turned a vision into reality. You exemplify what it means to put students first.

The Centennial Campus is a promise fulfilled: expanded access, industry-aligned programs, and a learner-centered environment where every student can thrive. We look forward to hosting you for a tour, a class visit, a workforce partnership conversation, or to explore scholarship support through the CCA Foundation.

First Week of Fall Semester at Community College of Aurora

To learn more about the Community College of Aurora, please visit www.CCAurora.edu

Supporting African Leadership Group

Last night, Dr. Mordecai and his wife, Daphne, represented the Community College of Aurora at the 10th Annual African Leadership Group’s Afrik Impact Gala. To learn more about the African Leadership Group, please visit: https://usalg.org/

Dr. Mordecai Provides Keynote to City of Denver

Yesterday, I had the honor of delivering the keynote for the City of Denver. In that space, I shared my personal story and journey — the lessons learned, the mistakes made, and the growth gained.

I spoke about the power of living with intentionality, where leadership begins at home and self-care, including mental care, is mission-critical. I reflected on what it means to live a mission-driven life, where our jobs are not our identity, but rather an extension of who we are, not what we are.

A heartfelt thank you to Deputy Mayor Al Gardner for the invitation to represent the Community College of Aurora and share the incredible impact we are making in the lives of our students. It’s always a privilege to speak to the importance of purpose, service, and authenticity in leadership.

Happy Birthday, Dr. Mordecai

Today, I turn 41.

As I pause to reflect on my journey thus far, I am reminded that it is an honor to serve. The greatest gift we can ever receive is discovering our purpose and finding joy in the mission that God has placed in our hands.

If you are reading this, I want to encourage you:

• Stay focused on your purpose, even when distractions call your name.

• Keep your family first, because leadership always begins at home.

• Find peace with the person staring back at you in the mirror. Therapy helped me, and it can help you!

• And when challenges come, and they will, let your mission be the compass that guides your steps.

We are all entrusted with a unique assignment. The joy is not only in fulfilling it but in becoming who we were meant to be along the way.

Here’s to another year of living with intention, leading with love, and serving with gratitude.

Dr. Mordecai Partners With Georgia State University - Perimeter College

Originally published by Georgia State University - Perimeter College

Perimeter College’s Dean’s Leadership Retreat brought together faculty and staff for a highly engaging and enlightening experience. Dean Barbara Johnson provided an informative update on the Perimeter’s Strategic Plan and its alignment with the university’s hashtag#BluePrintTo2033.

A tremendous thank you to Dr. Mordecai Brownlee, President of the Community College of Aurora, for his inspiring presentation and profound knowledge on Adaptive Leadership. His message of aligning all things with our mission resonated deeply with our commitment to student achievement. Dr. Brownlee left campus leaders with more tools for creating and scaling success.

Dr. Mordecai Pens New Article About the Frozen Job Market and Its Impact on Men of Color

When the job market freezes, who gets left behind?

Too often, it’s men of color.

In this video, Dr. Mordecai shares why he wrote his latest article with Diverse: Issues in Higher Education—and why community colleges must rise to meet this moment.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE:
https://www.diverseeducation.com/opinion/article/15751690/frozen-job-market-forgotten-students-why-men-of-color-need-community-colleges-now

Dr. Mordecai to Speak at Higher Education Innovation 2025 Presidents' Conference

The future of higher education is NOW! Join the community of innovative leaders at the HEI 2025 Presidents' Conference, where we’ll explore transformative trends and solutions.

Learn more here: https://www.heisuccess.com/2025-presidents-conference

🎉 Legacy. Leadership. Lift-Off. 🎉

Recently, we officially cut the ribbon on our new Community College of Aurora Foundation Conference Room, but this wasn’t just about a room. It was about legacy. It was about honoring the visionaries, founders, and advocates who helped turn the Community College of Aurora from a dream into a driving force for economic mobility and personal transformation.

To stand alongside individuals like Jim Lewien and Molly Link, whose late husband, Bill Wiggins, was a founding board member of the CCA Foundation, was deeply humbling. We celebrated our past, uplifted our present, and looked boldly toward our future.

We heard from incredible voices: John Wolfkill, Mike Hanley, and Jamie Butler, one of our phenomenal CCAF Presidential Scholars, who reminded us all why this work matters.

And here's the impact: This past year, the CCA Foundation raised nearly $900,000 in scholarship and emergency funding to directly support our students. That’s the power of partnership. That’s the heart of CCA.

To our students, alumni, donors, and community: this is your space, your story, and your future. Let’s keep building it—TOGETHER!

Dr. Mordecai Keynotes NASPA SSHE Conference in Denver

What an honor it was to represent the Community College of Aurora as one of the keynote speakers at the closing session of the recent NASPA - Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education Conference on Student Success in Higher Education.

As higher education leaders, we must remain steadfast in our commitment to mission-aligned operations, strategic assessment, and ensuring every effort is deeply rooted in equity.

Student success is not just a buzzword — it's the outcome of intentional leadership, data-informed strategies, and collaborative innovation across our institutions.

Now more than ever, we must ask ourselves:
➡️ Are we assessing what matters?
➡️ Are our operations aligned with our mission?
➡️ Are we centering the lived experiences of our most marginalized learners?

I'm grateful for the opportunity to share the stage with so many leaders dedicated to advancing the future of education. Let’s continue to do the work that makes access and opportunity a reality for every student.

Community College of Aurora Quarter 3 Update Video

The Community College of Aurora Quarter 3 Update is Now Available!

I had the honor of recording our Q3 2025 video update from Heritage Hall, our newly renovated space at the CentreTech Campus that commemorates 41 years of impact and transformation.

From major facility milestones like our Centennial Campus and Center for Applied Science and Technology Building to trailblazing partnerships like BuildStrong Academy and the launch of CCA’s Corporate College, we are driving innovation, workforce development, and learner-centered pathways across Colorado.

Updates include:
💡 New campuses and capital projects
🛠️ Workforce expansion
🎓 Transformative partnerships
❤️ Student-centered progress

CCA is committed to the upward economic mobility of our learners, strengthening our four-year partner pathways, and responding to the workforce needs of our industry partners.

Brand New Episode is Now Available!

Episode 27 of Discovering Your Mission w/ Dr. Mordecai is live—and this conversation is one of the most inspiring we’ve ever shared.

Meet Diane M. Simard, a breast cancer survivor who transformed her trauma into purpose. From the corporate boardroom to founding the Center for Oncology Psychology Excellence (COPE), Diane has made it her mission to address the mental health crisis facing cancer patients and survivors.

In this powerful episode, Diane opens up about:
💡 What it means to become “Diane 2.0”
💡 How cancer became her “unlikely gift”
💡 The hidden psychological impact of facing mortality
💡 Why emotional wellness should be part of every workplace
💡 Her message for anyone going through adversity

Her story will move you to see your own challenges through a new lens of healing, courage, and hope.

🎧 Tune in now here: https://youtu.be/z3i-PFZW3qg

Happy 4th of July

Yesterday, our incredible Strategic Communications team and I recorded Community College of Aurora’s Quarter Three Update video in Heritage Hall, the beautifully renovated space at our CentreTech Campus, designed to visually celebrate 41 years of our institutional impact.

I can’t wait to share all the exciting progress we’re making together, from new facilities and partnerships to expanded opportunities for our students and community.

Wishing everyone a safe, joyful, and restorative 4th of July holiday!

Building an Executive Communications Strategy : A Playbook for the Next Generation of Leaders

To read this article, head over to the Published section!

Dr. Mordecai Speaks at Aurora (Colorado) State of the City Address

Yesterday, the Community College of Aurora was honored to once again serve as a lead sponsor for the City of Aurora’s State of the City Address, hosted by the Rotary Club of Aurora and featuring Mayor Mike Coffman.

As Aurora continues to grow and evolve, CCA remains deeply committed to being a responsive, engaged, and equity-driven partner. One that listens to the needs of our community and ensures our learners are not just attending college, but realizing upward economic mobility through real opportunity.

A Brand New Article With Dr. Mordecai is Now Available

Head over to the published page to read now!

Dr. Mordecai Received Education Advocate Award From the Colorado Men of Color Collaborative

🎉 Deeply Honored. Deeply Grateful. 🙏🏽

As various Juneteenth and Afrocentric celebrations echoed across Colorado over the past several days, honoring freedom, culture, and progress, I was humbled to receive the Education Advocate Award from the Colorado Men of Color Collaborative (CMOCC).

During my keynote, “One Vision, One Community: Strategy to Inspire Hope and Unity,” I reminded us that hope is not just an emotion but a strategy. Unity is not passive; it’s a choice we make daily.

Let us keep choosing unity, leading with purpose, and building what we’ve never seen but always needed.

Thank you to the CMCC for this incredible honor.