Conference kicks off today

PHOENIX — The 89th annual American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) conference kicks off this afternoon with the traditional opening that features the presentation of the AACC Leadership Awards and the New Century Scholars. It will close with a keynote by political commentator Donna Brazile.

The session will open with a welcome by AACC President George Boggs followed by a welcome by Rufus Glasper, chancellor of Maricopa Community Colleges, which are the host colleges. It will be followed with the presentation of the AACC Leadership Awards to Walter Bumphus, chair of the Junior and Community College Education Leadership program at the University of Austin, and J. William Wenrich, chancellor emeritus of the Dallas County Community College District (Texas).

Next up will be the presentation of the New Century Scholars. The program, sponsored by the Coca-Cola Foundation and the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, selects top community college students in each of the 50 states based on academic excellence, leadership and community service. Many of the scholars have moving stories.

Concluding the session is Brazile, who is a regular political commentary on ABC News and CNN. She is also chair of the Voting Rights Institute. The conference exhibit hall opens right after from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. This year, conference attendees can participate in a raffle for student scholarships, which is supported by all the exhibitors.

Finally, there will be an opportunity to socialize at the receptions of the National Council on Black American Affairs (8 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. at the Sheraton Phoenix, Valley of the Sun CDE) and the American Association for Women in Community Leadership and the National Institute for Leadership Development (8:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. at the Sheraton Phoenix, Encanto AB).