CPCC to Host National COMBASE Conference in Charlotte

by Jerri Haigler — last modified 2008-09-12 10:44

Community College Presidents and Leaders from Across the Country Gather to Discuss “Revolutionary Ideas in Charlotte”

Nearly one hundred community college presidents and leaders will visit Charlotte on September 14-16 as part of the COMBASE conference. COMBASE is a national leading organization with approximately 50 institutions across the country that focuses on improving community-based education and serves as an advocate for maintaining the importance of “community” in community colleges. The theme of the conference, which will be held at the Hilton – Charlotte Center City is “Revolutionary Ideas in Charlotte.”

Keynote speakers at the conference include the following:

Dr. Pat Stanley, Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Office of Vocational and Adult Education in Washington – Sunday, September 14 from 3-3:45 p.m. – Stanley will share information on what’s happening in Washington related to workforce development and adult education. Dr. Stanley was appointed to this position as a result of her knowledge of community colleges and experience with Workforce and Adult Education. Her primary responsibilities are for all initiatives and policies affecting community colleges and post secondary education. Her work on behalf of community colleges has taken her around the world on consulting assignments and to conferences in Kuwait and Thailand.
Dr. Scott Ralls, President of the North Carolina Community College System – Monday, September 15 from 11:45 a.m.-1:00 p.m. – Ralls will address “Brutal Facts and Big Steps” that community colleges face. Dr. Ralls is the President of the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS), which serves more than 800,000 students each year at 58 community colleges across the state. From 2002-2008, Dr. Ralls served as President of Craven Community College. In addition, he has previously held workforce development leadership positions at the state and national levels, including Vice President of Economic and Workforce Development for the NCCCS, where he helped foster collaborative initiatives with North Carolina’s biotechnology and information technology industries. As a policy specialist with the U.S. Department of Labor, he authored the national report, Integrating Technology with Workers in the New American Workplace.
Dr. George Boggs, President and CEO of the American Association of Community Colleges – Tuesday, September 16 from 10:45-11:30 a.m. – Boggs will provide a national perspective on community colleges. From its Washington, D.C. headquarters, the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) represents more than 1,100 associate degree-granting institutions and some 12 million students. Prior to coming to the AACC, Boggs served as a faculty member, division chair, and associate dean of instruction at Butte College in Oroville, California. He also served for 15 years as Superintendent and President of Palomar College in San Marcos, California.

“We are extremely pleased to have such a leading group of community college educators in Charlotte,” states Dr. Tony Zeiss, President of CPCC. “The conference will allow us to take a strategic look at the trends in community college education and how to meet the needs of the communities we serve.”

For more information on COMBASE, log on to http://staff.bcc.edu/combase/.

Central Piedmont Community College is the largest community college in North Carolina, offering 100 degree and certification programs, customized corporate training, market-focused continuing education, and special interest classes. CPCC is academically, financially and geographically accessible to all citizens of Mecklenburg County. In 2002, the National Alliance of Business named CPCC the Community College of the Year for its response to the workforce and technology needs of local employers and job seekers through innovative educational and training strategies.