Introducing Quarterly Insights: Perspective from the Field

Authors

We’re excited to introduce Quarterly Insights, a new resource for community college leaders grounded in the real conversations we’re having every day with presidents, boards, advancement teams, and workforce partners across the country. In a moment when colleges are navigating enrollment pressures, evolving workforce expectations, and ongoing funding uncertainty—all at once—we felt there was a need for something different: less theory, more reality.

Between us, we’ve spent decades in and alongside community colleges—as a president, a chief advancement officer, and now as advisors working coast to coast. What we’re hearing is remarkably consistent. Leaders are asking: How do we stabilize and grow enrollment? How do we align more directly with workforce needs in a way that’s meaningful and sustainable? And where will new resources come from to support it all?

There’s no shortage of information out there. But much of it doesn’t translate easily into real-time decision-making. That’s where Quarterly Insights comes in. Each issue is designed to share what we’re seeing across the field—strategies that are gaining traction, approaches that are falling flat, and early signals that may not yet be showing up in your data but are worth paying attention to. Our goal is to provide practical, field-informed perspective that can support leadership conversations at your institution and with your partners.

For us, this work is also personal. John’s journey began at a community college that changed the trajectory of his life. Joe’s career has been built around helping institutions secure the resources needed to keep those same doors open for today’s students. That shared belief—that community colleges are among the most powerful engines of opportunity in this country—drives everything we do.

We hope you find Quarterly Insights useful, relevant, and worth sharing.