Dallas College’s Dr. Tracie Lowe and Royce Nwankwo have been accepted into the 2024 cohort of the National Council on Black American Affairs (NCBAA) Carolyn Grubbs Williams Leadership Development Institute (LDI). This program is designed to equip African American education professionals with the skills and knowledge necessary for future executive leadership roles in higher education.
The 2024 Leadership Development Institute will take place from October 13-19 in Hartford, Connecticut, marking the 20th anniversary of the program. Participants will engage in a week-long intensive focused on coaching, professional development, and networking with peers and leaders from across the country.
Dr. Lowe, who serves as the Dallas College dean of student success research, emphasized the program's value in building connections among professionals. “This opportunity provides a week of intensive time dedicated to training, learning new things, and speaking to people who are at different institutions around the world, allowing us to hone our skills together,” she said. “I am so thankful for the investment that Dallas College is making in their personnel to create leaders and for the people who see a vision in me that I can’t yet see — it motivates me to keep moving forward.”
Royce Nwankwo, Dallas College’s director of virtual student services, expressed his enthusiasm for the opportunity as well. Starting his career in the mailroom and progressing to a leadership position, Nwankwo is committed to ongoing professional development. “You feel unstoppable whenever you can have a method or strategy to life, work, and success — and that’s what gets me psyched about leadership,” he stated. “I couldn’t pass up this opportunity to learn more and grow my skills and professionalism. I am definitely grateful for my supervisors for thinking about me for this program and having confidence that I’m ready to take on something like this.”
Lowe and Nwankwo are excited to join the cohort as “partners in barrier busting,” aiming to collaboratively apply what they learn and bring valuable insights back to Dallas College. Their participation aligns with the institution’s mission of transforming lives and communities through higher education, emphasizing the importance of developing strong leadership within the organization.
