After a storied career spanning more than five decades, American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) President and CEO Walter G. Bumphus announced on Thursday that he will retire at the end of the year.
“On behalf of the board of directors, I would like to thank Dr. Bumphus for his leadership at AACC,” said Sunita Cooke, superintendent/president of MiraCosta College (California) and current chair of the AACC board of directors, said in a release.
“He has mentored and inspired leaders from across the country and has a unique ability to bring people with different perspectives and talents together to truly advance the nation’s community colleges,” Cooke continued. “He has developed and stewarded positive relationships across four presidential administrations, positioning the sector as a trusted partner in developing the nation’s educated workforce. His contributions are immeasurable, and his legacy is cemented in the millions of students that have benefitted from America’s community colleges.”
Many accolades
Bumphus has contributed to the sector in many ways and has been widely recognized for his work. He received the ACCT Marie Y. Martin CEO of the Year Award, chaired the AACC board of directors, and received the John Roueche and Terry O’Banion International Leadership and the AACC Leadership awards. In 2021, he received the Baldridge Foundation’s Award for Leadership Excellence in Education.
Bumphus has the distinction of having worked collaboratively with four presidential administrations. He was appointed to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Academic Advisory Council, the 100,000 Strong Initiative and the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans. He served on the Task Force on Apprenticeship Expansion, the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board and the Advisory Committee on Apprenticeships.
Shaping future leaders
Bumphus is also known for sharing his knowledge. Earning the A.M. Aikin Regents Endowed Chair in Junior and Community College Education Leadership at the University of Texas at Austin, Bumphus is responsible for advancing the leadership skills of hundreds of current administrators.
“I have spent my career in higher education and will always champion the nation’s community colleges and its leaders,” Bumphus said. “I know first-hand the challenges and rewards of leading a community college, and I am grateful to the many colleagues and friends that I have made along the way. I am confident that the nation’s community colleges will continue to provide affordable, accredited and relevant educational opportunities to the millions of Americans they serve and that AACC will continue to lead, advocate and advance that work across the country.”
Bumphus is set to retire at the end of 2025 after 15 years at the helm of AACC, having the second-longest term of service to the organization. Ed Gleazer served as AACC’s leader for 23 years from 1958 to 1981.
The AACC board of directors will conduct a national search effort to find a successor.
