Board of Trustee Statements

HCC Board Names Dr. Margaret Ford Fisher Sole Finalist for Chancellor Position

Jan 5, 2024

Dear Houston Community College Colleagues:

I am pleased to announce that the Houston Community College (HCC) Board of Trustees voted on Dec. 29, 2023, to name Margaret Ford Fisher, Ed.D. as sole finalist for the position of the institution's next Chancellor. Dr. Ford Fisher has served as HCC's Interim Chancellor since Sept. 1, 2023.

Dr. Ford Fisher's deep institutional knowledge, coupled with her forward-looking vision and nationally recognized leadership, makes her the ideal leader to navigate HCC towards a future rich in educational excellence and innovation. The governing board’s decision underscores Dr. Ford Fisher’s unique positioning as a visionary leader, deeply rooted in HCC’s culture and history, and ripely equipped to advance the college through fundamental changes occurring in our sector.

Notably, Dr. Ford Fisher has dedicated nearly four decades to serving HCC in various capacities, more recently as the founding president of Houston Community College Online, established in February 2018. Her tenure at the HCC Online College has been marked by exceptional growth and modernization, earning it the honor of being “One of America’s Best Online Colleges" by Newsweek for two consecutive years, 2022 and 2023.

Additionally, under her leadership, the HCC Online College launched over 60 fully online degree programs and 70 hybrid courses, significantly enhancing educational accessibility, and registering an enrollment of more than 62,000 students. Prior to this role, she served 20 years as HCC Northeast College president. There she led two successful capital campaigns and garnered community support for an HCC annexation initiative, resulting in greater educational services and in demand programs.

The Board of Trustees will hold a subsequent meeting to act on the final appointment of Dr. Ford Fisher as Chancellor, no less than 21 days following her selection as sole finalist, per state law.

As we move closer to finalizing this appointment, we will share additional updates. Thank you for your ongoing dedication to HCC and the positive impact you continue to make on the lives of students and the community.

Sincerely,

CynthiaLentonGary Signature
Cynthia Lenton-Gary, Ph.D.
Chair, HCC Board of Trustees