Officers
Mark James, Chancellor
Throughout his life, Mark James has embraced many opportunities to serve his community. For the past 31 years, Mark's professional leadership in public safety and community service has enabled him to lead large complex organizations in the public and private sector.
On January 21, 2010, the Metropolitan Community College Board of Trustees announced its decision to name Mark as the college's next chancellor. Mark was selected based on his commitment to innovation, financial expertise, extensive experience in the state/federal government appropriations process and his CEO-level experience. Mark assumed the role of chancellor on July 1, 2010.
Since January 2009, Mark has served as vice chancellor of administrative services at Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City (MCC). He managed the "nuts and bolts" infrastructure of the institution to insure that MCC runs smoothly for the 43,000 students who attend annually. In this role, he oversaw the fiscal operations, human resources, facilities, public safety, government relations and business development among other duties. He also served as the district treasurer, with responsibility for the college's financial investment program and the internal financial audit. Guided by his philosophy to strengthen organizations under his care by establishing greater transparency and accountability, Mark has quickly established himself as a trusted leader at MCC and within Missouri higher education. Based on his relationships in Jefferson City, he was recently sought by the Missouri Senate Committee on Higher Education to provide testimony on the future of higher education in Missouri.
Prior to joining MCC, he was appointed by Governor Matt Blunt as director of the Missouri Department of Public Safety and Homeland Security, and served in this role from 2005 - 2009. In this gubernatorial cabinet advisory role, Mark oversaw the $700 million organization that consisted of 15,000 employees and included oversight of the Missouri National Guard, Missouri State Highway Patrol, Missouri State Water Patrol, State Emergency Management Agency, Division of Fire Safety, Capitol Police, Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control, Gaming Commission and Veteran's Commission and Office of Homeland Security. During this time, he served as incident commander of 20 presidentially declared disasters in Missouri, in addition to assisting the Governor in overcoming a billion dollar state deficit in 2005.
Mark's career was built on service to the community by just "doing." His management ascent began in the early 1980's serving as a first-line supervisor for the Missouri State Highway Patrol. He eventually joined the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) where he spent 20 years "doing" everything from running a field office to overhauling and leading the ATF's Intelligence Division, creating a multi-million dollar case information and management system, and leading a four-state region as special agent in charge of the Kansas City Division. As head of the Kansas City Division, Mark was called to Washington D.C. to unite and lead a multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional force of thousands of agents and officers to capture the "D.C. Snipers."
Since arriving at MCC, Mark has assumed a leadership role in the Missouri Community College Association (MCCA) Executive Committee where he serves as chair of the financial committee. Leveraging his experience, he was asked to serve on the Missouri Department of Higher Education Homeland Security advisory sub-committee to the Governor's Homeland Security Advisory Council. He initiated and leads the Missouri Higher Education Homeland Security Consortium to advance the study and practical application of homeland security curricula. In addition, he serves as an advisor to the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) executive policy committee and is a member of the executive board of the Mid-America Minority Business Development Council.
As a student himself, he has quickly emerged as one of the strongest advocates for MCC's mission to provide quality education to all students. Committed to life-long learning, Mark is currently pursuing a doctorate in business administration while maintaining required continuing education credits as a national certified strength and conditioning specialist. He earned a master's degree in strategic intelligence from the National Defense Intelligence College in Washington, D.C. and a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and administration from the University of Central Missouri. Based on his body of work in public safety, he was recognized with an honorary doctorate of laws from the University of Central Missouri, and received the ATF director's commendation for serving as incident commander overseeing the "D.C. Sniper" Task Force in 2003. Mark strives to balance his career with his active home life. For the past several years, he has mentored youth by coaching football, basketball and martial arts, in addition to raising two children with his wife, Debra. He and his family have lived in the Kansas City metropolitan area for more than eleven years.
Jacqueline I. Snyder, Chancellor Emeritus
On July 1, 2005 Jackie Snyder became the first woman chancellor of Metropolitan Community College in its 90-year history. As chancellor and chief executive officer she had the responsibility of leading the largest institution of higher education in the Greater Kansas City area. MCC includes Blue River, Business and Technology, Longview, Maple Woods, and Penn Valley campuses.
Prior to becoming chancellor, Jackie served as President of Penn Valley Community College for six years. During her tenure many capital improvements were made to the campus, including the construction of the Anna and Kemper Carter Art Center for Visual Arts and Imaging Technology and the Turner Courtyard. In addition, enrollment was increased over 20 percent to 6,000 students. Jackie joined the MCC district in 1995 as Vice Chancellor of Economic and Resource Development with responsibilities for fund raising, marketing, and economic development. She was responsible for opening the Business and Technology College, which provides training for area businesses and workforce training for over 20,000 students each year.
She received an associate's degree from Kansas City Kansas Community College, a bachelor's degree from Emporia State University, and both a master's degree in Educational Administration and a doctorate in Higher Education from the University of Kansas.
Leadership is Snyder's forte. She was elected president of the Missouri Community College Association Presidents/Chancellors Council in 2002. In 2000 she was asked by the commissioner of higher education to join a commission on the study of the Affordability of Higher Education in the state of Missouri. She is a member of the International Women's Forum (an organization that advances women's leadership across careers, cultures and continents); and The Central Exchange.
She was selected to participate in Leadership Overland Park and Leadership Kansas and served on former Kansas City Mayor Barnes' collaborative to improve education in Kansas City.
She has received two national awards for excellence in staff development from the American Association of Community Colleges and was named a League Fellow by the League for Innovation in Community Colleges. Other awards include: induction into the University of Kansas Women's Hall of Fame (2009); The Mel Carnahan Hall-of-Fame Award from the Missouri Community College Association (2009); the Award of Distinction from the Missouri Women's Council (2008); the Woman of Achievement Award from the Metropolitan Zonta Clubs of Kansas City (2008); the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Emporia State University Alumni Association (2006); and with her husband received the Families Helping Families Award from the Mattie Rhodes Counseling and Art Center (2005).
Jackie currently sits on the boards of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce; the Economic Development Corporation; Full Employment Council; Kansas City Area Development Council; Union Station Kansas City, KC REACHE, and United Way of Greater Kansas City. In addition to the International Women's Forum and the Central Exchange, she is also a member of RC-2020 ? an international organization of presidents and chancellors of urban community colleges and the Higher Education Research & Development Institute.
Jackie and her husband, Dr. Ken Gibson reside in Parkville, MO.
Paul Long, vice chancellor of educational services.
Teaching has been Paul Long's passion for more than twenty years. MCC's vice chancellor of educational services began teaching at UMKC in 1986. From there he taught logic and ethics at the University of Kentucky and William Jewell and then philosophy at MCC-Penn Valley and MCC-Maple Woods.
Long received a master's degree in philosophy from the University of Kentucky and a bachelor in philosophy and political science from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He is a sought-after consultant and presenter concerning biomedical ethics and ethics in general.
He has been very active in his service to MCC and Maple Woods, as a list of some of the positions he has held reveals:
- Maple Woods social science and business division chair
- Maple Woods faculty association president
- Maple Woods honors program coordinator
- Faculty Senate member
- Senate Curriculum Committee chair
- District Instructional Coordinating Committee member
- Joint Committee of SCC and DICC for Learning Enhancement Options chair
- North Central Accreditation Steering Committee
- Academic Freedom/Tenure Task Force member
- Academic Probation Task Force member
- Distance Education Committee member
He supports Doctors without Borders, Habitat For Humanity, Kemper Art Museum, Nelson-Atkins Art Museum and the Lyric Opera. Besides teaching, his passions include traveling, reading, playing the piano and "hanging out" with his wife Lisa. He is also a USA Swimming referee. He has two children, 14 and 18 years old.
Putting teaching aside for a while, he became vice chancellor in 2008. His goals: Continue to advance the quality of MCC's curriculum and instructional services, including distance education and traditional on-site classes, and increase the success rate of MCC students in developmental education. He will also focus on increasing assessment activities within the district. His philosophy: Get it done and have fun doing it.
Tuesday Stanley, vice chancellor of student development and enrollment management.
Tuesday Stanley came to MCC in 2006 from San Jacinto College in Pasadena, Texas where she had been the associate vice chancellor of marketing and enrollment management for the previous six years. While at San Jacinto, she oversaw a complete reorganization of the student development and enrollment management departments.
She created a one-stop enrollment center of each of the college's three campuses. Under her guidance, the college streamlined processes; created an enrollment services call center; unified technology and developed a system-wide recruitment and retention plan with emphasis on a diverse student population.
Stanley also served at Raritan Valley Community College from 1996-1999 as the executive director of marketing and recruitment.
Stanley has a doctorate of higher education management from the University of Pennsylvania, a master's degree in business administration from Lehigh University, and a bachelor's degree in advertising and communications from Purdue. She also earned certification from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and IEM program and the BMA School of Bank Marketing.
Stanley is a faculty member at the Snowmass Institute on Integrating Strategic Enrollment Management. She is a member of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers and the National Counsel for Marketing and Public Relations.
Joe Seabrooks, president, MCC-Blue River
Dr. Joseph Seabrooks, Jr. became MCC-Blue River president in October, 2007. Seabrooks came to MCC from the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville, where he was assistant vice chancellor for student affairs accountable for numerous departments including:
- Enhanced learning center
- First-year experience programs
- International students and scholars
- Off-campus connections office
- Student support services
- Office for non-traditional and commuter students
- Pre-college programs
Prior to that, Seabrooks served at the University of Missouri-Kansas City for more than a decade exhibiting a passion for student success and development. His positions there included:
- Executive director of diversity in action
- Director of minority student affairs
- Assistant director of alumni and constituent relations
- Instructor
He also led strategic initiatives that led UMKC to restructure the way it manages affirmative action.
Seabrooks completed his higher education at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, where be began as a student in 1989. During his undergraduate years, he was extremely active with the African American Student Union, sports (four-year basketball letterman) and student government. He earned four degrees: an interdisciplinary doctorate in urban leadership and policy studies and education administration, an education specialist and a master's degree higher education administration, and a bachelor's degree in psychology.
He has earned numerous leadership and achievement awards. He has also researched and lectured on the history and influence of Hip-Hop.
Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Seabrooks is a first-generation college graduate. He is the loving husband of Leslie Seabrooks and the father of a four-year-old son, Joseph Seabrooks, III.
Debbie Goodall, president, MCC-Business & Technology
When Debbie Goodall became interim BTC president in 2008, it was the latest in a series of rapid advancements at MCC since 1995. Those include:
1995: Marketing coordinator for MCC-Penn Valley, after coming to MCC from Pierce College in Tacoma, Washington.
1997: Marketing coordinator for the Regional Technical Education Council, which fueled a passion for championing technical education.
1998: Director of the Northwest Missouri Tech Prep Consortium, which coordinates the development and promotion of technical preparatory education.
2001: Director of the Career Education Consortium, an alliance of six school districts, MCC and the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, which is dedicated to improving and expanding career preparatory programming. She continued as director until she became interim BTC president.
2005: BTC dean of student development and community relations.
2006: MCC director of career and technical education. She also oversaw Project Lead the Way.
While interim BTC president, she will continue to serve as director of career and technical education for the district.
Goodall received a master's degree from Central Missouri State University in vocational, industrial and technical education and bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Colorado-Boulder, where she also studied speech pathology/audiology.
Her extensive resume includes numerous presentations at national conferences, experience as an instructor and advisor, and work with several committees and organizations. She speaks fluent Spanish - her early education was in Mexico City, Mexico - and loves to cook and garden. She and her husband live in Oak Grove.
Fred L. Grogan, president, MCC-Longview.
Dr. Grogan joined MCC in 1985, as the Dean of Instruction at MCC-Penn Valley, a post he held until 1989, when he became Dean of Student Development and Support Services at MCC-Longview. In 1998, Dr. Grogan was named to his current position as MCC-Longview's President.
In addition to his duties as President of MCC-Longview, Dr. Grogan is also Interim Vice Chancellor of Student Development for MCC.
Prior to coming to MCC, Dr. Grogan taught political science and served as Assistant Dean of the college at Lycoming College in Pennsylvania.
Dr. Grogan has a Bachelor's Degree in government from Bates College in Lewiston, Maine; a Master's Degree in political science from Arizona State University; and a Doctorate of Philosophy Degree in political Science from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He is a board member of the Lee's Summit Chamber of Commerce, Vice-Chair of the Lee's Summit Civic Roundtable, and board member of the Lee's Summit Symphony. He previously served 8 years on the Lee's Summit Planning Commission, including a term as Chairperson.
Merna S. Saliman, president, MCC-Maple Woods.
Saliman came to MCC in 1998 from Red Rocks Community College in Denver, Colo., where she served as vice president of instructional services for eight years. She also served as acting president and vice president of administrative services at the school. Prior to that, she held a variety of positions at her alma mater, Arapahoe Community College.
Those positions included director of the Women's Resource Center, coordinator of the Career Resource Center, affirmative action officer and dean of the humanities and social science division.
Saliman earned an associate's degree from Arapahoe Community College, a bachelor's degree in counseling from Loretto Heights College (both in the metro Denver area,) a master's degree in curriculum and instruction, and a doctorate degree in curriculum and instruction/ education leadership from the University of Northern Colorado, in Greeley, Colo.
Her community involvement includes: The Northland Chamber of Commerce; Clay County Economic Development Council; Platte County Economic Development Council; North Kansas City School District Community Partners Advisory Board; Northland Downtown Major Investment Study Advisory Committee; the Saint Luke's Northland Community Planning Committee and the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC), Chancellor's Advisory Board to the UMKC Women's Center.
She is also active in many higher education organizations including: the American Association of Community Colleges President's Academy; the American Association of Women in Community Colleges; the American Council on Education-The Network (ACE-NET), the Missouri Advisory Council; the American Council on Education-Office of Women in Higher Education; the Missouri Community College Association; and the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
Bernard Franklin, president, MCC-Penn Valley.
The Metropolitan Community College (MCC) selected Bernard Franklin, Ph.D. as the final candidate for the Penn Valley president position. Dr. Franklin began his position May 16, 2005.
MCC conducted a lengthy national search to fill the president's position but in the end found the best candidate for the job was right here in Kansas City. For the past three years, Dr. Franklin, 51, has served as the executive director of Kauffman Scholars, Inc., a comprehensive, multi-year initiative funded by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation to help low-income urban students in Kansas City prepare for and complete a college education.
Prior to joining Kauffman Scholars, Dr. Franklin served as the assistant to the president at Donnelly College. He also held several positions at Kansas State University including: adjunct professor of Leadership Studies, director of outreach, assistant dean of student life and director of leadership development programs. He has also had experience in higher education at Rollins College, in Winter Park, Fla., and at the University of Southern Alabama.