The Aspen Institute (Aspen) announced that Dr. Lorelei (Lore) Konopka at Glendale Community College (GCC), is one of 40 outstanding leaders from across the country for the 2026-27 Aspen Rising Presidents Fellowship. Chosen from a competitive pool of more than 125 applicants, these 40 executive and senior community college leaders were chosen for their potential to enact major reforms that deliver much stronger results for students.
Dr. Konopka is Vice President of Academic Affairs where she leads academic programs and support services to advance student success, institutional effectiveness, and innovative teaching and learning. Prior to that she was Interim VPAA from September 2022 to May 2024, at which time she was promoted to her current position after a nationwide search. Previous to the VPAA role, she was the Senior Associate Vice President of GCC North and Institutional Effectiveness. In her time at GCC Dr. Konopka has held leadership roles as Interim Dean of Instruction and the GCC Accreditation Liaison Officer for the Higher Learning Commission.
Dr. Konopka originally joined GCC as an adjunct faculty member in 2017. Before coming to Maricopa County Community College District, she was a psychology faculty member and Department Chair at Triton Community College in River Grove, Illinois. Dr. Konopka has over 20 years of higher education leadership experience.
She holds a Doctor of Education in Higher Education and Organizational Change from Benedictine University, a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Colorado Denver, a certification in Online Instruction from the University of Illinois Chicago, and a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Loyola University Chicago.
Aspen Fellows are chosen based on their commitment to improving student success and advancing economic mobility, their readiness to lead major student-success reforms, and the likelihood that they will assume a college presidency within five years of completing the program. The selected fellows come from 20 states and a wide range of institutions—from small rural colleges to large urban campuses—bringing diverse perspectives and experiences to the fellowship. They join a vibrant network of over 500 peers—including over 215 sitting presidents—who are leading colleges that help more students finish college, transfer to four-year institutions, and secure good jobs.
“Lore is an outstanding choice to become an Aspen Rising Presidents Fellow. Her drive, passion, intelligence have had a transformational impact on GCC. I am excited for what she will experience over the next year, and how it will benefit the students we serve.” Stated Dr. Tiffany Hernandez, President of Glendale Community College.
Aspen’s research on high-performing community colleges has consistently shown that high and improving levels of student success are much more likely when an exceptional president is leading the community college. For that reason, Aspen has been working to help prepare a new generation of transformational community college leaders through this program. Over the coming year, these fellows will:
- Deeply examine data on available jobs in their community and student outcomes at their colleges
- Learn about transformational models from 15 years of Aspen Prize research into colleges with high and improving levels of student success through the Aspen Prize process
- Receive coaching and feedback from accomplished college leaders, including sitting and retired presidents who have led transformational reforms
- Devise a concept for major reform strategy at their institution, receiving critical feedback from peers and experts along the way
Glendale Community College offers a bachelor’s degree, 41 associate’s degrees, 61 certificate programs, along with a range of non-degree and community education courses, all available to students in traditional, online and hybrid formats. Founded in 1965 to serve the northwestern part of the greater Phoenix metropolitan area, GCC is part of the Maricopa County Community Colleges District, has two campuses and enrolls approximately 26,000 students annually, and employs over 1,000 resident faculty, adjunct faculty, staff, and administrators with an operational budget of $83 million. For more information, visit gccaz.edu
The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization whose purpose is to ignite human potential to build understanding and create new possibilities for a better world. Founded in 1949, the Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve society’s greatest challenges. It is headquartered in Washington, DC and has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, as well as an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.
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GCC Media contact: John Heckenlaible, (623) 845-3809, [email protected].