This year marked my fourth year attending the Forum for Excellence. As part of the Office of Community College Research and Leadership (OCCRL) staff, I consider the Forum a priority event and, in many ways, a reminder that summer is over and the new academic year is in full swing.
This year's conference was held at the Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in Normal, Illinois, on September 9 and 10, 2026. The annual day-and-a-half professional development conference focuses on career and technical education and is sponsored by the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) and hosted by the Illinois Center for Specialized Professional Support (ICSPS).
Coffee and Reflection
I began Wednesday's proceedings with a warm cup of coffee and a respite from the coming rainstorm as keynote speaker Jackson Kerchis invited attendees to reflect on happiness as a habit of high-performing professionals. Kerchis' presentation set the tone for the day, reminding me to slow down and remember why I do this work in the first place: to support the growth of community colleges across Illinois.
Sharing the ICCLI Journey
Later that day, OCCRL Director Lorenzo Baber and I presented a workshop, “Leading as a Journey: Lessons from the Illinois Community College Leadership Institute (ICCLI).” The room was packed, and I quickly ran out of handouts despite bringing 30 copies. Fortunately, attendees were happy to share.
The one-hour session focused on the evolution of ICCLI over the past four years. The institute's origins can be traced to Dr. Larry Ebbers of Iowa State University, who mentored our own Dr. Baber during his early career. Recognizing the need for diverse leadership within community colleges, Ebbers developed a "Grow Your Own" model based on the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) Competencies for community college professionals. Dr. Baber saw the potential of bringing that work to Illinois and entrusted me with developing ICCLI to meet the needs of aspiring community college leaders.
ICCLI began in the spring of 2023 with 27 attendees nominated by presidents from Illinois' 48 public community colleges. Since then, participants have engaged in topics such as organizational culture, governance and policy, and student access and success through presentations led by scholars and practitioners from across the field. Today, ICCLI includes an annual in-person conference, a virtual fall conference, and a quarterly podcast that extends the learning throughout the year.
During the presentation, I took a moment to celebrate several alumni and their accomplishments: Brianna Dark-McClay (2023 cohort), Joe Bergman (2023 cohort), and Amy Tarr (2024 cohort), all of whom have advanced into new leadership roles since participating in the institute. While I cannot take credit for their success, their upward trajectory demonstrates the "Grow Your Own" model in action. Before closing the session, we reflected as a group on our familiarity with the AACC competencies and shared our leadership goals.
Research and Collaboration on Day Two
Day two of the Forum began much like the first. As rain poured outside, my colleagues Yasamin Khoshpour, Hanna Kim, Oliver Ding, and I rushed inside to prepare for another day of presentations. Together, we presented “Advancing Developmental Education Reform: Lessons from DERA Implementation in Illinois Community Colleges.” Despite being scheduled for only 30 minutes, the session drew more than 25 attendees into a small room.
As a team, we shared our ICCB-supported research and explored both the challenges and successes colleges have experienced since the Developmental Education Reform Act (DERA) was passed in 2021.
Centering Adult Learners
Following our session, we attended the “Centering Adult Learners in Career and Technical Education: Insights from the PATH Initiative” talk by Dr. Gianina Baker, Aidana Sirgebayeva, and Oliver Ding. By that point, conference attendance had begun to taper off, but the value of the sessions had not.
Sirgebayeva and Ding focused on the experiences of adult learners pursuing healthcare pathways, particularly those balancing caregiving responsibilities alongside their education. As the mother of a toddler, I found myself nodding vigorously in agreement with their call for stronger wraparound support services for students.
Looking Ahead
Overall, Forum for Excellence 2026 felt like a step forward. The conference brought fresh energy, new ideas, and meaningful conversations to the ongoing work of community college research, leadership, and student success. I left feeling inspired by both the progress already underway and the opportunities that lie ahead for Illinois community colleges.
Read a Voices & Viewpoints experience from the 2015 Forum for Excellence by Jacqueline Rodriguez and Edmund Graham.