The Harper College Board of Trustees approved the selection of Dr. Avis Proctor as
its next College President by unanimous vote on Wednesday, Feb. 13, at the Committee
of the Whole meeting.
Dr. Proctor will become the sixth President of Harper College on July 1, 2019, succeeding Dr. Ken Ender, who is ending his 10-year tenure at the institution on June 30. The Board of Trustees approved a three-year contract for Dr. Proctor at an annual salary of $305,000. Proctor currently serves as Broward College's North Campus President in Coconut Creek, Florida.
“I am honored to serve as Harper College’s next President, and I am grateful to the Board of Trustees for the opportunity to serve our community to achieve academic, social, and economic progress through higher education,” Dr. Proctor said. “I look forward to collaborating with our faculty and staff to help our students succeed.”
Dr. Proctor has 25 years of experience working in multicultural environments as an innovative mathematics educator and academic administrator with a focus on teaching, service, and research. As a higher education scholar and an Aspen Presidential Fellow, Dr. Proctor contributes to the professional discourse from local to global levels on progressive leadership in higher education, research-based instructional strategies, strategic community engagement, economic development, and the STEM pipeline for underrepresented groups.
Harper College began its comprehensive national search for Dr. Ender’s replacement in September 2018. Pat Stack, Vice Chair of the Harper College Board of Trustees, and Diane Hill, Board of Trustees, led the Presidential Search Advisory Committee, which included members of the Harper College Educational Foundation, faculty and staff, union leadership, and members of the community.
“We are grateful to the search committee for their tremendous effort assisting the Board in identifying the finalists that were interviewed by the Board,” Chair Greg Dowell said. “In making this selection of Dr. Proctor as our next President, the Board of Trustees is confident that Dr. Proctor will continue our rich history of quality education and will build on the excellent leadership that Dr. Ender has provided. She will guide us as we continue the important work on student success initiatives and providing meaningful learning and career training opportunities for our community.”
Dr. Proctor believes in working closely with local school districts, the business community, and higher education institutions. She has provided collaborative leadership for early childhood education, dual enrollment, and college readiness/completion initiatives which have gained national attention. Her work at previous institutions has included expanding articulation, internship, and employment opportunities to enhance student-employer connections for current students as well as alumni.
Dr. Proctor earned her bachelor’s degree in Mathematics Education at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, a Master of Science in Teaching Mathematics at Florida Atlantic University, and her Doctorate in Higher Education at Florida International University. Dr. Proctor and her husband, Cosey Proctor, Jr., are the proud parents of one son.
