News & Updates
Achieving the Dream is pleased to announce the addition of two new members to its board of directors: Marcia Ballinger, Ph.D., president of Lorain County Community College (LCCC) in Ohio, and Shanna Jackson, Ed.D., president of Nashville State (Nashville State) Community College in Tennessee. Both were approved as directors by the board at its November meeting and will serve three-year terms. The ATD Board includes 12–15 members who bring experience as Network college presidents, business leaders, researchers, and policy makers, and four-year college leaders.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Marcia Ballinger and Dr. Shanna Jackson to the Achieving the Dream Board of Directors,” said Dr. Karen A. Stout, ATD’s president and CEO. “Both are highly accomplished presidents of ATD Network colleges who have demonstrated great leadership at their respective institutions in incorporating ATD tools and resources into their student success work. They will be invaluable additions to the ATD Board.”
The sentiment was echoed by ATD Board Chair Dr. Gregory D. Williams, who noted, “Dr. Marcia Ballinger and Dr. Shanna Jackson bring a wealth of experience and insight to our board. Their engagement with ATD as Network college presidents have produced transformative outcomes for students and communities in Ohio and Tennessee. I know I speak for the entire board when I say that we are excited to collaborate with them and benefit from their expertise as we steer Achieving the Dream forward.”
Ballinger has served as president of LCCC since 2016 and led the college to its receipt in 2020 of the Leah Meyer Austin Award, the highest honor bestowed to ATD Network colleges. At the college, Ballinger has prioritized student success, equity, economic and workforce development, strategic planning, and institutional advancement, leading LCCC to be widely recognized as a trailblazer among community colleges. Passionate about empowering a thriving community, Ballinger helped lead the establishment of OhioTech Net, a consortium of Ohio’s community colleges and five public universities collaborating to advance Ohio’s manufacturing workforce strategies. She also played a crucial role in positioning LCCC at the forefront of the burgeoning semiconductor industry in Ohio as a key player in talent development.
Jackson has been president of Nashville State since 2018, the year that the institution became an ATD Network college. Under her leadership, the college embarked on extensive work with ATD, refining its vision for student success, creating the institution’s first student success center, and implementing a new advising model — efforts rewarded with the Advising Success Network’s Student Choice Award. Jackson is a two-time Aspen Institute College Excellence Presidential Fellow, completing the inaugural New Presidents Fellowship in 2021 and the Aspiring Presidents Fellowship in 2019. A strong believer in community engagement, she serves on the boards of several local and state organizations as well as the American Association for Women in Community Colleges and COMBASE. In 2023, she was recognized as a “Most Admired CEO” by the Nashville Business Journal.
Ballinger and Jackson join the ATD board as longtime board member, Pam Eddinger, Ph.D., newly conferred with emerita status, steps down from her position due to term limits. President of Bunker Hill Community College, Eddinger has served on the ATD board since 2016, including as board chair, and, according to Stout, will be sorely missed. “Dr. Eddinger’s contributions to Achieving the Dream cannot be overstated,” remarked Stout. “Her expertise, thoughtful guidance, and unwavering dedication have left an indelible mark on this organization and on the student success movement at large. I am immensely grateful for her years of service.”