WHEREAS, Achieving the Dream, with grateful appreciation, does hereby acknowledge, commend, and honor the more than decade-long distinguished service of Dr. Karen A. Stout as president and CEO of Achieving the Dream; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Karen A. Stout has earned national recognition as one of the most influential and innovative leaders in American higher education, shaping the community college movement for more than three decades; and
WHEREAS, her distinguished contributions have been honored with some of the field’s highest accolades, including the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) Leadership Award and induction into the AACC Hall of Fame (2022), recognition by the American Association for Women in Community Colleges as Woman of the Year (2017), selection by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education as a Leading Woman (2018), and designation by Washington Monthly as one of the nation’s 16 Most Innovative Higher Education Leaders (2016); and
WHEREAS, Dr. Stout has further been named to Washingtonian’s 500 Most Influential People (2023), recognized as one of EdTech’s 30 Higher Education IT Influencers (2023), awarded the prestigious Robert Zemsky Medal for Innovation in Higher Education, and granted honorary degrees from Miami Dade College and Montgomery County Community College; and
WHEREAS, her leadership extends nationally through service as chair of the Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research Advisory Board at NC State University, co-chair of the University of Maryland Global Campus Doctorate of Management Advisory Board, and member of the Common App Board of Directors, the College Promise National Advisory Board, and the Community College Research Center Advisory Board; and
WHEREAS, in recognition of her national impact, Dr. Stout was nominated by President Joseph R. Biden and confirmed by the United States Senate in 2022 to serve a six-year term on the National Council on the Humanities; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Stout has been a sought-after mentor and presenter for the Aspen Rising Presidents Fellowship, the Aspen New Presidents Fellowship, and the League for Innovation Executive Leadership Institute, shaping and strengthening generations of community college leaders across the country; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Stout has tirelessly led Achieving the Dream with integrity and consequential purpose, developing a team of exceptional leaders and fostering an entrepreneurial, mission-driven culture that transformed the organization from a nascent nonprofit into a dynamic national force for student success; and
WHEREAS, under her leadership, Achieving the Dream not only sustained but expanded its network and national influence during the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrating resilience, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to equity; and
WHEREAS, during Dr. Stout’s tenure, Achieving the Dream strengthened its performance, reputation, and thought-leadership capacity, culminating in a transformative $20 million gift from MacKenzie Scott, which has enabled the organization to expand operational capacity, advance equity-minded reform, and welcome small and resource-challenged colleges, serving high proportions of poverty-impacted students, into the Achieving the Dream Network; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Stout has forged deep and authentic relationships with presidents and leaders across the Achieving the Dream Network, visiting campuses across the nation, serving as an ATD coach, and convening presidents annually to discuss emerging challenges, innovations, and opportunities to advance student success; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Stout’s work has been guided throughout by her enduring principle of “putting the student in the center of the room,” leading to the creation and elevation of the DREAM Scholars program, amplifying the voices of students historically underserved by higher education, and ensuring that programs and supports exist to enable students, their families, and their communities to thrive,
THEREFORE, LET IT BE RESOLVED that the Achieving the Dream Board of Directors confers upon Dr. Karen A. Stout the designation of President Emerita of Achieving the Dream in recognition of her outstanding and distinguished service in leading Achieving the Dream in the attainment of its mission.
On this day, March 4, 2026
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Suzanne Elise Walsh, J.D.
Chair, Board of Directors