Dr. Lisa
Stich

Dr. Stich has a passion for the community college mission, student access, equity and success, and data-informed organizational systems that promote dialogue, transparency, and collaboration. Prior to ATD, she was a senior specialist of data partnerships at the National Student Clearinghouse. In that role, Lisa helped institutions adopt and use the Postsecondary Data Partnership (PDP) to mobilize equity and student success in collaboration with partners and grantors, including ATD. Previously, in her career in community colleges for 30 years, she served as faculty member, institutional effectiveness and assessment specialist, dean, and vice president of academic and student affairs.

Throughout, she has been active at national and local levels and was an Aspen Presidential Fellow for Community College Excellence in 2018–19. Lisa served as president of the board of the National Council of Instructional Administrators, director on the board of the American Association for Women in Community Colleges, and member of the Michigan Community College Advisory Board for Student Success. She locally served on the inaugural board of the Gateway to Success Charter Academy, board of the local College Access Network, Food Bank board, and chamber ambassador. She was a peer reviewer for the Higher Learning Commission and a grant reviewer for the Department of Labor.

How has education changed your life?

I am privileged in that education was always a “where” rather than an “if” for me. I was an extremely shy and introverted child in a big school system. Going to a small college where I could not hide taught me the confidence to write effectively and to speak up for myself and others and set the tone for my adult life. Finishing my master’s and Ph.D. while working full time, and my Ph.D. while also a mom, taught me time management and great empathy for students for whom school is but one piece of their life.