Jairo McMican (Hi-rrow Mac-Mee-Kan) brings more than 20 years of experience in higher education, partnering with colleges, universities, and community leaders nationwide to strengthen student success, institutional effectiveness, workforce readiness, and organizational transformation.
Throughout his career, Jairo has held leadership roles spanning admissions, advising, enrollment management, academic affairs, college access, workforce development, and statewide policy initiatives. His experience spans community colleges, universities, statewide organizations, and national initiatives, giving him a unique perspective on how institutions turn ideas into measurable impact. Prior to joining ATD, he served as Dean of College Access Services at Central Carolina Community College and Director of Pathways and Student Success Initiatives for the North Carolina Student Success Center.
A nationally recognized speaker, author, and strategist, Jairo helps institutional leaders translate vision into action through strategic planning, systems redesign, data-informed decision making, and emerging technologies. He is a founding member of ATD’s AI Implementation Team and has contributed to national conversations on leadership, advising, enrollment strategy, and educational innovation through publications, keynote presentations, and professional service.
Jairo is immediate past chair of the North Carolina Education and Workforce Innovation Commission and chair of NACADA’s Education Advisory Board. He also serves on AACRAO’s Strategic Enrollment Management Quarterly (SEMQ) editorial board and is a graduate of the Latinxed Fellowship.
Education:
Ed.D. (Adult and Community College Education) | North Carolina State University
M.S. (Strategic Leadership) | Mountain State University
B.S. (Psychology) | South Carolina State University
Past Experience:
Dean of College Access Services | Central Carolina Community College
Director of Equity and Pathways | North Carolina Student Success Center
Dean of Student Learning | Central Carolina Community College
Director of Advising and Admissions | Durham Technical Community College
How has education changed your life/your family?
As a first-generation college graduate, education changed not just my life but my entire family’s future. After seeing me graduate, other relatives felt inspired to pursue their degrees too. Today, I use education’s transformative power in two ways: connecting people to others who can guide them and helping people find the resources they need to succeed. Every connection made and every resource shared continues my family’s legacy of educational achievement.