ICCTA Advocacy Award

2007 Recipient
Dr. Keith Miller
Black Hawk College

Dr. Keith Miller has led Black Hawk College as president since 2000. This year he has also chaired the Illinois Presidents Council.

His term has been dominated by significant issues affecting all Illinois community colleges, including protection of local board autonomy, the preservation of state-supported student financial aid; increased state funding for community colleges; and full funding of Illinois Veterans Grants.

Miller has also been effective in reaching out to potential advocacy partners. For the past year, he has taken the community college message to the Illinois Board of Higher Education as a member of its presidents' advisory committee.

Dr. Keith Miller accepts ICCTA's 2007 Advocacy Award.

Dr. Keith Miller accepts
ICCTA's 2007 Advocacy Award.

This spring he was chosen by his peers to serve as chair-elect of the American Association of Community Colleges – the first Illinois president to hold that office since 1983. He will assume the presidency of the national organization in July 2008.

Miller says that community colleges have been active in engaging with government officials, business leaders, education advocates and the public. But with renewed efforts by federal and state governments to improve higher education, community colleges should strive to take the lead in those initiatives.

"We have a seat at the table. Now we need to move to the head of the table. We have the expertise and the ability to do so," he says.


For additional information on ICCTA's Advocacy Award, please contact Kim Villanueva at 1-800-454-2282, ext. 1.