Lonnie L. Howard, Ph.D. Chancellor Candidate Forum Date: Wednesday, July 12 @ 1:00PM Campus Visit and In-Person Open Forum Schedules Open Forum Feedback Survey Chancellor Candidate Forum

Bio

Coming from a small (165 residents) southeast Texas town, Dr. Lonnie L. Howard’s story exemplifies the ‘community college mission’ and the American Dream. Born in poverty, a 1st generation student, placed in remedial classes, and not considered college material, Lonnie delayed enlisted in the military at age 17. After serving honorably (U.S. Army Sgt.), but lacking academic skills, his first civilian job was as a janitor. He had no reliable transportation, was almost homeless, and at times only ate a half can of sweet peas in the morning and the other half that evening.

Overcoming these challenges, Lonnie earned his first associate degree at age 36. However, less than 12 years later, he had a total of five college degrees: AAS, AGS, BS, MS, PhD (University of Texas at Austin/4.0 GPA), and completed executive training at Penn State, Harvard, and USC. Dr. Howard twice served as a College President/CEO, is only one of a few CEOs in the United States that has the expertise to move students through the entire higher ed pipeline (e.g., K12/ISD dual credit; community college; technical college; state college; university), and teaches/lectures five subject areas. He is respected by Texas House and Senate leadership, made over $100M in legislative “asks” in multiple states, and worked in Houston’s key economic sectors: manufacturing and energy (certified welder), Texas Medical Center (MD Anderson Cancer Center), and educational institutions (two-year and four-year).

As President/CEO of Lamar Institute of Technology (2016-2022), the college ranked near the top in Texas for graduate salaries ($46,700) and some earned $100,000 per year, had record-breaking enrollment (6-years in a row), and annually added 1,500 jobs to the local economy. With legislative and chancellor support, the college cut tuition by 47%. Stepping down to pursue new opportunities, the Texas State University System Board of Regents named a building “Dr. Lonnie L. Howard Technology Center” in his honor. Reporting directly to a Board of Trustees, as President/CEO of Clover Park Technical College, he led the college (under an outcomes-based funding model) to increase student success, developed new bachelor degrees, and fortified workforce partnerships. Actively engaged in the community, Dr. Howard has generated $21.5M in fundraising, given 102 speeches and presentations, and personally donated 22 presidential scholarships/gifts to help deserving students.