CCCS - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• General Counsel
• General Counsel Bio

Biography Angie Gramse is the General Counsel for the Colorado Community College System (CCCS) and serves on its executive leadership team. She began her career with the System Office in 2006 as an associate legal counsel, rising to General Counsel in March 2018. Prior to joining the System Office, Angie was an admissions counselor at the Community College of Aurora. There, she fell in love with the mission of CCCS and decided to dedicate her career to higher education law. Angie earned her law degree in 2005 from Washburn University School of Law in Topeka, Kansas, where she was Vice President of the Moot Court Council and participated in a summer study program in London, England. Born and raised in Aurora, Colorado, Angie holds a bachelor's degree in English and International Business from University of Iowa, where she was captain of the women's gymnastics team. Angie made the Academic All-Big Ten team from 1997-2000 and was a member of the U.S. National Team in 1994 and 1995.

Job Titles:

• Chief Human Resources Officer
• Chief Human Resources Officer ( CHRO )
• Chief Human Resources Officer Bio

Biography Christina Cecil is the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) for the Colorado Community College System (CCCS), which she joined in 2010 as the Assistant Director for Human Resources. As CHRO, Christina provides vision, leadership, and management of people and payroll operations to implement strategies that foster a responsive, diverse, and innovative environment that supports employees and colleges in advancing the CCCS mission. Christina brings expertise in the application of the scientific study of working to workplace matters facing individuals and the organization with expertise in organizational assessment and development, succession planning, selection, policy design, and HR analytics. She has championed streamlined operations and supports continuous improvement to increase efficiencies and enhance performance. Christina holds a master's degree in industrial/organizational psychology, which influences her investigative and data driven approach to workplace issues facing individuals, teams and organizations. In her free time, Christina enjoys travelling and experiencing different cultures and cuisine with her husband and spending time in nature with her dogs.

Job Titles:

• Chief Strategy Officer
• Executive
• Vice Chancellor
• Executive Vice Chancellor Bio

Biography Diane Duffy is the Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Strategy Officer for the Colorado Community College System (CCCS), which she joined in November 2018. In this role, she oversees System Office operations and is responsible for facilitating and tracking development, movement, and progress on CCCS strategic priorities and initiatives, as well as the overall effectiveness and efficiency of all CCCS operations. Prior to her role at CCCS, Diane worked as Business Services Director for the Graduate School at the University of Colorado Denver | Anschutz Medical Campus. Previously, she served nearly four years at the Colorado Department of Higher Education-first as chief financial officer, then chief operating officer and interim executive director. From 2006 to 2014, she served as Vice President of Finance and Administration for the Kansas Board of Regents, a governing board for the state universities and coordinating body for the 19 community colleges and six technical colleges in Kansas. Before working in postsecondary education, Diane was deputy secretary for the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services. She began her career as a non-partisan staffer for the Kansas Legislature. Diane holds a bachelor's degree from the University of South Dakota and a juris doctorate from the University of Kansas.

Job Titles:

• Vice Chancellor for Academic & Student Affairs Bio

Job Titles:

• Member of the System Office Senior Leadership Team
• Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Equity & Inclusion Bio
• Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Equity & Inclusion

Biography Dr. Ryan E. Ross joined CCCS in 2018 and serves as the Associate Vice Chancellor Student Affairs, Equity & Inclusion. In his role, he leads comprehensive planning and support for student success initiatives, including strategic enrollment management, student financial aid programs, and student development functions. He coordinates the system's Equity & Inclusion Council and works closely with college vice presidents to advance EDI initiatives, including teaching and learning excellence. A "role model for inclusiveness," Ryan and has earned many recognitions from organizations such as The Denver Business Journal, the City of Denver, and Colorado's Martin Luther King Jr. Commission, among others. He currently sits on the board of directors for the Denver Botanic Gardens, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc., and the National Western Stock Show's Denver Scholarship program. Ryan holds a bachelor's degree from Nebraska Wesleyan University, a master's degree from Colorado State University, and a doctoral degree from the University of Colorado Denver. He lives by the motto, "Achievement waits ahead, so never look back!"

Job Titles:

• Member of the System Office Senior Leadership Team
• Associate Vice Chancellor for Career & Technical Education
• Associate Vice Chancellor for Career & Technical Education Bio

Biography Dr. Sarah Heath is CCCS' Associate Vice Chancellor for Career and Technical Education (CTE) and State Director for Career and Technical Education. In her current position, she leads oversight of all secondary and postsecondary CTE programs in the state, which train more than 208,000 students every year in fields as diverse as healthcare, construction, and aviation. CCCS is the only community college system in the country that manages and approves all levels of CTE funded by Federal Perkins dollars. Sarah has dedicated her career to advancing CTE, first as a high school business and computer science teacher, then as a state program director and local system administrator. Improving and increasing opportunities for workforce education and preparation is her life's passion; she served as the national president of the Association for Career and Technical Education and continues to advocate for CTE on a state, regional, and national level. In 2023, Sarah was named Equity Champion (CTE) by the Colorado Association for Career & Technical Administrators, a branch of the Colorado Association for Career and Technical Education. A proud "Triple Dawg," Sarah has a bachelor's, master, and doctoral degree from the University of Georgia.

Job Titles:

• Member of the System Office Senior Leadership Team
• Associate Vice Chancellor for CCCOnline & Academic Affairs Bio

Job Titles:

• Chief Communications Officer & Legislative Liaison
• Chief Communications Officer & Legislative Liaison Bio
• State Representative for the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations

Biography Fiona Lytle oversees the Office of Public and Legislative Affairs. Under the public affairs umbrella, she manages public and media relations, strategic communications, marketing, and the digital and online presence for the CCCS System Office. Under government affairs, she manages the System's legislative initiatives, strategies, and relations with members of the Colorado General Assembly and United States Congress. She brings more than 15 years of experience developing and managing successful community and marketing initiatives in academic, government, business, and non-profit settings. Before joining CCCS in July 2017, Fiona supported external affairs efforts at Aera Energy, California's second-largest oil and gas producer. Before that, she served as the research analyst and marketing specialist for the Kern Economic Development Corporation (KEDC), a public-private partnership promoting the diversification of the community's economic base. She has also worked in the California Community College System as an instructor and program coordinator for the Kern Community College District's Clean Energy Center and the Business & Entrepreneurship Center. Fiona currently serves as the state representative for the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations (NCMPR) and was named their Communicator of the Year in 2023. Fiona holds a B.S. in biological sciences and M.A. in higher education administration from the University of the Pacific from which she graduated Phi Beta Kappa.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Leadership Team
• Chief Development Officer & Foundation Executive Director Bio
• Chief Development Officer and Executive Director of the Foundation for Colorado Community

Adam Cermak is the Chief Development Officer and Executive Director of the Foundation for Colorado Community Colleges. Under Adam's leadership, the Foundation has more than tripled its annual fundraising while growing its endowment from $600,000 to $6 million. Beyond fundraising, Adam provides strategic counsel, professional development, and board development training for the Colorado Community College System's 13 college Presidents, foundation executive directors, and foundation boards to maximize fundraising opportunities and results. In 2017, the System announced the successful completion of a $10 million scholarship campaign, surpassing $26 million for scholarships and an additional $10 million for other priorities. Since then, fundraising across the system has increased by 300%. Prior to joining the Foundation for Colorado Community Colleges, Adam served as a Senior Consultant for Dini Spheris, a leading national consulting firm where he worked with clients from multibillion dollar hospital systems to million-dollar non-profits. He also served as Deputy Vice Chancellor and Chief of Staff for University Advancement at the University of Denver in support of the university's $600 million capital campaign. Currently Adam is a board member of the Adirondack Camp Scholarship Fund and board member and treasurer of the Colorado Garden Foundation. In addition, Adam has served as a mentor for the Institute for Leaders in Development Program. Adam graduated from Lafayette College with an undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering. He received a master's degree in Student Personnel Administration from Columbia University and an MBA from the University of Buffalo. He and his wife Melissa live in Highlands Ranch, Colorado with their two sons, Aiden and Carter.

Job Titles:

• Chancellor
• Chancellor Bio
• Chancellor of the Colorado Community

Joe Garcia brings demonstrated leadership and commitment to advancing higher education initiatives and access to the Colorado Community College System. Community colleges support a diverse range of students: refugees, working parents, career-changers, and learners who aren't sure of their next steps. CCCS Chancellor Garcia was one of the latter, taking introductory law classes at a local community college in Virginia while working as a truck driver. The experience launched his career as an attorney and sparked a lifelong mission to improve higher education access and outcomes. "My involvement with the United Mexican American Students organization at the University of Colorado, and with the Chicano law student organization at Harvard Law School, energized and motivated me as a student while also helping me develop an interest in and focus on equity and representation in postsecondary institutions," he writes in this reflection. "That interest has never waned." Joe Garcia is the Chancellor of the Colorado Community College System (CCCS). As CCCS Chancellor, Garcia leads the state's largest system of higher education, which serves over 113,000 students annually at 13 colleges and 35 locations across Colorado. Garcia brings demonstrated leadership and commitment to advancing higher education initiatives and access through various roles in both the public sector and in higher education. He currently serves on the boards for Complete College America, Delta Dental of Colorado, the Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation, the Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative, the Colorado Workforce Development Council, the Business Experiential Learning Commission, and the Denver Foundation. Prior to his role at CCCS, Garcia served two years as President of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education ("WICHE") from June 2016 to June 2018. WICHE is an interstate compact created to provide access to, and improve the quality of, higher education opportunities for residents of the western United States. From 2011 to 2016, he served as the Lt. Governor of Colorado and as the Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Higher Education. During his time as Lt. Governor, Garcia focused on increasing equity in outcomes for all students, particularly those from low income backgrounds and communities of color. For nearly a decade, Garcia served as President at both a four-year and two-year institution. From 2006 to 2010, he was President of Colorado State University-Pueblo, which was named the 2008 Outstanding Member Institution by the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities. Under his leadership, CSU-P saw enrollment increase dramatically, as well as, public-private partnerships and private funding. Garcia also raised private funds to build a stadium and start a football program that won the NCAA Division II National Championship in its 7th year in existence. From 2001 to 2006, Garcia was President of Pikes Peak Community College, Colorado's second largest community college. During his time at PPCC, he was twice recognized as President of the Year by Colorado students and several minority and student focused organizations, such as the NAACP and Phi Theta Kappa. Garcia's previous public service positions included serving as a member of the Cabinet of Governor Roy Romer and as a White House appointee under President Bill Clinton. He was the first Hispanic partner in the 100-year history of Denver based Holme Roberts & Owen where he focused on public education law. Garcia earned his Juris Doctorate (1983) and completed the John F. Kennedy School of Government program at Harvard University, and received his Bachelor of Science in International Business (1979) from University of Colorado at Boulder. Garcia has four grown children and is married to Dr. Claire Oberon Garcia, faculty at Colorado College. As CCCS Chancellor, Joe Garcia leads the state's largest system of higher education, 39% of undergraduate students in Colorado attend CCCS colleges

Job Titles:

• Vice Chancellor for Information Technologies & Chief Information Officer

Job Titles:

• Member of the System Office Senior Leadership Team
• Chief Technology Officer & Deputy Chief Information Officer

Job Titles:

• Vice Chancellor for Finance & Administration Bio

Job Titles:

• Member of the System Office Senior Leadership Team
• Associate Vice Chancellor for Workforce Partnerships & Development
• Associate Vice Chancellor for Workforce Partnerships & Development Bio

Biography Michael Macklin joined CCCS in 2018 and serves as the Associate Vice Chancellor for Workforce Partnerships & Development. In his role, he works to coordinate academic affairs and workforce development initiatives across CCCS, interfacing with state agencies, philanthropic organizations, colleges, and corporate partners. His current efforts are focused on the intersection of business and education, overseeing career-connected learning opportunities, apprenticeships, and customized workforce training that upskills new and incumbent workers. Prior to joining CCCS, Michael spent ten years at Colorado State University. He started his career in student affairs as a graduate program recruiter and moved to academic affairs in online and professional education as the Director of Professional and Noncredit Programs, where he launched Colorado State University's digital badge program. Michael holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Colorado State University and a master's degree from Colorado State University Global in organizational leadership and change management.