NCCEP Board Members

Héctor Garza, Ed.D, M.P.H.
President, NCCEP

Dr. Héctor Garza serves as the founding president of the National Council for Community and Education Partnerships (NCCEP). NCCEP is a national non-profit organization dedicated to the principle that every child deserves an equal chance at obtaining a good-quality higher education. NCCEP's goal is to bring together colleges and universities with local schools, parent groups, government agencies, foundations, corporations, and community-based organizations to work collaboratively to improve student achievement and expand educational opportunities for all of America's children.

Peter A. Dual, Ph.D., M.P.H., founding board chair and current member of the Board of Directors, has served NCCEP for eight years. Dr. Dual currently serves as a consultant with the Center for Academic Enrichment and Outreach at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The Center provides support services and outreach for TRIO and GEAR-UP programs throughout the Las Vegas Region. Dr. Dual's experiences in education and community have been recognized by distinguished alumnus awards from Lake Michigan College, Michigan State University College of Education, the San Diego Board of County Commissioners and the American Public Health Association.

Mildred García, Ed.D., is the seventh president of California State University, Dominguez Hills and the eleventh female president—the first Latina president—in the California State University system. With a strong commitment to equitable access in higher education for all and with more than three decades of teaching and administrative experience, Dr. García took the helm as President on August 1, 2007 and is poised to lead the highly diverse faculty, staff and student body at CSU Dominguez Hills. President García brings with her a commitment to multicultural alliances and believes that these coalitions strengthen not only an individual's self-development and opportunities, but also strengthen institutions and communities. She serves on a variety of advisory boards and is a founding board member for NCCEP.

Laura I. Rendón, Ph.D.
Chair

Laura I. Rendón is Professor and Chair of the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies atIowa State University, College of Human Sciences. Dr. Rendón was previously the Veffie Milstead Jones Endowed Chair in the College of Education at California State University-Long Beach. Her current research focuses on access, retention and graduation of low-income, first-generation students and the transformation of teaching and learning addressing intellectual, social, emotional and spiritual student development. Dr. Rendón has been a fellow of the Fetzer Institute, and she has directed research projects funded by the Ford Foundation and the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education. Dr. Rendón is Chair of the Board of Directors for the National Council for Community and Education Partnerships.