2026 NCBAA AWARDS

NCBAA LEGACY AWARD

Dr. Christine Johnson McPhail

“Dr. McPhail has served in numerous faculty and executive leadership positions in colleges and universities throughout the United States,” the bio states. “She has trained hundreds of emerging and executive leaders helping them accomplish their leadership career aspirations.” 

McPhail broke barriers throughout her storied career. She became the first woman and the first African American to serve as president of Cypress College in southern California, a milestone that signaled not just her individual achievement, but a broader opening of doors for women and leaders of color in higher education. Later, in 1998, she founded the Community College Leadership Doctoral Program (CCLDP) at Morgan State University, a historically Black college and university, cementing her legacy as an institution-builder. She also is the author of numerous leadership books and articles.

In 2010, Dr. Johnson McPhail was recognized by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) at their 90th annual convention. 

“Dr. McPhail has labored for decades at the nexus of practice, research and policy in community college education,” Dr. George Boggs, then-president of AACC said at the time. “Her stellar efforts have opened doors to higher education for thousands of students, but her work has especially benefited African-American, Latino and Mexican-American students.” 

The Dr. Marian C. Shivers Mentor Award

Dr. DeRionne Pollard

Dr. DeRionne Pollard was named president and CEO of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) in July of 2025. Her passion for higher education has driven her leadership in several roles, most recently as the president of Nevada State University, Montgomery College (MD), and Las Positas College (CA). 

Dr. Pollard’s career in higher education began in the classroom teaching English and she remains deeply committed to life-long learning for her students and herself. A student-centered ethos is at the core of her leadership, and she is a champion for access, fairness, and opportunity for all. Throughout her career, Dr. Pollard’s vision has been grounded in a belief that higher education is a pillar of economic mobility and community strength. 

Dr. Pollard’s experience in the higher education sector is rich, having served on the American Association of Community Colleges’ 21st Century Commission on the Future of Community Colleges, the Commission on Academic, Student, and Community Development, and the Board of Directors. Dr. Pollard is a member of the National Board of Directors and Executive Committee for Generation Hope, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the success of teen parents and parenting college students. 

Dr. Pollard was named one of Washington’s 100 Most Powerful Women by Washingtonian Magazine, won a 2017 Academic Leadership Award from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, and a Visionary Award from the Washington Area Women’s Foundation. She holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in English from lowa State University and a Ph.D. in educational leadership and policy studies in higher education from Loyola University Chicago. Dr. Pollard is the first woman to be named president and CEO of AACC and now serves as the nation’s leading advocate for community colleges 

LEADERSHIP AWARD

The Leadership Award is selected by the board from nominations received throughout the year. This award recognizes the contributions of an active member of the organization who’s efforts support the national organization or one of the regions. The individual embodies the NCBAA spirit and inspires new members to become affiliated with NCBAA and ongoing members to remain steadfast to their commitment to our organization.

Dr. Quintin Bullock

Dr. Quintin B. Bullock serves as the ninth president of the Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC), a dynamic, multi-campus institution that provides life-changing educational opportunities to approximately 30,000 credit and noncredit students each year. Since assuming the presidency in 2014, Dr. Bullock has advanced a bold vision centered on access, equity, workforce innovation, and student success, positioning CCAC as a catalyst for individual transformation and regional vitality.

A mission-driven leader, Dr. Bullock, believes community colleges are engines of economic mobility and community empowerment. Under his leadership, CCAC has strengthened pathways to completion, expanded workforce and career training aligned with regional needs, and cultivated strategic partnerships that bridge education, industry, and community. He has guided the development of two comprehensive five-year strategic plans and is leading the creation of a third, continuing to align institutional priorities with the evolving needs of students and the region.

Dr. Bullock has championed transformative capital investments that reflect his commitment to innovation and excellence, including the Center for Education, Innovation and Training and the revitalization of historic campus spaces into hubs for teaching and learning. Through visionary fundraising and collaborative leadership, he co-led the college’s largest comprehensive campaign, raising more than $90 million to expand opportunity and student support.

Before joining CCAC, Dr. Bullock served as president of Schenectady County Community College, provost of Tidewater Community College, and executive dean of Monroe Community College’s Damon City Campus, building a distinguished career marked by strategic growth, academic innovation, and inclusive leadership.

He holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Education from Prairie View A&M University and a Doctor of Dental Surgery from the University of Texas Health Science Center Dental Branch in Houston, Texas. He completed postdoctoral studies at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. His executive leadership development includes the Harvard Seminar for New Presidents, the Wharton/RHE Program in Higher Education, and national programs through the Executive Leadership Institute, the League for Innovation in the Community College and the American Association of Community Colleges.

Deeply committed to service beyond campus, Dr. Bullock chairs the Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges, serves on the Board of Governors for the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, and is a board member of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, among other national, civic and philanthropic organizations. He is also an active and faithful member of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Pittsburgh’s Hill District. 

Grounded in service and driven by an unwavering belief in the transformative power of education, Dr. Bullock leads with purpose and compassion. He views leadership not simply as a position, but as a responsibility to uplift others, strengthen communities, and create pathways of hope for generations to come. His legacy is reflected not only in buildings constructed or funds raised, but in lives changed, opportunities expanded, and communities empowered through education. 

PRESIDENT’s AWARD

The NCBAA President’s Award recipient is selected by the current president of the NCBAA. This award acknowledges the efforts of an individual that demonstrates consistent support of the NCBAA mission, vision, and operation activity. The President’s Award Recipient will be featured in our 2015 Awards Breakfast Booklet.

Dr. Tammy Robinson

Dr. Tammy Robinson serves as President of Metropolitan Community College-Penn Valley in Kansas City, Missouri, where she leads with a deep commitment to student success, community partnership, and workforce innovation. She previously served as President of Mesa Community College in Mesa, Arizona, and earlier as Vice President of Instruction at Cañada College in Redwood City, California. With more than 25 years of experience in higher education as both an educator and administrator, Dr. Robinson brings a practitioner’s insight and a strategist’s vision to the community college mission.

A nationally recognized leader, Dr. Robinson currently serves as Co-Vice President of Programs and Immediate Past President of the National Council on Black American Affairs (NCBAA), an affiliate council of the American Association of Community Colleges. She also serves as a commissioner on the Student Success Committee, where she contributes to advancing equity-centered, outcomes-driven practices across the sector. Her scholarship and leadership include co-authoring multiple large- scale grants totaling millions of dollars in support of workforce development, faculty professional learning, and educational technology initiatives. 

Dr. Robinson holds a Doctor of Education with an emphasis in Community College Administration from the University of Southern California, a Master of Arts in English from California State University, Dominguez Hills, and undergraduate degrees from UCLA in Political Science and Cerritos College in Social Science

Dissertation of the Year

The NCBAA-Northeast Region 2026 Dissertation of the Year award will recognize an individual whose exemplary doctoral dissertation aligns with the mission of NCBAA, contributes to the literature on community colleges, and/or makes a substantial contribution to policy, procedures, and practice that has an impact on African American students, faculty, staff, and administrators. Exemplary research revises understanding of a researchable problem associated with African Americans in the community college, identifies a research problem new to the field, and/or demonstrates sound interdisciplinary research.

Dr. Jane N. Chappell, Morgan State University

Research: Evaluating the Impact of Mental Health First Aid Training on Community College Affiliates’ Knowledge, Beliefs, and Confidence