HCC makes it official with Fisher

The Houston Community College System Board of Trustees has unanimously voted to name Margaret Ford Fisher as the sole finalist to be the system’s next chancellor.

Ford Fisher has worked for HCC for nearly 40 years, including as the founding president of HCC Online, president of HCC Northeast College and interim vice chancellor of instruction. She has also served as HCC’s interim chancellor since Sept. 1.

The Board of Trustees will hold a meeting at least 21 days after Friday’s vote to act on her final selection in accordance with state law.

“I am deeply honored for the opportunity to lead HCC and thank the Board for the confidence it has placed in me,” Ford Fisher said in a statement. “I am committed to a vision of providing a real-world education and look forward to working with the Board of Trustees, and our extraordinary faculty and staff to foster a talent-strong Houston, enriching the lives of all of our students, while elevating our community.”

Cynthia Lenton-Gary, chair of the HCC Board of Trustees, said Ford Fisher’s deep institutional knowledge, forwardlooking vision and leadership makes her the ideal leader to navigate the system toward the future.

“The governing board’s decision underscores Dr. Ford Fisher’s unique positioning as a visionary leader, deeply rooted in HCC’s culture and history, and ripely equipped to advance the college through fundamental changes occurring in our sector,” Lenton-Gary said in a statement.

Ford Fisher holds a bachelor’s degree in English, a master’s degree in the teaching of English from Wichita State University and a doctorate of education in curriculum and instruction from the University of Houston. She has also taught at Texas Southern University, the University of Houston and Wichita State University.

The board’s selection of Ford Fisher comes four months after former HCC chancellor Cesar Maldonado’s contract expired. He had served for nearly nine years as chancellor of the HCC System before his departure Aug. 31.