Keynote Speakers

David Longanecker

President, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education

David Longanecker has served as the president of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education in Boulder since 1999. Previously, Longanecker served for six years as the assistant secretary for postsecondary education at the U.S. Department of Education. Prior to that he was the state higher education executive officer in Colorado and Minnesota. He was also the principal analyst for higher education for the Congressional Budget Office. Longanecker has served on numerous boards and commissions. He has written extensively on a range of higher education issues. His primary interests in higher education are: expanding access to successful completion for students within all sectors of higher education, promoting student and institutional performance, assuring efficient and effective finance and financial aid strategies, and fostering effective use of educational technologies, all for the purpose of sustaining the nation’s strength in the world and increasing the quality of life for all Americans, particularly those who have traditionally been left out in the past. He holds an Ed.D. from Stanford University, an M.A. in student personnel work from George Washington University, and a B.A. in sociology from Washington State University.


Stephen Jordan

President, Metropolitan State University, Denver

Since taking the helm, President Stephen Jordan has led MSU Denver on a rapid trajectory toward becoming one of the preeminent public urban universities in the nation. Under his leadership, MSU Denver has achieved university status, launched its first master’s degree programs, experienced undergraduate enrollment increases at record levels, and seen plans for a new Hotel and Hospitality Learning Center and the Student Success Building come to fruition.
President Jordan has overseen a number of projects to improve retention and graduation rates among students of color, and has established a goal for the University of achieving Hispanic-Serving Institution status within the next decade.
Dr. Jordan grew up in Colorado. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Northern Colorado and a master’s degree in public affairs and a doctorate from the University of Colorado Denver. He was named one of the nation’s most innovative and entrepreneurial higher education leaders in the book, “The Entrepreneurial College President,” by James L. Fisher and James V. Koch (2004: Praeger Publishers). The authors describe Jordan and 16 others as leaders who “appreciate, but are not anchored by, the past and who readily question the status quo, generate innovative ideas, and find ways to prevent organizational structure from discouraging change.”

 


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