(The following text is taken verbatim from an email written by the Chairperson of MATC’s District Board, Mark F. Foley. The message was sent to the MATC community on Thursday, May 2 at 5:59 p.m. You can read about some student impressions of all candidates by clicking here.)
Dear MATC Community:
I am excited to share that the Milwaukee Area Technical College District Board of Directors has selected Dr. Anthony Cruz as the next president of MATC.
Dr. Cruz currently serves as president of the Kendall Campus of Miami Dade College. During his 28 years of higher education experience, Dr. Cruz has used his expertise to increase educational opportunities, enhance the student experience and bolster student success. He has held leadership roles such as campus president, vice chancellor, vice president and dean at several community colleges and universities. These valuable experiences have given him a profound understanding of the complexity of the higher education landscape and the opportunity to celebrate the rich diversity of the unique backgrounds and perspectives of the students, faculty, and staff that he has served. He works collaboratively with community partners to build pathways and initiatives to remove barriers to student success. Dr. Cruz is committed to creating innovative approaches to reduce the skills gap and increase the number of college graduates.
He has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Florida International University, a Master in Public Administration from Florida State University and a doctorate in higher education from Florida International University.
District board members were particularly impressed by Dr. Cruz’s students first educational philosophy, his in-depth knowledge of MATC, and the high regard in which he is held by the students, faculty, and administrators with whom he has worked in the past.
The board made its selection during a special meeting this afternoon following an expert-led national search. The process included a rigorous review of applications, two rounds of interviews, on-campus presentations, and consideration of supporting materials.
More than 150 students, faculty, staff, administrators, and community partners participated in person and virtually in sessions with each candidate. Thank you for your participation, which has helped shape this process from the beginning.
In the coming days, you will hear directly from Dr. Cruz. We look forward to working with Dr. Cruz to bring MATC to new heights of student achievement and contributions to everyone in the Milwaukee area. For now, please simply join me in congratulating our next president as we mark this new chapter in the history of a college that is vital to the community we share.
Sincerely,
Mark F. Foley
Chairperson, MATC District Board
