EP165: Black Woman on Board: Power, Access, and the Legacy of Claudia Hampton
Release Date: 03/19/2026
EP167: The Future of Community Colleges: Leadership, Funding, and Student Success | Jee Hang Lee
In The Margins
In this episode of In The Margins, Dr. Mordecai Brownlee, host of Discovering Your Mission, sits down with Jee Hang Lee, President and CEO of the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT), for a timely and unfiltered conversation on the future of community colleges, leadership, and student success. Drawing from his journey from Capitol Hill to leading one of the most influential organizations in higher education, Lee shares a national perspective on the growing pressures facing community colleges, from funding uncertainty and political complexity to increasing competition across the...
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EP166: Meet Dr. Michael Baston, Recipient of the 2026 The EDU Ledger Champions Award
In The Margins
In this episode of In The Margins, we sit down with Dr. Michael Baston, President of Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C) and recipient of the 2026 EDU Ledger Champions Award, for a timely conversation on leadership, student success, and the future of community colleges. Drawing from his journey as a first-generation college student and former public interest attorney, Baston reflects on how personal experience shaped his commitment to building institutions that don’t leave students to “figure it out” on their own. He shares how community colleges serve as powerful engines of opportunity,...
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EP165: Black Woman on Board: Power, Access, and the Legacy of Claudia Hampton
In The Margins
In this powerful episode of In The Margins, our newest content partner Dr. Mordecai Brownlee, host of Discovering Your Mission, sits down with Dr. Donna J. Nicol, Associate Dean for Personnel and Curriculum in the College of Liberal Arts at California State University Long Beach (CSULB), and author of Black Woman on Board, to explore the remarkable leadership story of Dr. Claudia Hampton – the first Black woman appointed to the California State University (CSU) Board of Trustees. Drawing from her research and personal reflections, Nicol unpacks how Hampton navigated the complex power...
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EP164: Leading Through Uncertainty: Dr. Emelyn dela Peña on Mission-Driven Higher Education
In The Margins
In this episode we sit down with Dr. Emelyn dela Peña, President and CEO of , for a timely conversation on leadership, mission clarity, and sustaining equity work in a rapidly shifting higher education landscape. Drawing from her personal journey growing up in a diverse Los Angeles community, navigating loss and economic transition, and building a decades-long career across institutions like Stanford, Harvard, and Loyola, dela Peña reflects on the formative experiences that shaped her commitment to access, belonging, and student success. She shares how moments of protest, community support,...
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EP163: From Credentials to Skills: Rethinking Opportunity in the Modern Economy, with NSC CEO Brooke DeRenzis
In The Margins
In this episode, The EDU Leger is excited to present the first in a series of content from our newest podcast partner, . Tune in as Dr. Mordecai Brownlee welcomes guest Brooke DeRenzis, CEO of the National Skills Coalition, for a wide-ranging conversation on the future of work, skills-based hiring, and the evolving role of higher education in an economy defined by rapid change. Drawing on national policy leadership and personal lived experience, DeRenzis explores why skills: technical, digital, and durable have become the foundation of economic mobility and why credentials must evolve to...
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EP162: Sustaining HBCUs Beyond the Moment: Inside UNCF’s Transformation Strategy
In The Margins
In this episode of In The Margins, we are joined by Julian Thompson, Senior Director for Strategy Development, and Rev. Dr. Darryl Ann Lai Fang, Assistant Vice President for Transformation Support at the UNCF Institute for Capacity Building, for a deep dive into what long-term sustainability truly requires for HBCUs. As the institute approaches its 20th anniversary, Thompson and Dr. Lai Fang reflect on how UNCF’s work has evolved from discrete technical assistance to a holistic, networked transformation model designed to help institutions move from survival to sustained impact. Their...
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EP161: Beyond the Politics: A New Way to Talk About Equity and Access, with Dr. Kyle Reyes
In The Margins
Meet Dr. Kyle Reyes, Vice President of Institutional Advancement and former Chief Inclusion Officer at Utah Valley University, whose work sits at the intersection of student success, cultural understanding, and leadership in politically charged times. In this episode, Reyes explores his groundbreaking framework from his book . Drawing from his own lived experience as a former college dropout and first-generation student advocate, Reyes offers a powerful roadmap for navigating higher education’s most difficult conversations – especially amid national DEI rollbacks. His discussion with The...
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EP160: Investing in Native Futures: How Native Forward Is Empowering 22,000+ Scholars, with Sara LaBarge
In The Margins
Only 16 percent of Native Americans hold a bachelor’s degree, but one organization is rewriting that story. In this episode of In the Margins, we sit down with Sara A. LaBarge, M.S.Ed., CFRE, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Native Forward Scholars Fund, the nation’s largest direct scholarship provider for Native students. A proud citizen of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin and an alum of the program herself, Sara shares how Native Forward is breaking barriers in higher education through culturally relevant support, strategic philanthropy, and transformational alliances with...
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EP159: How the Kaplan Leadership Program Redefines Community College Transfer Success, with Nolvia Delgado
In The Margins
What if community college could serve as a launchpad to the nation’s top universities? In this episode, we sit down with Nolvia Delgado, Executive Director of the Kaplan Educational Foundation (KEF), a former KEF scholar herself, to explore how the foundation’s Kaplan Leadership Program helps first-generation and low-income students transfer from community colleges to some of the most prestigious four-year institutions in the country. Delgado shares her own journey from Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) to Smith College, and the life-changing mentorship and...
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EP158: Unpacking Americans views on higher education, with Sophie Nguyen of New America
In The Margins
In this episode, Sophie Nguyen, Senior Policy Manager in the Education Policy Program at New America, joins Diverse (soon to become The EDU Ledger) to unpack the findings of Varying Degrees 2025 – the latest national survey exploring how Americans view higher education. From her start as an intern to her current role leading research on affordability, accountability, and public opinion, Nguyen shares her personal journey into higher education policy and why she believes access to transformative education must be protected. She explains the survey’s biggest takeaways: cost as the...
info_outlineIn this powerful episode of In The Margins, our newest content partner Dr. Mordecai Brownlee, host of Discovering Your Mission, sits down with Dr. Donna J. Nicol, Associate Dean for Personnel and Curriculum in the College of Liberal Arts at California State University Long Beach (CSULB), and author of Black Woman on Board, to explore the remarkable leadership story of Dr. Claudia Hampton – the first Black woman appointed to the California State University (CSU) Board of Trustees.
Drawing from her research and personal reflections, Nicol unpacks how Hampton navigated the complex power dynamics of higher education governance during a pivotal era for affirmative action and institutional access. Rather than relying solely on confrontation, Hampton employed what Nicol describes as “sly civility” or a strategic leadership approach that balanced diplomacy, influence, and long-term vision to expand opportunity for underrepresented students.
The conversation moves beyond biography to examine broader lessons about leadership inside systems not originally designed for inclusion. From board politics and racial dynamics to strategic advocacy and mission-driven service, Nicol offers a powerful framework for emerging leaders navigating institutions today.
At its core, this episode explores the enduring question of leadership: when to speak, when to build capital, and how to use influence to create lasting change.
KEY POINTS:
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Nicol’s academic journey and her commitment to equity and leadership in higher education
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How Black Woman on Board uncovers the overlooked story of CSU trustee Dr. Claudia Hampton
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Hampton as the first Black woman appointed to the CSU Board of Trustees
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Understanding “sly civility” through building trust and influence before deploying power
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Board politics, race, and gender shaped the dynamics of higher education governance in the 1970s and beyond
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How Hampton strategically negotiated resources and leadership decisions to advance affirmative action and institutional access
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Effective leadership requires understanding when to speak forcefully and when to build alliances quietly
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The importance of mission-driven leadership and serving students
QUOTABLES:
“I've always believed that every person has a mission. It's something you discover through experience, through challenge, and through a deep commitment to serving others.” – Dr. Mordecai Brownlee
“I stayed with a major that I was passionate about, as opposed to one that I thought might be lucrative.” – Dr. Donna J. Nicol
“Sly civility requires you to be civil with the people who have power in order for you to gain access to their institutions.” – Dr. Donna J. Nicol
“My personal mission is to provide the greatest good for the greatest number.” – Dr. Donna J. Nicol
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