Registration

Virtual Registration Fee: $395

Registration for the League’s 2021 Annual Convention will open Monday, September 20th. California Community College employees, students, stakeholders, and partner organizations are invited to attend the virtual event. The registration fee includes live virtual admission to over 50 sessions and access to session presentations and Zoom recordings once the event concludes.

Registration has been extended and will close on Monday, November 15th at 5:00 p.m. For questions about registration, please contact Sadie Brown at sadie@ccleague.org.

Zoom: Programming information and Zoom details will be emailed to registrants the week of the conference. Note you will need to update your Zoom account to the latest version. Breakout rooms and other new features that will be used during the conference will only work on the latest Zoom account version. Visit https://zoom.us/download for more information.

Keynote Speakers

Dr. Daisy Gonzales
Acting Chancellor, California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office
“State of the System”

From the campus to the classroom and the Chancellor’s Office, nurturing a student-centered culture and intentional design of programs and services are critical elements to responding to the pandemics of COVID, racism and  poverty. Courageous conversations about urgent action in service of student success.

Dr. Karen Stout
President/CEO, Achieving the Dream
"Creating a Culturally Responsive, Community-Based, Equity-Centered Access Agenda"

The ongoing and potentially long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on education, employment and the economy have exposed and exacerbated existing enrollment and student persistence challenges and made it more difficult for institutions to establish clear pathways for student educational and economic success.  Addressing these challenges requires that community colleges abandon long-held notions about who they are and long-established enrollment strategies and admissions systems that mirror those of four-year colleges. What we need, argues Dr. Karen A Stout, president and CEO of Achieving the Dream, is a new access agenda that reaches more disconnected learners, works collaboratively in the community to create a portfolio of programs that match the life cycle education and training needs of students, families and local economies, and intentionally breaks down systems and structures that have disadvantaged racialized minorities, economically-marginalized first-generation students, and others.

Jennifer (Jen) Mishory
Chief of Staff and Acting Assistant Secretary of Career
Technical and Adult Education, U.S. Department of Education

The keynote will provide an update from the Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education (OCTAE) concerning programs to strengthen the role of community colleges in expanding access to postsecondary education for youth and adults and advancing workforce development. 

Shannon McConville
Research Fellow, Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC)
"Improving Career Pathways into California’s Workforce"

Distinguished Alumni Award

The California Community College Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes and honors the fine men and women whose attendance at a California community college helped them achieve their educational and professional goals and serve their communities. The League has recognized the distinguished alumni of California’s community colleges since 1964. To view the completed distinguished alumni list, click here.

This year, three nominees will be selected as the Community College League’s 2021 Distinguished Alumnus/Alumnae. The awards will be presented at the League’s Annual Convention in November. This award celebrates excellence and is an inspiring experience for all involved. The success of the program is dependent on recipient attendance and if selected, we ask that the sponsoring districts arrange their alumnus/alumnae’s attendance at the Convention.

The League is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2021 California Community College Distinguished Alumni Award. Join us in congratulating these alumni and read their submitted nomination below. Also, register to attend the Virtual Annual Convention!

Keynasia (Daniels) Buffong
CEO and Founder, National Black Grads
Riverside Community College

Keynasia Buffong is a devoted educator with over 15 years of experience. She earned her Associates degree at Riverside Community College and holds a Bachelor’s in Educational Counseling and a Master’s in Social Work from California State University, San Bernardino. In the past Keynasia served as the San Bernardino NAACP Youth Director, and as the President of the Inland Empire Alliance of Black School Educators (IEABSE).  Currently, Keynasia serves as the San Bernardino Valley College Career and Transfer Counselor, the Umoja-Tumaini Program Coordinator and the San Bernardino Community College District Black faculty and Staff President. In these roles Keynasia works to develope strong partnerships and services that will enhance the lives of community college students, and district employees. Her experiences in school counseling and school social work have allowed her to work with at-risk-youth and young adults throughout California in the area of leadership development.  While her commitment to community college students is impressive Keynasia also serves in outreach teaching Independent Living courses to foster and system involved youth. Perhaps most notable is that she is the founder and CEO of National Black Grads (NBG) a non-profit organization that is committed to strengthening communities by providing academic support services and financial resources to African American High School students.  In 2011, she launched the Inland Empire Black Graduate Scholarship Celebration and Recognition Ceremony as a platform to honor and celebrate the achievements of African American youth.  To date, NBG has honored over 10,000 graduates while spurring them on to pursue higher education opportunities.  

Terry Pendleton
Baseball Operations, Atlanta Braves
Oxnard College

Mr. Pendleton is certainly one of Oxnard College’s most recognized alumni.  After playing second base and graduating from Channel Islands High School, he played on the first ever Oxnard College baseball team.  In 1979, Terry helped lead the Condors to a state championship berth, and after earning his AA from Oxnard, he received a scholarship to attend Fresno State University.  He played two seasons with the Bulldogs while setting a school record in hits (98), in 1982.  He was recognized as an All-American, and had his jersey retired in 2007.  He was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the seventh round of the 1982 draft.  His superior ability was evident, and the Cardinals quickly promoted him as the everyday third baseman in 1984. Terry is still proud to be known as a Condor.   He was loved as a teammate and is a lifetime Condor even wearing a condor shirt under his game jersey, when he was playing for the Atlanta Braves during his MVP season.  He graciously gives back to the program whenever possible.  He has given time, money, equipment, and memorabilia to our baseball program.  Because of Terry’s generosity, the Condor baseball program is able to help hundreds of young men in the community reach their academic and athletic goals.

Eric Draper
Photographer/Author, Former Chief White House Photographer, Eric Draper Photography
Cerritos College

Eric Draper served as President George W. Bush’s chief photographer for the entire eight years of Bush’s presidency, photographing him daily in his activities at the White House, abroad, and in his personal life. Eric was named special Assistant to the President and is the first White House photographer to be named a commissioned officer to a U.S. president. During his tenure, Eric directed the photographic and archival conversion of the White House Photo Office from film to digital and took nearly one million photos documenting the presidency. His 2013 book “Front Row Seat: A Photographic Portrait of the Presidency of George W. Bush” includes a foreword by President Bush. Eric also spent many years as a photojournalist covering a variety of assignments, including presidential campaigns, devastating natural disasters around the globe, civil unrest in third world countries, five Olympic games, two World Cups, and many NBA, NFL, and MLB championships. He has received numerous awards including the Associated Press Managing Editors' Award for three consecutive years and the 1999 National Headliner Award. He was named 1992 Photographer of the Year by Scripps-Howard Newspapers for "Seeing Through the Flames," his coverage of the 1992 Los Angeles riots. He credits Cerritos College with piquing his interest in photography as a career when he began working for the student newspaper Talon Marks, covering the basketball team. Eric was named to the Cerritos College Hall of Fame in 2014 and served as commencement speaker in 2019.   

Thank you for your continued support of the League’s efforts to showcase the outstanding results of a California community college education. For questions, contact Jimmy Madrigal at the League office, 916-245-5035, or via email at jmadrigal@ccleague.org.