Ten years ago, Louisiana’s state system of community and technical colleges was poorly understood by key leaders in business, education and government. There were low expectations about how community and technical colleges could contribute to the workforce, economic development and overall educational landscape.
Enter Ann Knapp, a business leader accustomed to tackling big challenges. Ann and her fellow Board members have been instrumental in turning a fractured set of technical and community colleges into a cohesive system with a focus on serving more students and better meeting the economic development needs of the state. Since the System was created in 1999, student enrollment rates have increased, from 21,827 to 69,967, and minority participation is on the rise.
Throughout her remarkable career, Ann has worked in banking, healthcare, and in the public sector for the mayor’s office in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Her expertise in marketing and business development is the common thread that set her apart in each of these endeavors. In her role as board chair for the Louisiana Community and Technical College System, she would demonstrate her ability to learn and master an industry that was entirely new to her, create win-win opportunities for the business community and other stakeholders, and be a staunch and passionate advocate for education.
A New College Model
When Governor Foster asked her to serve on a board charged with unifying the community and technical college system in Louisiana – and complete the job in six months – she was up to the task. Sworn in on January 1, 1999, the fifteen founding members had until July, 1999 to bring together three community colleges, all with different structures and agendas, some of which were being run under the four-year university system. There were the Louisiana technical college campuses, which were originally independently operated, to fold into the mix. All of these institutions had different cultures, different ways of doing business, different levels of technical sophistication, different agendas and their own academic, human resources and financial policies. This huge undertaking required a business leader connected to the community, who understood the importance of collaboration, and knew how to focus on meeting goals.
To provide continuity, Knapp, as well as all Board Chairs, was appointed to chair the board for two years. At the beginning of the Board’s service in 1999, the board would meet twice per month, sometimes for two days at a time. Members of the Board included the past president of a banking system, a chemical plant manager, a hospital administrator, a union representative, and a workforce training specialist. “Governor Foster was completely supportive; and everyone on the board was willing to contribute their time and interest,” says Knapp. Knapp’s familiarity with both the private and the public sector was an asset to the team, most of its members being from the business community. “Sometimes, I saw myself as the mediator between the private and public sector, and helping others to understand all of the obligations associated with working within the public sector,” she says. “Government doesn’t operate at the speed of business. The community wants to see a new training program in six months, not two years.”
“Government doesn’t operate at the speed of business. The community wants to see a new training program in six months, not two years.”
Defining the Governance Role
As the board matured, it became apparent they needed to have clear procedures and policies, a well-defined culture, and clear roles. “You have to know your job as board member, which is governance. When I was Chair of the Board, I stated and restated that the Board had one employee--the president of the system. Any communications had to come through Walter’s (Bumphus) office. The Board dealt with policy, the president dealt with running the (Community and Technical College) system. With our established culture, if someone had a question at a public meeting or from the media, that question came through the board chair and was then referred to the president to address. Our role was in policy making and empowering the staff to do their job rather than day to day management. Roles and expectations need to be clear.”
It’s easy for a board member to get drawn into, and distracted by, a management role. Knapp had to delineate her role in the college to avoid this pitfall. She emphasizes the importance of explaining your position and setting clear expectations for people who would prefer you interfere with the day-to-day operations of the organization. “On more than one occasion, I’ve had to tell people, ‘let’s be clear,’” she says. “We hired a chancellor, and s/he is qualified to manage this area. Sometimes, we have to remind college leadership that we’re business people, and are not necessarily qualified to determine academic matters or make recommendations. You have to have an understanding of who knows what and what their responsibilities are, find the right balance with the governance side. My role was not to fix specific management issues; there was a process in place in the system for that.”
Advocate for Reform
Walter Bumphus, then President of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System, which governs the seven community colleges and forty-two technical college campuses across the State of Louisiana, has nothing but praise for Knapp’s skillful advocacy for educational reform. “We couldn’t have had a better advocate than Ann. She had a clear understanding of what her role was, and was the most articulate board member one could imagine. She always framed and led discussion around what would be a ‘win-win’ opportunity. She moved a new system that wasn’t understood, and was able, in a very short time, to give us a lot of credibility and prominence. She just gets it.”
Advice for Business Leaders
"Business leaders can drive change, if they stay connected to the bigger vision.”
Ann stresses the importance of not losing sight of the needs of the business community. “The Louisiana Community and Technical College System needed to make a difference, as a business. We needed to build a business case, and ensure we were in tune with the educational needs for the new jobs. For systemic-level change, leaders have to focus on meeting goals, working with your allies on a level to really make a difference. Business leaders can drive change, if they stay connected to the bigger vision.”
Ann encourages business leaders to voice their workforce needs with the governor. “Governors always want to talk about bringing jobs to the state. Form a legislative group that defines the agenda for government leaders.” During her tenure as board chair, Ann partnered with her long time friend U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu. “I always knew that I would have Landrieu’s support for the work of the system; and she and members of the community shared our passion. Additionally, we had to establish the roles the colleges played in relation to other institutions in the state, and explain how we could get involved and bring players to the table. We had to work in the context of moving the state forward. If a new system is going to succeed, you have to establish its identity as important in the state.”
"Form a legislative group that defines the agenda for government leaders.”
Maintaining open communication with the community is also key to success. Working on the board in Lake Charles, the team was removed from Baton Rouge, which is very different, culturally. Under Ann’s leadership, the Board stayed involved at the local level, engaging with local legislators and nurturing relationships with the governor’s office. The members of the Board continued in the community role while maintaining integrity of the governance role.
According to Knapp, the ability to bridge different cultures is critical. Some of the four year colleges and universities were afraid of losing students; and businesses were concerned about the quality of their students’ education. ”The new community college system needed to bring together education, business and government, and be very ‘nimble.’ We had to be able to respond quickly to educational and workforce needs, all the while establishing and maintaining quality.”
An excellent case in point: Regional employers in the chemical industry saw that they would be losing employees to retirement in the next 15 years. They formed a consortium, and called on the educational institutions to make this need known. Statistics and a strong business case made it clear: The region needed to train a whole new generation of process technologists. A sophisticated laboratory set-up in the local community would be required, and the impending workforce crisis had to be dealt with in a very big way. Governor Foster allocated $1.9 M for the Southwest Louisiana glass lab; and, before long the process technology program became one of most popular curricula offered. But the project didn’t stop there. The advisory group continues to meet on a quarterly basis, and the team keeps the college apprised of their progress. “The problem was identified early, the stakeholders got involved early, secured the funding, built the infrastructure and followed it through. This program is so industry focused and industry collaborative, and yet it’s run by the college,” says Knapp.
Worth the Effort
Ask Ann Knapp if the long hours and challenging work were worth it, and she’ll tell you, “All I have to do is go to one of the graduation ceremonies; and I am overwhelmed by the smiles on the faces of graduates, the pride on the faces of the parents and children. The students are now empowered to be contributing community members; and they might not be without the colleges system we created. We have given people the wherewithal to make a difference in their own life. We created something from nothing, accomplished so much. Our work required passion, teamwork, vision, and hours of work. We were united in our shared vision. We established a culture of ‘all for one, one for all.’ We made decisions on how to move forward. Everyone accepted it and didn’t pursue individual agendas.”
As a business leader, Knapp was able to move an entire system forward. She recognized that the Board’s responsiveness to local and regional employers, and to partners in government, was key to their success; and by articulating to other groups what the community college system’s role was, she was instrumental in bridging the gap between business, education, government and the community colleges. Since the Louisiana Community and Technical College System was created in 1999, student enrollment rates have increased, from 21,827 to 69,967, and minority participation is on the rise.
She continues to be involved in local and regional chambers of commerce, a consortium of employers, workforce training, and works on a local foundation board for the community college. “Chairing the board was an excellent use of my time, energy and interest. Although we made a big difference in our state, there’s always something further to tackle. We need to continue to get the word out that two year systems and four-year universities are complimentary rather than competitive. Through the community and technical college system, students can receive a high-quality education for less money, and move into the workforce with a respectable income and a promising career. Business leaders can be instrumental in spreading this message.”
"Through the community and technical college system, students can receive a high-quality education for less money, and move into the workforce with a respectable income and a promising career. Business leaders can be instrumental in spreading this message.”
In taking on the role of board chair for the Louisiana Community and Technical College System, Ann used her experience and influence as a business leader to work to transform a disorganized system that wasn’t working into a network of technical and community colleges that serves more students and is in touch with the economic development needs of the state and its regions. Her ability to create ‘win-win’ opportunities for members of the education, business and government communities, maintain a clear understanding of her and the Board’s roles as policy changers, and embrace her passion for educational reform demonstrate why she is a true business champion.