TCC President Begins Term as American Association of Community Colleges Board Chair

TCC President and CEO Leigh Goodson, Ph.D, begins her term as chair of the American Association of Community Colleges Board of Directors, bringing national leadership to the nearly 1,000-member organization.

Leigh B. Goodson, Ph.D., president and CEO of Tulsa Community College, began her term as chair of the American Association of Community Colleges Board of Directors on July 1, 2025. She succeeds Sunita “Sunny” Cooke, president/superintendent of California’s MiraCosta College District.

Goodson has served as an AACC Board member since 2021 and chair-elect since 2024. She brings more than 25 years of experience in higher education leadership to her new national role. As chair, Goodson will help guide the association’s work in shaping federal policy, supporting student success, and championing the nation’s nearly 1,000 associate-degree-granting institutions that serve more than 10 million students—approximately half of all U.S. undergraduates.

“Dr. Goodson’s proven track record of exceptional leadership will help us to further elevate the work of community colleges,” said Walter G. Bumphus, Ph.D., president and CEO of AACC. “As we continue to advance the programs and policies important to community colleges and their students, Dr. Goodson’s breadth and depth of knowledge of these issues will serve AACC and the sector well.”

Since 2014, Goodson has led TCC, which is Oklahoma’s third largest higher education institution with more than 20,000 students enrolled annually. Under her leadership, the College launched and completed a $20 million campaign, developed Oklahoma’s first early college high school program, and strengthened university transfer pathways through the Tulsa Higher Education Consortium.

Goodson is a native Tulsan and has served on more than 25 boards and commissions. She currently sits on the boards of the Tulsa Regional Chamber, Oklahoma Business Roundtable, and the National Advisory Board for the Center of Community College Student Engagement. Her many honors include being named one of The Journal Record’s Most Admired CEOs and induction into its Circle of Excellence, as well as being recognized as a Distinguished Graduate by Leadership Oklahoma in 2023.

“It is a privilege to serve in this role at a time when community colleges are more essential than ever in creating pathways to opportunity,” said Goodson. “I want to extend my sincere thanks to Dr. Sunny Cooke for her exceptional leadership over the past year and for her mentorship. I look forward to working with my colleagues nationwide as we continue to expand access and support student success to strengthen the impact of our institutions.”

Goodson earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Education Research and Evaluation from Oklahoma State University, a Master of Science in Organizational Communication from Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from OSU. She is a graduate of Leadership Oklahoma Class XXIII and Leadership Tulsa Class 35 and completed an Aspen Presidential Fellowship in 2016.