Dr. DeAnna R. Burt-Nanna Appointed as MCC’s Sixth President
December 29, 2020
Experienced educator, administrator, and advocate for educational access and attainment to reinforce college’s position as community asset
DeAnna R. Burt-Nanna, Ph.D.
The State University of New York Board of Trustees today approved the appointment of DeAnna R. Burt-Nanna, Ph.D. as president of Monroe Community College, as previously recommended by the MCC Board of Trustees. Her appointment is effective Friday, May 21, 2021.
Burt-Nanna is vice president of student and academic affairs for South Central College (Faribault and North Mankato, Minn.), a unit of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. Bringing more than 20 years of experience in higher education, including serving in faculty and administrator roles at community colleges, Burt-Nanna is a staunch advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion, educational access and attainment, philanthropy, and workforce development at local, state, and national levels. She is an Aspen Rising Presidents Fellow and a 2019 graduate of the Thomas Lakin Institute for Mentored Leadership.
“On behalf of the entire SUNY community, we are pleased to have Dr. Burt-Nanna take the helm of Monroe College Community—a integral part of the Greater Rochester area that will be central in training the workforce of today and tomorrow as we begin to turn the page on COVID,” said SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras. “With her student-centric focus, her advocacy for diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as her keen business sense from both her academic and industry experience, Dr. Burt-Nanna will bring MCC to new heights. I congratulate her and look forward to a long and productive partnership.”
“Monroe Community College is a beacon of educational excellence and opportunity that is nationally known for its commitment to student success, innovation, and its significant impact on Rochester, Monroe County, and the Finger Lakes Region,” said Burt-Nanna. “I am honored to be selected as MCC’s next president and will work with MCC faculty, staff, and stakeholders to extend MCC’s legacy of educational excellence, innovation, and strong community partnerships. I thank Chairman Tisch, Chancellor Malatras, and the MCC Board of Trustees for placing their trust in me.”
“MCC thanks SUNY Chancellor Dr. Jim Malatras and the SUNY Board of Trustees for their support of this appointment,” said MCC Board Chair Barbara P. Lovenheim, Ph.D. “In Dr. DeAnna R. Burt-Nanna, we have found the next champion for MCC students who shares the college’s values and will work with us to create a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive community. She will guide our efforts to develop a strategic plan that will ensure access to higher education for future students while reinforcing the college’s position as a vital, valuable, and impactful community, regional, and national asset. We are proud to welcome Dr. DeAnna R. Burt-Nanna as our next president.”
Burt-Nanna succeeds Interim President Katherine P. Douglas, Ed.D., who will assist with the leadership transition. Douglas joined the college in February 2020, following the departure of Anne M. Kress, Ph.D.
About DeAnna R. Burt-Nanna, Ph.D.
Dr. DeAnna R. Burt-Nanna has more than two decades of higher education leadership experience, having served in college and university system roles as faculty, department chair, dean, system department coordinator, and most recently as vice president and senior academic and student affairs officer. She has contributed to the success of educational institutions in Michigan and Minnesota, including those that are two- and four-year, union and non-union, public and private, multi-campus and statewide systems. Her leadership has advanced strategic priorities in support of student success, operational efficiency, and organizational culture change. She has also held various positions in business and industry.
Dr. Burt-Nanna holds doctoral, master’s, and bachelor’s degrees, all from Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo, Mich).