Leading Resiliently, Transforming Boldly and Elevating Others Purposefully: The Legacy of Dr. DeAnna Burt-Nanna, President of Monroe Community College
What is your personal/professional story?
I am the daughter of educators and a military veteran, the wife of an immigrant, the mother of a uniquely-abled (neurodiverse) child, and the granddaughter of a sharecropper and visionary disrupter, who risked his life to ensure that his daughter (my mother) would become an educated Black woman who would not live her life working the cotton fields of “the South.” His decision to send my mother “North” as a young Black girl, where she would later meet and marry my father, was the catalyst for multiple generations of educated persons, which includes musicians, CEOs, entrepreneurs, accountants, lawyers, and a college president. On any given day, this personal story deeply informs my professional story in that I am privileged to serve as the 6th President and the first person of color at Monroe Community College (SUNY) in Rochester, NY. I lead resiliently, transform boldly, and elevate self and others purposefully.
What key moments in your life led you to where you are today?
Beyond being catalyzed by the courageous decision of my grandfather to improve the economic mobility of his family’s life, I’ll highlight a few additional key moments that shaped the trajectory of my professional career. The first was an odd but pivotal interaction at age 17 with “Lisa” while chopping lettuce for the salad buffet where we both worked. I was a high-achieving student who lacked the resources to attend college. Despite being poised to graduate as salutatorian of my graduating class in an urban school district, my parents had no excess means to pay for my college education. While sharing this story with Lisa (yes, while chopping lettuce), she connected me with her father, who I later learned was a college recruiter for what would become my alma mater (thrice!). I secured a full-ride academic scholarship and graduated from the honors college. That postsecondary experience exposed me to study-abroad experiences, leadership opportunities, life skills, and a phenomenal liberal arts and technical education (concurrently).
The second is when I met Dr. Jacquelyn Taylor, one of my many beloved mentors but likely the most influential in shaping the trajectory of my career, connecting me with critical learning experiences where I would hone my skills and abilities to function as a high-performing leader.
Lastly, I would describe my unanticipated but pivotal career transition in 2018 when I relocated to a new state to serve as vice president of student and academic affairs. That opportunity and the tutelage of its president, Dr. Annette Parker, provided an opportunity to broaden the depth of my understanding of and impact on higher education operations, this time in the public sector. There are many other “key moments,” but these three milestones seem worthy of special mention.
Where does your passion to serve come from?
My passion stems from a profound sense of gratitude and purpose—the belief that I am one of many who can and do make a difference. When coupled with my lived experience as an African American female who somehow always found herself doing something rare or unprecedented, I feel responsible and obligated to leverage the affluence and influence that I have to afford such possibilities for others. I could also look back over my shoulder to being raised in an urban community where its citizens’ abilities, needs, and resources were stratified throughout my predominantly Black community, or I could reflect upon my upbringing as the daughter of the “Church Mother” and “Head Deacon” where I learned to give, even if all I had to offer was “the widow's mite”; somebody needed the help. Now, as a prominent leader in my community and state in this role as president of one of our nation’s most highly-regarded and innovative institutions of higher education, my passion has encountered an intersection where it meets Purpose and Opportunity for the betterment of my community—all of it, and across all zip-codes.
How can GlobalMindED help you reach your goals?
The mission of GlobalMindED is an extension of my personal story and professional journey in that it seeks to close gaps between needs and wants to accelerate and expand opportunities for others. This is an extension of my purpose and passion - to elevate others purposefully, with intention. In partnership with GlobalMindED, the strategic priority and mission of Monroe Community College to be a student-centered College can be fulfilled.
You will meet Dr. Burt-Nanna, some of her faculty and students this June at GlobalMindED's 10th Anniversary event.
