KANSAS CITY, MO — Dr. Kimberly Beatty says sitting in her role means a lot as the first Black female Chancellor and CEO of Metropolitan Community College.
“I've got a 35-year journey that took me here and got me here and so I'd like to say I've earned the right to be here and very well qualified for the position,” Beatty said.
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Beginning her education journey while attending Morgan State, a Historically Black College or University, Beatty then traveled across the country to California where she discovered her passion for fulfilling the community college mission.
“Preparing the underserved and meeting the needs of the underserved and democratizing higher education, so that everyone could have access and I fell in love with that mission,” Beatty said.
Continuing her career, Beatty started as a faculty member for 12 years, then served as a Dean at Tidewater Community College, then moved to Texas, where she served as Vice Chancellor of Academics at Houston Community College. An experience she says is helping her continue to create an accessible road for higher education in Kansas City.
Beatty says her work has already begun, with the Advanced Technical Skills Institute on Troost Avenue, building up the agricultural program, along with an approval for a Bacheolor's in respiratory care which is a program not offered by a 2-year or 4-year school in the region.
“That just creates access whether you are men, women, whatever demographic you come from," Beatty said. "It gives you greater access as a community college and that's what a community college should do and I am just so glad and proud to be leading that work and making an imprint in this city at this time.”
However as a woman in higher education, she continues her work within MCC to identify female professors and cabinet executives.
Beatty has this message for women looking to move forward in any aspect of their career.
“You might not have gotten the position that you should have gotten, it just means that you needed to apply that experience and get some more seasoning,” Beatty said. ”If being what's best for you is where you are, then do the best that you can where you are.”
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