Marcia J. Ballinger

AS Lorain County Community College (LCCC) President Marcia J. Ballinger, Ph.D., enters her second decade as the college’s fifth — and first female — president, she does so with a continued passion for creating a thriving community where every student’s dream matters.

With over 30 years in community college leadership roles, along with placements on national advisory boards focused on technology and innovation, education and access, and economic development, Ballinger (who joined LCCC in 1991), has taken an active role in engaging staff and students, government officials, nonprofits, manufacturers and the small business community to form partnerships that are bold and effective. Believing “people support what they help create,” she has empowered an all-in culture at LCCC that readies students in the region to not only be prepared for jobs today, but for the future.

Just last fall, the college launched its new strategic vision, THRIVE 2035. The vision is anchored in a bold goal to deliver 35,000 more degrees and credentials of value by 2035 that will advance economic mobility for individuals and families. 

 

How does the college’s new strategic vision build upon its existing legacy?

 

“THRIVE 2035 is LCCC’s bold next step in advancing opportunity and meeting our community’s diverse needs. We know Lorain County is poised for impressive economic growth and our new strategic vision supports that growth through student access, academic excellence, and career-connected pathways. It’s the first phase of our 10-year journey ahead and is truly rooted in advancing economic mobility for individuals and families and create a thriving economy and community. That has always been LCCC’s legacy.”

 

What are the biggest challenges ahead?

 

“I don’t see anything as a challenge; I see it as an opportunity. From AI to robotics to microchips, technology is always changing and presenting new opportunities. It’s our role as the community’s college to make sure our students and residents can harness these changes, not be hindered by them. Here at Lorain County Community College, we are always aligned to our priorities, many of which include these anticipated changes, and these priorities have been vetted throughout the community and among varied constituents. While we don’t have a crystal ball, we listen and we learn. And for those opportunities we can’t foresee, we stay nimble and responsive.”

 

How has the college evolved in the past decade?

 

“Our mission has always centered on access and opportunity for our students. In more recent years however, LCCC shifted how we delivered on that — we went from asking ourselves if the students coming to us were ‘college ready’ to asking ourselves if we at the college were ‘student ready.’ That kind of cultural transformation has been crucial to ensuring that when we say every student’s dream matters, we’re doing all we can to make sure they achieve that dream.”

 

FAVORITES

Hobby: “I am a wine collector and wine connoisseur. We also try to go to Napa Valley Wine Country whenever possible for vacations. And we also like to get away to Columbus to visit my grandchildren, 9 and 5.”

Play: “I couldn’t pick only one. Just all the plays and performances by Lorain County Community College students at the Stocker Arts Center. Over the 35 years I have been here, I have been so fortunate to see so many outstanding performances. And Stocker is a big part of our community.”

Music: “Listening to jazz is my stress reliever.”

Restaurant: “LCCC’s student-run Sage & Seed. It has an extraordinary menu and showcases what our Culinary Arts students can do. Not only do they prepare the food, but run the front of the house themselves. It’s classroom experience in a restaurant.”

TV Show: “I am hooked on ‘The Pitt.’ It’s an incredible drama. Pittsburgh is also my hometown and they did such a fantastic job infusing realism about the city into this show."

Sport: “I watch football and baseball. And yes, I am a fan of both Cleveland and Pittsburgh.”