Dr. Suzanne Elise Walsh is the 19th president of Bennett College, one of two historically Black colleges for women in the United States. Prior to that role, she served as the deputy director for postsecondary success with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. There, Walsh led the foundation’s efforts in institutional transformation strategies, Completion by Design, and was integrally involved in the viability and sustainability of Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the current postsecondary education environment. Walsh’s previous work also includes service at two other prominent foundations: Lumina Foundation in Indianapolis, where she managed the Making Opportunity Affordable initiative, which was aimed at increasing college productivity by bringing about fundamental change in the way higher education does business; and, The Heinz Endowments in Pittsburgh, where her diverse portfolio included community colleges, universities, workforce development, tech commercialization and transfer, city/county consolidation, immigration and regional economic development. Walsh got her start in higher education working at Cuyahoga Community College where she led efforts focused on workforce and economic development. She recently co-authored a chapter on “Community colleges and the ladder of student success” in the book, 13 Ideas that Are Transforming the Community College World (2019).