Linda Collins

Linda Collins is the Executive Director of the Career Ladders Project. Linda has extensive experience with policy development and implementation in community colleges having worked closely with the Board of Governors for the California Community Colleges (CCC) to develop the statewide Ladders of Opportunity policy initiative. Linda served on the Steering Committee and subsequent implementation team of the new CCC Strategic Planning Initiative, and has represented the system on numerous state committees and policy task forces.

Linda is frequently asked to consult on state and national policy efforts. She has most recently served on: California Tomorrow's Community College Advisory Board, the Policy Innovations Committee of the Bay Area Workforce Funding Collaborative, the Community College Sector Expansion Project of the National Network of Sector Practitioners, the Employment Task Force for the National Governor's Association Foster Youth Policy Academy, the Consumer-Directed Services Network Board, and the CA EDGE Campaign Steering Committee. Linda is a member of the newly formed Partnership for Strengthening Community Colleges (PSCC) convened by the Hewlett Foundation and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Linda worked with the Chancellor's Office in developing the background concepts for the recently launched Career Advancement Academies statewide demonstration project. She is a member of the newly formed Golden State Institute that will serve as the state level advisory group to the Career Advancement Academies.

Linda currently directs the Gateway Project that offers bridges to college and high wage careers for disconnected or disadvantaged youth and adults in six California counties.

Linda has broad experience with academic leadership. In her six year tenure on the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges, she served two terms each as Secretary, President and Past President. She chaired the Academic Senate Research Committee and the Educational Policies Committee, and was a member of the Inter-segmental Committee of Academic Senates. Linda was the founding director of the Inter-segmental Major Preparation Articulated Curriculum (IMPAC), a major initiative to improve the articulation of major preparation among the community colleges, California State University and University of California. Linda is the past chair of the national Committee on Community Colleges of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and a member of the national AAUP Committee on Academic Freedom. Linda holds a faculty appointment in sociology and interdisciplinary studies at Los Medanos College.
Linda Collins, Executive Director