Dr. Karen A. Stout
“Achieving the Dream is a special organization. I love everything about it. And it is in a terrific place to thrive into the future.” Stout said in a statement. “In fact, the organization couldn’t be on more solid ground. It is ready for its next climb and for a new leader to take the organization to the next level of development. And I am ready for my next climb.”
Stout said her decision to step down as ATD’s leader is part of “a self-imposed sabbatical” to give her the time and space to determine how and where she can continue to make a difference.
“This is a challenging time for higher education, but Dr. Stout has put ATD in a strong position for the future,” said Dr. Gregory D. Williams, president of Odessa College and chairman of the Achieving the Dream Board of Directors, in a statement. “With Dr. Stout’s leadership, ATD has transformed from a small nonprofit advancing a narrowly focused reform strategy to a comprehensive organization that supports campus-wide institutional change by focusing on student success through college completion and beyond.”
In a statement, Dr. Pam Eddinger, president of Bunker Hill Community College and former chair of the ATD Board of Directors, said that Stout “has been a scholar-practitioner who has worked in the trenches with hundreds of community colleges and has helped us define what community colleges will look like and what they will be for in the 21st century.” Eddinger added that Stout “also has been an institution builder, positioning ATD as a powerful force helping community colleges become results oriented, student focused, and sustainable.”
Stout is the recipient of the 2025 Diverse Champions Award, which recognizes higher education leaders who have shown unwavering commitment to equal opportunity and access for all, particularly at the community college level. Please read Diverse’s profile of Stout here.
Achieving the Dream provides community colleges integrated, tailored support for all aspects of their work, from foundational capacities such as leadership, data, and equity to intentional strategies for supporting students holistically, building K–12 partnerships, and more. Please click here for more on Achieving the Dream’s work.
