Dr. Zelema Harris holds a Bachelor's Degree from Prairie View
A&M University in Prairie, Texas, a historically Black College
and received a Master's and Ph.D. in Education from the University
of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas. She was honored with a place in
the University's Women's Hall of Fame in 1988.
She was hired as President of Parkland College in Champaign,
Illinois in 1990. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including
President of the Year by the American Association of Women in
Community Colleges; "CEO" of the year, by the American
Association of Community College Trustees and the Leadership Award
for Outstanding Business/Professional Woman from the Champaign
County Chamber of Commerce.
Dr. Harris is very active in her community and has been a Board
Member of the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce, the Urban
League of Champaign County and served as Campaign Chair of the
United Way of Champaign County.
Her leadership has fostered more inclusiveness at Parkland and
throughout the community. Parkland hosted the State's first multi-cultural
education conference in 1993. She also presented a Commitment
to Diversity Resolution to Parkland's Board of Trustees which
remains a part of the institution today. In February 2000, Parkland
and several community partners hosted the first Black Male Symposium.
She has served on several State and National boards, including
the American Association of Community Colleges, the National Council
on Black American Affairs- North-Central Region, and the Illinois
Human Resource Investment Council/Workforce Investment Board.
She previously has served as President of the Illinois Council
of Community College Presidents. In February, 2001, Dr. Harris
was elected to the American Council on Education.
She is a recent graduate of the Harvard Institutes for Higher
Education, Institute for Educational Management and a Visiting
Scholar in the Community College Leadership Program at the University
of Texas in Austin.
Zelema Harris
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denotes original charter members of the Champaign County Section
of the National Council of Negro Women.