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Home / Employees / Phelan, Daniel
President & CEO
Daniel J. Phelan serves as President and CEO of Jackson College in Michigan…a role he has held since 2001. During his tenure, the College has strengthened its financial foundation, improved student outcomes, expanded opportunity across the region, and sharpened its sense of purpose…all anchored in an unwavering commitment to student success. Under his leadership, Jackson College launched the Total Commitment to Student Success (TCS2) framework and the College’s Maroon and Gold Standards: aligning people, focus, resources, and strategy around helping students persist, complete, and flourish.
A nationally recognized leader in community colleges, Dr. Phelan is a sought-after speaker and author. His most recent book, The Community College Board 2.0: Covenant Governance, calls boards and presidents to lead with clarity, discipline, and moral purpose. He is currently writing Governing on Purpose: How Policy Governance Can Transform Community College Boards…continuing his lifelong dedication to strengthening governance, and particularly Policy Governance, as the cornerstone of institutional excellence and long-term vitality.
Dr. Phelan’s influence extends well beyond Jackson College. He serves as Chairman of the Board for the Center for Community College Student Engagement (CCCSE) and the League for Innovation in the Community College. He is Vice Chairman of Phi Theta Kappa’s International Board of Directors, a Trustee with the Higher Learning Commission, and a Director with the American Association of Community Colleges. Certified in board governance with a special focus on Policy Governance, he is widely known for helping boards govern with intention, integrity, and measurable impact. Previously, he served as Past Chair of the American Association of Community Colleges and co-chaired the AACC 21st-Century Commission on the Future of Community Colleges…a commission that helped redefine the role and mission of community colleges across the nation.
Closer to home, Dr. Phelan remains deeply invested in the vitality of Jackson and the surrounding region. He serves as Chairman of the Board for Henry Ford Jackson Hospital and is active with Accelerate Jackson County Board, the Jackson College Foundation, and the Henry Ford Health System Board of Directors in Detroit. His work consistently bridges education, workforce development, healthcare, and community advancement.
Dr. Phelan holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Iowa State University, an MBA from St. Ambrose University, and both a B.A. in Business Administration and an A.A. in Liberal Arts from Mount St. Clare College. His leadership has been recognized with numerous honors, including the Continuous Quality Improvement Network’s Legacy Award, the ACCT CEO of the Year Award for the Central Region, Phi Theta Kappa’s Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction, and the Iowa State University Alumni Award.
At the center of his work is a simple but enduring belief…community colleges transform lives and strengthen communities. Dr. Phelan is married to Dr. Adriana Phelan, a professor at the University of Michigan. Together they are the proud parents of four daughters…Katie, Michelle, Maggie, and Isabella…and share their home with an Australian Labradoodle named Oreo.
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