From the moment DeDe Griffith first experienced a community college, she practically never left. After completing an Associate’s Degree in Drafting Technology at Lee College in Baytown, TX, she led a successful drafting and design company until her love for learning drew her back to Lee College, but this time to serve behind the teaching podium. While working at the college, she returned to her studies at the University of Houston, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership and Supervision and a Master of Science in Higher Education Administration and Supervision. She is currently enrolled at Kansas State University, completing a Doctorate of Education in Community College Leadership.

As a founding faculty member of the college’s Achieving the Dream Core Team, she has always embraced a student-centric philosophy. In 2017, DeDe agreed to serve as Interim Vice President of Instruction at Lee College, the college’s Chief Academic Officer and state and regional accreditation liaison, bringing together her instructional experience and her commitment to student success.

DeDe joined the Northwest Louisiana Technical Community College (NLTCC) team in 2017. As Vice Chancellor of Academic and Student Affairs, she successfully transitioned NLTCC from a technical college to a community college. While at NLTCC, she co-authored and served as Principal Investigator on an NSF ATE Grant-funded project in partnership with Texas A&M College Station, “Educating the Workforce in Cyber & Smart Manufacturing for Industry 4.0”.

A 2017 Aspen Rising Presidential Fellow, DeDe has 26+ years in higher education deeply rooted in Workforce and Technical Education with a strong focus on the intersection of Instruction, Student Success, and STEM Leadership. In 2020, she was named an Aspen Equity Leadership Fellow and completed a 6-month fellowship to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workforce sector.

DeDe joined Temple College on July 26, 2021, to serve as the first Temple College Vice President of Workforce Development. She created new and revised legacy engineering technology programs in her first year to include Industry 4.0 principles, including AR/VR, robotics, and cyber-physical systems. This year, she secured and managed more than $3.5M in grant funds to support STEM innovation and student success, focusing on rural and underserved communities. DeDe has been selected by the National Science Foundation Community College President’s Initiative to serve as a 2023 National STEM Fellow.