Eduardo J. Padrón

President, Miami Dade College

Eduardo Padrón has served as president of Miami Dade College, the largest institution of higher education in America with more than 170,000 students, since 1995. In 2009, TIME Magazine included Dr. Padrón on its list of "The 10 Best College Presidents." In 2011, the Washington Post named him one of the eight most influential college presidents in the United States. Dr. Padrón is the past board chair of the Association of American Colleges and Universities and the American Council on Education. During his career, he has been selected to serve on posts of national prominence by five American presidents, and he is the recipient of highest honors by the governments of France, Spain, and Argentina. Dr. Padrón currently serves on the boards of the Business-Higher Education Forum, League for Innovation in the Community College, RC-2020, College Board Advocacy & Policy Center, International Association of University Presidents, and chaired the 2010 White House Fellows selection panel. In past years, he has held leadership positions on the boards of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Campus Compact, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, and other organizations. Most recently, Dr. Padrón was appointed by President Obama to chair the White House Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans. He is based in Miami, FL.