Columbia College President Carol Moore to Receive the ACE/APL nextED Donna Shavlik Award at ACE2020
February 19, 2020

​​​​​The Women in Education Initiative of Mott Community College also to be recognized with the ACE State Network Leadership Award

ACE announced today that Carol Moore, president of Columbia College in South Carolina, will receive the 2020 ACE/APL nextED Donna Shavlik Award.

The award will be presented at ACE2020, ACE's 102nd Annual Meeting in San Diego, during the Women's Leadership Dinner on Saturday, March 14. Johnnetta B. Cole, president emerita of Spelman College and Bennett College for Women, will give the keynote address at the dinner (tickets required).

“Throughout her career of nearly 50 years in higher education, Carol has served as a mentor and role model to many women and men," said ACE President Ted Mitchell. “Her steadfast leadership has helped the institutions she has served find stronger footing and inspired everyone who knows her." 

Picture of Columbia College President Carol Moore

Columbia College President Carol Moore

In 2018, Moore became president after serving as interim provost and then executive vice president at Columbia College. She led the private liberal arts women's college to sound financial and academic standing and oversaw a significant increase in student recruitment and enrollment.

Moore has served as chair of the ACE Women's Network Executive Board, currently known as the Women's Network Executive Council, and chair of the ACE Commission on Women in Higher Education. She was also a Senior Fellow at ACE from1991 to 1992 and served on ACE's Commissions on Leadership and Institutional Effectiveness from 2004 to 2007. Her commitment to empowering women and girls is also demonstrated by her tenure on the Girl Scouts Council of Vermont Board of Directors from 2001 to 2008.

ACE established the Donna Shavlik Award to commemorate the long and outstanding service of Donna Shavlik, former director of ACE's Office of Women in Higher Education. Presented annually, the award honors an individual who demonstrates a sustained commitment to advancing women in higher education through leadership and career development, campus climate, and mentoring.

ACE is grateful to APL nextED for its support of this award. APL nextED is a female-founded and owned education technology company that supports ACE's commitment to advancing women in all facets of higher education leadership.

2020 ACE State Network Leadership Award

The 2020 State Network Leadership Award will be given to the Women in Education Initiative of Mott Community College in Michigan. The award will be accepted by Lennetta B. Coney, president of The Foundation for Mott Community College and executive director of college and community advancement, at the ACE Women's Network Reception at ACE2020.

The ACE State Network Leadership Award recognizes an outstanding and innovative program sponsored by an ACE State Network or by a college or university that helps advance or support women or women's issues in higher education.

“Sixty percent of Mott Community College's students are women, some of whom may face barriers such as financial difficulties, single parenthood, or returning to an academic setting after years of absence," said Gailda Davis, director of professional learning at ACE. “The Women in Education Initiative ensures that such barriers do not stand in the way of these women's success and academic fulfillment."

The Women in Education Initiative was established in 1999 to help female students complete their education with non-traditional financial support, personal and professional guidance, and mentoring opportunities. In 2015, the initiative earned The American Association for Women in Community Colleges' Model Programs Award for its efficacy in addressing the needs of women at community colleges.

Click here to visit the ACE2020 website for more information and to register. Join the conversation on Twitter at #ACE2020SD.​