Sharon Morrissey

Dr. Sharon Morrissey became an Aspen Institute College Excellence Program senior fellow in 2024. She was with the Virginia Community College System from 2014-2024, serving first as the senior vice chancellor for Academic and Workforce Programs and later as the interim chancellor. In that role Sharon reported to a fifteen-member board and provided leadership for 23 community colleges to meet the system’s mission of providing all Virginians with the opportunity to learn and develop the right skills so that lives and communities are strengthened. 

Prior to her work in Virginia, Sharon served as the executive vice president and chief academic officer for the North Carolina Community College System. She was the president of Richmond Community College and held vice president roles at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College and Fayetteville Technical Community College. 

In addition to her Aspen work, Sharon sits on the board of the National Student Clearinghouse and chairs the Clearinghouse’s Research Center board. She also serves on the Beyond Transfer Policy Advisory board and is an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Education Leadership, Policy & Human Development at North Carolina State University.