Nate Mackinnon named NSHE vice chancellor for community colleges
Nate Mackinnon, currently assistant commissioner and chief of staff for the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education, has been selected to serve as the vice chancellor for community colleges for the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) beginning July 12, 2017.
“Nate Mackinnon’s extensive and innovative community college and higher education administrative experience will make him an incredible resource and welcome addition to our team,” said Chancellor John Valery White.
The vice chancellor for community colleges is a new position within NSHE that will work closely with the chancellor, Board of Regents, and college presidents to provide leadership, coordination, and advocacy for the College of Southern Nevada, Great Basin College, Truckee Meadows Community College, and Western Nevada College.
The creation of this position is part of NSHE’s ongoing commitment to implement a “System Within A System,” as recommended by an interim study of the governance structure and funding methods of Nevada’s community colleges (Senate Bill 391, Chapter 494, Statutes of Nevada 2013).
Previous recommendations from the interim study, such as the creation of a Community College Committee on the Board of Regents and an Institutional Advisory Council for each institution, have already been put into place.
Mackinnon will also be responsible for implementing and advocating for programs that enhance pathways to post-secondary education. He will work closely with local school districts and the State Board of Education to utilize dual enrollment programs, community college high schools, as well as outreach to secondary school students to enhance enrollment in NSHE community colleges.
For the past eight years, Mackinnon served as the assistant commissioner and chief of staff for the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education.
He previously held positions as research director for the Joint Committee on Education for the Massachusetts State Legislature and research coordinator/education specialist/department spokesperson for the Office of the Commissioner in the Massachusetts Department of Education.
Mackinnon earned a B.S. in political science from Northeastern University and a Master in Public Administration from Harvard University.
