CCCS Internal Dr. Marielena DeSanctis
Chancellor
Dr. Marielena DeSanctis leads the Colorado Community College System with a vision to expand opportunity, strengthen Colorado’s workforce, and ensure every learner can achieve economic mobility through education.
Colorado’s community colleges are essential to the state’s economic vitality and educational promise, and I am excited to partner with our institutions, communities, and industry leaders to advance our bold 2030 Strategic Plan. Together, we will expand access, accelerate economic mobility, and position CCCS as the first and best choice for every Coloradan seeking a better life.
As Chancellor of the Colorado Community College System, Dr. DeSanctis is committed to empowering students, faculty, and partners to build a stronger Colorado—one learner and one community at a time. Through the System’s 13 colleges, she champions access, affordability, and inclusive excellence, ensuring that every learner has a pathway to success, no matter where they start or where they are headed.
A former engineer turned educator, she brings over 26 years of experience spanning K–12 and higher education and a deep belief in the power of community colleges to transform lives and communities.
Dr. Marielena DeSanctis serves as Chancellor of the Colorado Community College System (CCCS), the state’s largest system of higher education, which includes 13 colleges and more than 35 locations that educate over 130,000 students each year.
With more than 26 years of experience spanning K–12 and higher education, Dr. DeSanctis has led at every level of the learning continuum. Before becoming Chancellor, she served as President of the Community College of Denver, Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs and Student Services at Broward College, and previously as a high school principal, assistant superintendent, and classroom teacher.
A former mechanical engineer in the manufacturing and construction sectors, she brings a distinctive blend of technical expertise and educational leadership to her work, bridging industry and education to expand opportunity, strengthen Colorado’s workforce, and improve economic mobility for all learners.
Nationally, Dr. DeSanctis serves as Co-Chair of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Board on Higher Education and the Workforce and as a member of its Roundtable on Systemic Change in Undergraduate STEM Education. She also contributes her expertise through the Jobs for the Future Policy Trust Council, the Colorado Business Round Table Board, the Colorado Education Initiative Board, and the Downtown Denver Partnership’s Economic Development Committee.
The daughter of a Cuban immigrant and a dedicated public school teacher, Dr. DeSanctis is fluent in Spanish and a lifelong champion of access and inclusive excellence. She is deeply committed to making education affordable, inclusive, and transformative for every learner.
A graduate of the Aspen Presidential Fellowship for Community College Excellence, she holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, a master’s degree in Mathematics Education from Nova Southeastern University, and an Ed.S. and Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Florida Atlantic University.
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2025 WELCOME MESSAGE
Hear from Chancellor DeSanctis as she shares her journey what drives her passion for expanding opportunity through education. Learn what she’s discovered about CCCS and the people who make Colorado’s community colleges a beacon of possibility.
