WCCCD Chancellor Dr. Curtis Ivery Receives Phi Theta Kappa’s Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction

DETROIT, Mich. – Feb. 11, 2026 – Dr. Curtis L. Ivery, Chancellor of Wayne County Community College District has been awarded the Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction from the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society (PTK). The award is the Society’s highest honor for community college presidents and chancellors. Dr. Ivery will be recognized during PTK Catalyst, PTK’s annual international convention.

The Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction honors community college leaders who have demonstrated sustained and exceptional commitment to student success through academic excellence, leadership development, and access to opportunity. Nominees are selected based on nominations submitted by PTK students on their campuses.

“I am humbled and proud to receive this recognition from the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society,” Ivery said. “Our enduring mission is to help people achieve better lives through higher education. It has been the honor of my life to pursue that mission with our Board of Trustees and leadership team in a way that empowers our students to explore greater possibilities, achieve more, and lead others to opportunity.”

“Dr. Ivery exemplifies the leadership this award was created to recognize,” said Dr. Lynn Tincher-Ladner, President and CEO of Phi Theta Kappa. “He has led with vision and consistency for decades, and students know that their success has always been central to his work. This recognition reflects the respect of students who have benefited from that leadership.”

Dr. Ivery has served as chancellor of WCCCD since 1995. Under his leadership, WCCCD, one of the largest community college districts in the state, has been transformed into a six-campus District that serves more than 60,000 students annually. He has been a national thought leader, educator, columnist, author, scholar, equity advocate and force for change in access to higher education for more than two decades.

Students describe Ivery as a leader who understands the transformative role community colleges play for individuals and communities, particularly in urban communities, and who has remained steadfast in his commitment to access, excellence, and upward mobility, PTK noted in a statement.

“His leadership reflects a belief that colleges must actively recognize academic achievement, cultivate leadership, and remove barriers that prevent talented students from advancing. Under his direction, Wayne County Community College District has fostered a culture in which high expectations are paired with meaningful opportunity,” the PTK statement said.

The Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction is named in honor of the late Dr. Shirley B. Gordon, Phi Theta Kappa’s longest-serving Board Chair and a lifelong advocate for community college students. 

About Phi Theta Kappa
Phi Theta Kappa is the first honor society recognizing the academic achievement of students at associate degree-granting colleges and helping them to grow as scholars and leaders. The Society is made up of more than 4.4 million members and nearly 1,250 chapters in 11 countries, with approximately 220,000 active members in the nation’s colleges. Learn more at ptk.org.

About Wayne County Community College District
WCCCD, one of the largest urban-suburban community colleges in Michigan, is a multi-campus district with six campus locations and educational centers, including the Mary Ellen Stempfle University Center, the Heinz C. Prechter Educational and Performing Arts Center, the Michigan Institute for Public Safety Education (MIPSE), the Curtis L. Ivery Health and Wellness Education Center and the Outdoor Careers Training Center.  The District serves students across 32 cities and townships, and more than 500 square miles. WCCCD is committed to the continued development of innovative programs, workforce transformation, hosting community-based training sessions, and improving student facilities and services. www.wcccd.edu.