Lenore Polo Rodicio, Ph.D., Achieving the Dream’s incoming president and CEO, is a nationally recognized leader in higher education with over 20 years of experience advancing student success, academic innovation, and institutional transformation. A native of Miami, Florida, and daughter of Cuban immigrants, Rodicio has focused her career on expanding economic and social mobility for underserved students.
She has served as an evaluation partner for Gates Foundation–funded Transformation Initiatives, a senior fellow at the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program, a senior fellow for Postsecondary Systems Change and Governance at Our Cause, and a leadership and strategy coach with Achieving the Dream, guiding college leaders nationwide on governance, strategy, and capacity building.
At Miami Dade College, one of the nation’s largest and most diverse community colleges, Rodicio held leadership roles including executive vice president and provost. She led nationally recognized initiatives in advising reform, guided pathways, developmental course redesign, and holistic student supports, helping MDC earn the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence in 2019.
Rodicio has advised Gates Foundation, Lumina Foundation, and the American Council on Education on credential attainment. Her honors include the 2021 Association for General and Liberal Studies Award for National Leadership in Education and the 2020 Hispanic Leadership Award in Education. She holds a Ph.D. in chemistry from Louisiana State University and a B.S. from Barry University.