This book is a defining work at a defining time in our nation’s future. Our community colleges are a national asset and this book is both a call to arms — and a call to opportunity!

William D. Green, Associate Professor of History, Augsburg College, former Superintendent, Minneapolis Public Schools

Noah Brown understands not only the work of community colleges but also the basics tenets of a democratic society. When he speaks of the immense potential of community colleges to affect societal change, his deeper message is about reimagining the nation’s commitment to educational opportunity. This is a book that deserves the attention of everyone who cares about that tradition.

Eduardo J. Padron Ph.D, President, Miami Dade College

Our community colleges are incredibly valuable to our society. They adapt quickly to the economic demands of our communities and to the needs of our students, especially low and middle-income Americans who otherwise could not afford the escalating costs of higher education. Noah Brown points out eloquently that community colleges prepare our students for additional education, as well as for jobs and ultimately careers. It is my hope that First in the World will help renew interest in our community colleges and move us toward a focus on strength and support for them. It is the right thing to do in order to provide opportunities for our students, as well as to serve our communities, our states and our nation.

Richard W. Riley, former U.S. Secretary of Education

First in the World: Community Colleges and America’s Future, could not have come at a better time. In a clear and detailed narrative that should make this book a must-read for every community college leader, Brown makes another contribution that is long overdue: analysis of the structure and importance of the two pillars of college leadership, presidents and trustees. Too often these important roles are examined independently, but community college lay citizen boards, public servants that Brown rightly asserts 'make community colleges truly American institutions,' must work in tandem with presidents to ensure that both policy and operations best reflect community and student needs.

Walter G. Bumphus, PhD, president and CEO, American Association of Community Colleges (AACC)