Dr. Barbara J. Bryan

Dr. Barbara J. Bryan is the first woman to occupy the presidential seat at Broward College. She is a product of the academy, a student of higher education, a student of leadership, and an in-field expert. Over the span of her career, she prioritized the creation of student-centered environments. As a leader, Dr. Bryan ascribes to the tenets of Servant Leadership, a practical philosophy that encourages collaboration, trust, foresight, listening, and the ethical use of power and empowerment. She believes education is the great equalizer, and the mission of the College is to educate students while upholding its sacred trust to positively change students' lives for generations to come.

Dr. Bryan, a proud first-generation college graduate, is a notable writer, speaker, and presenter. She has made her mark as a published peer-reviewed author. Her career propelled her in front of audiences on the continents of Asia and Australia. She was a keynote speaker in Sydney, Australia, and her published white paper is entitled Community Colleges' Baccalaureate Degrees: Trends in the USA and a Practical Model for Change. Further, her published Dissertation is entitled Organizational Transformation Through Technological Change in Florida Community Colleges: Leaders Perspectives.

At Broward College, Dr. Bryan was progressively promoted through national search processes, and she served as the College-wide district registrar (she was the first female to hold this position), associate vice president of student services, academic dean, business dean, provost, campus president, and vice president of strategic initiatives. One of her greatest honors was bestowed on her by the students of Collegiate DECA Florida Association when she was inducted as a Lifetime Honorary Member. She served on numerous boards, she led the Broward College team that brought Junior Achievement of South Florida to the College’s North Campus, and she raised thousands of dollars for United Way of South Florida. In recognition of her contributions March of Dimes named her as a Woman of Distinction. Dr. Bryan was also honored by President Barack Obama with the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Volunteer Service.

After serving in leadership roles at Broward College for nearly three decades, the College honored Dr. Bryan with a Proclamation for her dedicated leadership and for being a champion for education; she was named President Emerita of Broward College’s North Campus. She is a Lifetime Member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Dr. Bryan holds four degrees: a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration and Leadership, from the Adrian Dominican School of Education, Leadership, and Human Development at Barry University; an Education Specialist (Ed.S.), Master of Education (M.Ed.) from the College of Education at the University of Florida; and a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Florida.

Reports to the District Board of Trustees