Belle S. Wheelan, president of the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, was selected to receive the 2012 Leadership Award from the American Association of Community Colleges. In announcing the award, Walter G. Bumphus, president of the American Association of Community Colleges said, “She has challenged all of us to build a better educational system that aspires to the highest standards.”
Dr. Wheelan is the first African American and the first woman to head the accrediting commission. She is a graduate of Trinity University in Texas. She holds a master’s degree in developmental educational psychology from Louisiana State University and a doctorate in educational administration from the University of Texas.