Dr. Allatia Harris was named Vice Chancellor of Strategic Initiatives, Workforce, Community, and Diversity in March 2013, after serving successfully for five years as President of the North Campus of San Jacinto College. In her current role, she works with business and industry leaders to ensure that San Jacinto College workforce programs are aligned with the varied industry needs of the greater Houston region. She oversees the San Jacinto College Maritime program and the college’s noncredit and corporate training division.
Harris chairs the Workforce Development Task Force of the Economic Alliance Houston Port Region and the Greater Houston Partnership’s UpSkill Houston efforts. She has also been a member of the regional team for the Aspen Institute’s Communities That Work Partnership. She is active with several chambers of commerce and economic development organizations in east Harris County.
In addition to workforce efforts, Harris belongs to an array of community organizations that increase access and opportunity for San Jacinto College’s diverse student body. Nationally, she is a recent past president of the American Association for Women in Community Colleges (AAWCC) and currently directs AAWCC’s LEADERS Institute. She recently served as part of the League for Innovation’s national Faculty Voices facilitation team.
Harris holds a doctorate in educational administration with a specialization in community college leadership from the University of Texas, where she has been recognized as a Distinguished Graduate. She has pursued doctoral studies at the University of Southern California in communication, and earned master’s and bachelor’s degrees in speech communication, both from the University of North Texas. Harris came to San Jacinto College from the Dallas County Community College District, where she began her career as a faculty member and later served in a variety of roles at several colleges and in the system office.