Dr. Greg Peterson, President of Chandler-Gilbert Community College, will be the first to tell you that you should call him Greg. His humble, service-focused approach to leadership is at the center of all that he does. He is driven to ensure access and opportunity for all students at the college and is committed to supporting success for faculty and staff. Greg is acutely aware of the needs of women, who frequently need additional support, especially if they are the caregivers for children or others in the family.

Among the accolades his staff shared during his nomination process, Dr. Peterson is “cultivating a culture of inclusion and support” for both students and employees. They spoke to that fact that he supports female administrators far more than most people. In the past several years, as the college searched for qualified female leadership in three open vice president positions, all formerly held by men, Greg ended up selecting three qualified women, two of whom are women of color. And he has continued to mentor those women to ensure their success.

Dr. Peterson is also committed to ensuring that students who enroll in college are able to see the economic mobility that results from their hard work. After reviewing economic data, the college invested in two curricular areas of focus that will no doubt help many students, particularly women. Associate degrees and university transfer programs in community health, exercise science, nutrition, speech and hearing sciences, and fitness and sports performance offer comprehensive training for work in hospitals, healthcare facilities and fitness settings. The nursing program has also grown significantly over the past years and graduates are well-regarded by the healthcare systems in which they are now employed.

Because women are underrepresented in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields, the college has made an extra effort to initiate more short-term programs that lead to immediate employment in high-paying jobs. There are fast-track certificates in areas such as Amazon Web Services, Android App Development, Cisco Networking, Red Hat Linux, and more. CGCC’s engineering program is ASU’s College of Engineering largest feeder community college. In fact, three recent Positive Paths women who achieved their bachelor’s degree in engineering all started in CGCC’s engineering program.

It is a challenge to recruit women into male-dominated fields like engineering, but industry leaders like Intel have worked with CGCC to develop a “Hermanas program” that reaches into middle schools and high schools to encourage Latinas to pursue STEM careers. CGCC is currently working with 10-14 schools each year, to provide exploratory experiences and strong math and science preparation to encourage pursuit of STEM fields. A Dean at CGCC spoke to Dr. Peterson’s financial support and advocacy for the Hermanas program as critical to its ongoing success.

Women make up the majority of the student population at CGCC. Dismantling their barriers to success has been front and center on Dr. Peterson’s mind. He has demonstrated in his actions and words the power that education has to lift all people, especially women and families, into better lives. For that we are proud to celebrate him as the 2024 East Valley Man of the Year.