Bishane Whitmore is the new president of the Community College of Denver. He began his appointment on October 1.
According to the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Education, the Community College of Denver enrolls nearly 8,000 students, 11 percent of whom are Black.
Dr. Whitmore comes to his presidency following more than two decades of leadership experience in the United States Air Force, where he has held senior roles spanning operations, strategy, and organizational leadership. In his most recent role as Deputy Commander, he served as the chief operating officer for a large geographically distributed organization. Among other strategic responsibilities, Dr. Whitmore collaborated with higher education institutions to strengthen workforce pipelines, advance applied research, and support innovation initiatives. Earlier in his career, Dr. Whitmore served in a senior chief of staff role at the Pentagon.
“It is an honor to be selected to serve as the next president of the Community College of Denver and to join the Colorado Community College System,” said Dr. Whitmore. “Community colleges are powerful engines of opportunity. CCD has a strong legacy of serving its community, and I look forward to working alongside faculty, staff, students, and partners to expand access, strengthen pathways to in-demand careers, and support student success at every stage of their journey.”
After beginning his higher education journey with three STEM-related associate degrees, Dr. Whitmore received his bachelor’s degree from Saint Martin’s University in Lacey, Washington. He holds a master of military art and science degree from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College in Kansas, a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Northcentral University, an MBA from the University of Phoenix, and both a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in military strategy from the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama.
