Dr. Constanza Cabello, Framingham State University’s Vice President for Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement, has been named to a prestigious leadership initiative that has been successful in shaping future college presidents and chancellors from underrepresented backgrounds.

The Millennium Leadership Initiative (MLI), a premier leadership development program of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), has produced 632 graduates over its 20-year history, of which 131 have become first-time presidents or chancellors. Dr. Cabello joins 30 other higher education leaders from around the country in the Class of 2020.

“I am thrilled to represent Framingham State University as a member of the 2020 MLI Class,” says Cabello. “I look forward to learning and leading alongside some of the nations most talented and promising leaders in higher education.”

AASCU restructured the 2020 MLI to continue to advance the next generation of higher education leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic. This year’s MLI Institute will include two webinars per month from July–November 2020 and an in-person conference in January 2021. Protégés will also have a yearlong mentorship with an experienced president or chancellor and four months of professional coaching from a retired president or chancellor.

“Dr. Cabello has demonstrated outstanding leadership qualities during her time at Framingham State University,” says FSU President F. Javier Cevallos, who is on the AASCU Board of Directors. “I’m excited that she will get this opportunity to advance her skills and learn from other top leaders in the field of higher education.”

MLI provides individuals traditionally underrepresented in the highest ranks of postsecondary education with the opportunity to develop skills, gain a philosophical overview, and build the network and knowledge needed to advance to the presidency.

“The network of presidents I gained from participating in MLI has remained invaluable to me throughout my career. I am honored this year's class will be afforded the same opportunity to cultivate their leadership skills in these unprecedented times for our country,” said AASCU President Dr. Mildred García, a protégé in MLI’s inaugural class in 1999. “The voices and contributions of these emerging leaders will be critical to the future of our institutions.”