David Hartleb

President, Northern Essex Community College 

For over 15 years, David Hartleb has served as President of Northern Essex Community College in Massachusetts, and retired in June, 2011.  He is also a Coach for Achieving the Dream.  As an Achieving the Dream Coach, Mr. Hartleb consults two community colleges in the middle states and southern regions: Athens Technical College and Cumberland County College, with a particular focus on positive change and evidence based decision making.

During his tenure at Northern Essex CC, enrollment increased 43% especially among minorities which represented 36% of the total enrollment at the end of his presidency.  Among other issues, he focused on increasing access to low income and minority students, in part by having the Lawrence Campus designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI).  Mr. Hartleb was a strong advocate of the college becoming an active chapter and leader of the National Coalition Building Institute (NCBI) which is designated to help build an institution which provides a fertile climate for greater diversity.

In 2007 the college won designation as an Achieving the Dream College and has warmly embraced the college completion agenda now sweeping our nation.  Within the college, Mr. Hartleb has been an advocate for positive change. He led the effort to adopt a form of total quality management called Process Management which improves the effectiveness and efficiency of processes and projects. Mr. Hartleb was a champion of Appreciative Inquiry which is a positive, strengths-based process used in management and planning at the college which has helped transform the culture at the college.

Educational Background: Mr. Hartleb holds a degree in Law from Salmon Chase College of Law and a Masters in History from the University of Cincinnati.