Dr. Sunita (Sunny) Cooke has over three decades of experience working in community colleges in TX and in CA. She served as a president in San Diego County for 19 years and was recently named President Emerita upon her retirement from MiraCosta College in August of 2026. She is a nationally recognized leader in community colleges, workforce development, futures thinking, and leadership development and was awarded CEO of the year in 2026 by the San Diego Business Journal. She chaired the American Association of Community Colleges Board in 2024 and Chaired the CA state taskforce on workforce development and a strong economy. This work led to changes in regulations and resulted in an annual state investment of $292 million to the CA Community College system. Prior to becoming a president, she served in a variety of roles in the Lone Star System in the greater Houston, TX area where she got her start. These include being a biology/biotechnology faculty member, director, dean, and associate vice chancellor of workforce development. In her time as President of MiraCosta College, the college developed a unique bachelor’s degree, passed a transformative voter-approved facilities bond, significantly improved student success outcomes, and diminished equity gaps. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from American University and a Ph.D. in biology from Georgetown University both located in Washington, D.C. Dr. Cooke regularly speaks on workforce development, awakening your futures mindset, and leadership. She is a contributing author for the Chronicle of Higher Education collection “Higher Education in 2035”.