Collaborative Brain Trust (CBT) Members

Project Lead and CBT Senior Consultant

36 years of Higher Education Experience

Education:

• Ed.D. Organizational Leadership | University of La Verne
• M.A. Counseling Education | Chapman University
• B.S. Business Administration | California State University, Fresno
• Certificate, Leading Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion | Northwestern University, Weinberg College of Arts & Sciences

Dr. Sally Montemayor Lenz has over 35 years of experience in higher education. She began her career in 1988 with the state California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office. At the Chancellor’s Office, she held state-wide leadership positions in the areas of Academic Affairs, Student and Support Services, Matriculation, Middle College High Schools, Fund for Student Success, Legislation, Liaison to the Board of Governors and Consultation Council, Grants and Contracts, and Management Information Systems, with special emphasis on STEM, MESA, Puente, and Umoja. Most recently, she served as the Director of Postsecondary Projects at WestEd. She also provides consulting and grant writing services on projects related to advancing student equity and diversity, diversity, community college baccalaureate degree proposals, Guided Pathways; the development of meta- majors; AB 288 CCAP dual/concurrent enrollment agreements; AB 705 Student Success Act of 2012 – matriculation and assessment; student support services, to include dual enrollment, student equity and diversity; instructional programs, dissertation reviews and technical assistance. Additionally, she has conducted consulting and advisory projects with a national firm directed at guiding higher education policy on instruction, student services and strategic planning.

Dr. Montemayor Lenz also served as the Associate Vice Chancellor of Educational Services for the Contra Costa Community College District, which comprises Contra Costa College, Diablo Valley College and Los Medanos College. As a member of the Chancellor’s Cabinet, her responsibilities included leadership and support of educational programs, drafting and analyzing district-wide policies and procedures, workforce and economic development, student services, international education and distance education.

Dr. Montemayor Lenz served as the interim Vice President at Los Medanos College (LMC). In addition to her role as Vice President, she led team development in the launch of Guided Pathways – LMC Redesign for Student Success, eLumen, and participated in accreditation, strategic planning, curriculum review and development, and faculty and staff hiring.

As a bilingual, first-generation college graduate, Sally understands the value of education. She is passionate about student success and college opportunity and affordability. She is a past faculty member at Sierra College from 2006-2013 where she served as an adjunct counselor and a Puente program mentor while working at the state Chancellor’s Office.

CBT Consultant and and Research and Planning Strategist

Education:

• Ph.D. in Higher Education & Organizational Change | University of California, Los Angeles
• M.A. in Higher Education & Organizational Change | University of California, Los Angeles
• M.A. in History | University of California, San Diego
• B.A. in History and Spanish | University of California, Berkeley

KC Greaney’s career has been dedicated to promoting college student success through data-informed assessment, planning and evaluation, with a focus on listening to the student voice. After completing her Ph.D. in Higher Education and Organizational Change at UCLA, she began working in the California Community College System, where she served over two decades as chief institutional planning and research officer at the Sonoma County Junior College District.. Since her retirement, she has been consulting with diverse colleges and organizations, including an interim position 2022 – 2023 in the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office as a consultant for data, visualization, and analytics. Additionally, Dr. Greaney has been teaching in the John E. Roueche Community College Leadership Program (Ed.D.) at Kansas State University.

As Director of Institutional Research at Santa Rosa Junior College, Dr. Greaney developed the California Community College CTE (Career & Technical Education) Employment Outcomes Survey (CTEOS) and administered it on behalf of colleges across the state beginning in 2012. This was a collaborative, grass-roots project that grew from a small pilot to statewide implementation, surveying nearly 200,000 students annually. She increased the capacity of the Office of Institutional Research from a staff of one Analyst to six employees funded by grants, categorical programs, and outside sources of funding to better serve the research, planning and institutional effectiveness needs of the District.

Dr. Greaney also successfully launched a “Citizen Researcher’s” Campaign to foster a culture of inquiry in the Sonoma County Junior College District that has been presented as a model at state and national conferences. Lastly, she has co-authored many successful grants, including a Title V “Developing Hispanic Serving Institutions” grant, various National Science Foundation (NSF) grants, and was the sole author on the competitive application that brought a Gateway to College program to SRJC.

CBT Consultant and Founder of Integrated Academic Solutions, LLC

35 years of Higher Education Experience

Education:

• M.A. in Teaching in History | University of California, Davis
• B.A. | University of California, Davis
• Transfer Program | American River College, Sacramento, CA
• Certificate, Leading Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion | Northwestern University, Weinberg College of Arts & Sciences

Diane White began her journey in higher education as a first-generation community college student at American River College, and later transferred to the University of California, Davis where she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Following her passion for learning and teaching, Diane entered the community college system as an adjunct professor teaching in four different districts in northern California and eventually became a tenured community college faculty member and leader.

Diane enjoyed 28 years of award-winning community college teaching, and helped launch one of the first Learning Communities programs at Solano Community Colleges where she also worked to establish a number of other student learning support programs, including supplemental instruction and a “one-stop” Academic Success Center. At the national level, Diane chaired the National Educational Association Grant Committee on Distance Education Policy and Bargaining Benchmarks, which provides guidelines to colleges seeking to improve the quality of online education in order to enhance equitable access and outcomes for distance education students. Diane has also served as a VP of Student Success, Dean of Instruction, and Interim VP of Academic Affairs. These experiences inform her student-centered, equity-infused approach to strategic, integrated, and comprehensive master planning.

Diane is a passionate supporter of community colleges, which are called to empower all students to achieve their dreams. Diane brings over thirty-four years of experience in higher education, including twenty-eight years of award-winning community college teaching and administration as well as an array of leadership and consultative positions, which provide her with expertise in:

• Instructional curriculum and programs; student support and success programs; enrollment management; accreditation; shared governance; and collective bargaining;
• Strategic and comprehensive master planning, which aligns institutional goals and objectives and successfully integrates educational, equity, student support, enrollment management, human capital, technology, and facility plans; and,
• Building diverse and highly functional teams to partner with college and community stakeholders to find practical solutions to challenges, close opportunity and equity gaps, pursue social justice, and build the positive relationships needed to complete successful projects.

CBT Consultant and Equity Strategist specializing in identity, belonging, wellness, student success, and institutional transformation

23 years of Higher Education Experience

Education:

• Ed.D. Higher Education | Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California
• M.A. Speech Communication | California State University, Northridge
• B.A. Communication Studies| Loyola Marymount University

Dr. Frank Harris III is a professor of postsecondary education, co-director of the Community College Equity Assessment Lab at San Diego State University (SDSU). Dr. Harris is also a senior strategist in SDSU’s Division of Campus Diversity and Student Affairs, and, in 2021-2022, the SDSU President named Harris the faculty athletics representative. In Fall 2022, Harris began his appointment as associate dean of diversity, equity, and inclusion in SDSU’s College of Education, and he received the SDSU Alumni Distinguished Faculty Award for the 2022-2023 academic year.

Dr. Harris is best known for his expertise in racial [in]equity in postsecondary education and has made important contributions to knowledge about college student development and the social construction of gender and race in college contexts. His work prioritizes populations that have been historically underrepresented and underserved in education, and he has obtained competitive grants and extramural funding for his research. Harris’s scholarship has been published in leading journals for higher education and student affairs research and practice, and his commentary has been sought by high-profile media outlets, including CNN, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and The Chronicle of Higher Education. Colleges and universities across the country, including numerous California community colleges, consult Harris regularly for his expertise on student equity, student success, and institutional transformation, and he has worked with more than 100 postsecondary institutions, community organizations, and nonprofits on equity-related efforts. He has also delivered thousands of academic and professional presentations throughout his career. During the Obama Administration, Harris was invited to The White House to share his knowledge and expertise on the status of boys and men of color in education. He also serves on the Every Learner Everywhere Equity Advisory Board and on the Partnership for College Completion Board.

Before joining the faculty at San Diego State, Harris worked as a student affairs educator and college administrator in student crisis support and advocacy, new student orientation programs, multicultural student affairs, academic advising, and enrollment services. He also served as an adjunct professor of speech communication at Los Angeles Trade Technical College.

CBT President

23 years of Higher Education Experience

Education:

• MBA in Commercialization & Strategy | The Ohio State University, Fisher College of Business
• B.A. in Education | The Ohio State University

James Walton is President of the Collaborative Brain Trust (CBT), where he leads the firm’s overall strategy and day-to-day operations, including sales, marketing, and business development. In this role, he oversees both the university and community college portfolios, managing complex engagements for some of the nation’s largest and most diverse higher education institutions. His work spans institutional strategy, organizational effectiveness, workforce alignment, and large-scale change initiatives, with a consistent focus on practical outcomes and long-term sustainability.

Mr. Walton brings a rare cross-functional background to his consulting practice, with experience spanning information technology, student life, economic development, governance, fundraising, and external relations. This breadth allows him to work effectively across cabinet-level leadership, faculty, staff, boards, and external stakeholders—translating strategy into execution while navigating the realities of institutional culture and constraints. He is particularly known for helping institutions align vision, operations, and resources in ways that are both ambitious and achievable.

Prior to joining CBT, Mr. Walton served in senior leadership roles at The Ohio State University, including Vice President of Business Development for the Science & Technology Campus Corporation (SciTech), where he led business development efforts supporting the future growth of the university’s research park. He also served as Associate Director of Strategic Relations in the Office of the President and in the Office of Economic & Workforce Development, working at the intersection of higher education, industry partnerships, and regional economic strategy. Across his career, Mr. Walton has advised universities, community colleges, and public-sector organizations on initiatives that strengthen institutional capacity, advance student success, and position organizations for long-term impact.