Boggs, Van Atter Elected to Lead Phi Theta Kappa Board of Directors

February 18, 2020

Dr. George Boggs and Pattie Van Atter have been re-elected to serve as chair and vice chair, respectively, of the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society Board of Directors.

The election was held during the recent meeting of the board in San Diego, California, January 24-26.

“We are so thankful and honored to have the continued leadership of Dr. Boggs and Mrs. Van Atter,” said Dr. Lynn Tincher-Ladner, PTK President and CEO. “Their enduring support of the Society — its mission and members — has guided us to record levels of engagement among all constituent groups — members, advisors, college presidents, alumni, and friends.”

Boggs has served as chair of the Board of Directors since 2016, and he previously served as vice chair since 2006. He is an International Honorary Member of PTK and also serves on the Phi Theta Kappa Foundation Board of Trustees.

Boggs is President and CEO Emeritus of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), which he led from 2000 to 2010. He is also Superintendent/President Emeritus of Palomar College in California, at which he served as superintendent and president for more than 15 years. Prior to that, he was a founding faculty member, division chair, and associate dean of instruction at Butte College in California.

A prolific writer, Boggs has written more than 100 articles or chapters and has lectured extensively on key higher educational issues, including faculty preparation and evaluation, leadership development, college governance, developmental education, and cultural diversity. His newest book, Team Leadership in Community Colleges, was published in 2019.

“I am honored to be in a position to support Dr. Lynn Tincher-Ladner and her staff and all of the volunteers at the regional and college levels who do so much to support our students,” Boggs said. “Studies continue to show that Phi Theta Kappa membership improves student success rates, and it opens doors to scholarships and career opportunities for our students.”

Van Atter has served on the PTK Board of Directors since 2015 and as vice chair since 2016. She is advisor of the Alpha Zeta Kappa Chapter at Delaware Technical Community College, where she works as Coordinator of Institutional and Support Services.

Van Atter was inducted into the Alpha Psi Pi Chapter of PTK at Gloucester County College in New Jersey in 1998, where she served as a chapter officer and was named a member of the All-New Jersey Academic Team. She attended Temple University on a Phi Theta Kappa transfer scholarship and completed a bachelor’s degree in early childhood, special education, and elementary education.

She was a charter member of the award-winning Middle States Regional Alumni Association and was elected president in 2003. She previously served on PTK’s Alumni Advisory Council and since 2012 has been the Middle States Regional Coordinator. Van Atter received the Board of Directors Alumni Achievement Award in 2013.

“I am honored to serve the Society,” Van Atter said. “As a proud community college student who reaped the rewards of membership in Phi Theta Kappa, I remain committed to making decisions that support the mission and members of the Society.”

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