Maria Harper-Marinick, a national leader in higher education and an advocate for access to opportunity, equity, and student success, currently serves a Senior Fellow with the Aspen Institute. Previously she served the Maricopa Community College District for almost 30 years in a variety of leadership roles, including as Chancellor from 2016 -2020. The Maricopa District is one of the largest community college systems in the nation and with nearly 200,000 students across 10 colleges.

Her current contributions to the community and higher education include serving on the boards of national and regional organizations including American Council of Education (ACE), American Association of Community Colleges, Excelencia in Education, Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, and the Arizona Chamber of Commerce.