NORFOLK, Neb. – New America is highlighting Northeast Community College as a national example of how community college trustees and presidents can work together to strengthen rural economic and workforce development.
Northeast is one of five community colleges featured in “How Community College Trustees Can Bolster Economic Development,” a new publication from New America and the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT). Published Oct. 21, the report is the first publication under the Accelerator for Community Colleges in the Innovation Economy exploring how community colleges can connect to regional economic development initiatives.
The Northeast case study, How to Turn Trustee Advocacy Into Local and National Rural Development, examines how the College has connected community engagement, Board of Governors leadership, workforce development, and advocacy to address needs across rural Nebraska and beyond.
The report notes that Northeast serves more than 14,000 students across a 14,400-square-mile service area and has made long-term investments in facilities, technology, partnerships, and outreach as technological advances reshape agriculture and its workforce. It specifically highlights Northeast’s work in precision agriculture and artificial intelligence.
A central part of the case study is Northeast’s ownership linkage model. Through the Board of Governors’ ownership linkage standing committee, the College facilitates meetings, focus groups, and town halls with taxpayers, community members, and other stakeholders throughout its 20-county service area.
The publication points to Northeast’s Commercial Driver’s License training facility in South Sioux City, NE as one example of that engagement in action. Conversations with community members identified transportation and access to CDL training as significant workforce challenges, prompting Board members to learn more about training delivery and helping inform development of the facility.
“This national recognition reflects the way Northeast listens to the communities we serve and then builds partnerships, programs, and opportunities around their needs,” said Leah Barrett, president of Northeast. “Our Board of Governors brings an important community perspective to that work. Their engagement and advocacy help us connect the needs of our 20-county service area with opportunities to strengthen rural Nebraska and expand our impact nationally.”
The case study also highlights Northeast’s role as one of six partners in Nebraska’s Heartland Robotics Cluster, a technology-based economic development initiative advancing agricultural innovation through robotics and advanced manufacturing. Northeast leads statewide workforce outreach programming and education, including a $4.6 million investment in its fabrication lab in downtown Norfolk and development of a two-year robotics program.
Local engagement grows into national advocacy
The publication also focuses on the national advocacy of longtime Northeast Board member Steve Anderson, a fourth-generation farmer who has served on the Board for more than 30 years. Anderson has visited Washington, D.C., annually for more than a decade, using his agricultural expertise and relationships with policymakers to advocate for rural communities and agricultural workforce development.
One of those visits helped spark a partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Following discussions with USDA officials in 2015, Northeast began work that ultimately contributed to establishing the Community College Alliance for Agriculture Advancement (C2A3). Today, Northeast serves as lead institution and fiscal agent for the $9 million community college intermediary, which includes 40 institutions nationwide working to strengthen agricultural education, share resources and expertise, and expand opportunities for students entering agricultural careers.
“As a Board, our work starts with listening to the people, businesses, and communities Northeast serves,” Anderson said. “Those conversations help us understand what is needed here at home, but they also give us a story to take to policymakers. When rural community colleges have a voice in those conversations, we can help create opportunities that reach far beyond our own service area.”
The publication also credits trustee-led and trustee-engaged advocacy with helping secure the first recognition of community colleges as eligible for agricultural workforce capacity-building investments in the impending Farm Bill. The authors cite the achievement as an example of how Northeast’s community-engaged governance structure and consistent federal advocacy can advance rural development locally and nationally.
About the Publication
How Community College Trustees Can Bolster Economic Development is a publication from New America and the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) examining how community college trustees and presidents can work together to strengthen regional economic development. Published Oct. 21, 2026, it is the first publication under the Accelerator for Community Colleges in the Innovation Economy focused on connecting community colleges to regional economic development initiatives. The research included 145 presidents and trustees representing 100 institutions and features case studies of five colleges identified as strong performers in regional economic development, including Northeast Community College.
