Lisa Perez-Miller, who has served as Vice President of Students/Enrollment Management at Pratt Community College for almost forty years, is retiring at the end of the 2023 calendar year. The Office of Admissions was named in her honor as the Lisa Perez-Miller Office of Admissions on December 19, 2023, to commemorate her time at PCC. Her colleagues hosted a reception in her honor following the dedication.
Lisa started her career at PCC in an interim position in December 1984. However, she quickly landed a full-time permanent position as the Director of Public Information in January of that following year. Since then, she found herself in multiple student-centered professional positions encompassing enrollment management. As with all her roles at PCC, Lisa's legacy is "trying to help others be the best they can be, live life to the fullest, and celebrate life and people."
Before coming to PCC, Perez-Miller earned her bachelor's degree in fine arts from Kansas State University. Since her time at PCC, she completed her master's degree in education from Wichita State University.
Lisa's fondest memories involve people. "It's all about the people as they create a culture and dynamic at the college," Perez-Miller said.
When asked about the support she received from the presidents she has served under, Perez-Miller said she has served under five presidents and is blessed to have always been supported by executive leadership and executive partners.
Perez-Miller expressed her appreciation for the opportunity to serve.
"For those that are given much in life, much is expected. I am blessed, and it is important to pay it forward, give back, and leave things better than you find them."
Some notable accomplishments during her tenure include serving on several Pratt Community College professional teams, including co-chair of the Higher Learning Commission Leadership Team (for accreditation); coordinator/facilitator of the Campus Equity Framework and DEI initiatives, Student Leadership Council advisor, and member of President's Cabinet, Instructional Council, Financial Working Group, and Collaboration & Planning Council. She chairs the college's program review initiative, Services and Programs under Review (SPuR). She is co-chair of the Return to Campus Task Force, Title IX Coordinator, and Chief Diversity Officer. She serves on the Kansas Board of Regents' Chief Diversity Officer's Council and is a Kansas Chief Student Affairs Administrator member. Lisa is a Kansas Community College Leadership Institute (KCCLI) graduate. In 2014, she was selected as a Peer Reviewer for the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
In 2023, she was awarded the Essential Leader Award by HLC for her service with the Peer Corp. In 2020, Lisa received the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society's Distinguished College Administrator Award at the national level. She was also awarded the National Association for Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) Community Colleges Division's Community College Professional Award nationally. Lisa also received the award in 2019 from NASPA's Region IV-West organization. A state volunteer with the Miss Kansas Organization (MKO) since 1986, Lisa served from 2000 - 2018 as Co-Executive Director and President. She currently serves as an MKO advisor to the executive team. Lisa is past president of the Miss Kansas Scholarship Foundation Board of Directors and an MKO Diversity Task Force member. She is also an MKO judge's consultant and trainer, community service initiative (CSI) advisor, and a preparation team member for Miss America and the Miss Kansas year of service. Lisa is a past National Association of Miss America State Pageants Board of Directors member, serving 11 years on the national board. She has judged numerous Miss America state competitions since 1998 and continues to volunteer and prep candidates nationwide with interview preparation.
When asked about her after-retirement plans, Perez-Miller said boredom is not on the menu! She plans to continue being involved in community efforts and take some time to explore some of her hobbies like photography, antiques, shopping, teaching leadership development, jewelry-making, and all things Kansas-related (to name a few)!
