Dr. Charles Lepper, a candidate for the President of Madison College, spoke at a student forum on March 27 about why he would make an excellent president.
Lepper currently serves as a President of Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC).
His previous roles include serving as Vice President of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management at Salt Lake Community College and as an Associate Dean at Ivy Tech Community College in Indiana, a state-wide community college system.
As a first-generation college graduate, Lepper faced many hardships in own education. After being told by an assistant high school principal that he would never go to college, he didn’t have high expectations for himself and his future.
But his parents want to make sure he and his sister had the opportunity to go to college.
“I assumed that I would fail out,” he admitted during the forum. “But it was because of the faculty and staff there at Ball State University that supported me that helped me to be academically successful.”
The support he received during that time further fueled his passion for working in higher education.
In his professional background, Lepper began his career as a Residence Hall Director at Western Michigan University. He transitioned into community colleges in 2002, serving in various leadership roles.

Lepper has a strong belief in the transformative power of education based on his own experiences. He believes in the capacity of students to achieve remarkable things, often surpassing their own expectations.
He emphasized the importance of supporting both students and institutions to foster future growth and success for the college.
“But one of the things that I believe is I believe in the power of education to transform lives. It certainly transformed my life,” he said.
Approached with a question of core beliefs, Lepper stated that equity and inclusion, he states, is central to his personal and professional values.
Lepper recognized that the previous president at his college had not historically met with the Student Government Association, so he initiated monthly meetings with the association.
These regular meetings helped Lepper stay attuned to student concerns and gather insights on campus issues. These changes, in Lepper’s eyes, truly helped remove barriers for students and created a more supportive campus environment.
Lepper believes that constant input from students helps ensure the college is responsive to each individual student’s needs. He said listening to students’ voices is crucial for making informed decisions and ensuring that the college supports students in meaningful ways.
He advocates for quick wins — small, achievable successes such as his free parking for student employee’s initiative at GRCC, which helped students feel empowered and demonstrated the impact of their involvement at the college.
He believes such changes build momentum, and that it shows students that they can make tangible changes, and it encourages students to be more involved in governance.
Lepper highlighted the importance of being mindful of the diverse voices and perspectives with the student community, constantly seeking input to guide decisions and improvements.
“We can make changes and help be part of the change. Part of what we do and how we hear the the differences of voices and needs within our community (is) having a pulse on that and being mindful of that and having that perspective and always using that as a guide,” Lepper said.
Being a part of the LGBT+ community himself, Lepper draws on his own experiences with his understanding of the importance of creating environments where people feel emotionally and psychologically safe.
He stresses the importance of also ensuring physical safety for students, acknowledging that while safety can’t be guaranteed, efforts should always be made to promote a culture where it’s prioritized.