Dear Student Affairs Team, 

Hope you had a restful weekend. We continue to build on our new SA Council and we wanting to keep you informed. As a follow-up to our announcement introducing the New Student Affairs Council, we are excited to share that three additional Executive Dean roles have now been filled. Please join us in warmly welcoming the newest members of our Student Affairs Council leadership team:

Executive Dean of Assessment & Admissions – Erica Ervin

Erica Ervin is a seasoned higher education leader with over two decades of experience in enrollment services, operational strategy, and compliance management. She currently serves as the Director of Admissions & Enrollment Compliance and Operations at Austin Community College, where she oversees critical student-facing functions, including application processing and TSI compliance. Known for her strengths in business process improvement and cross-functional collaboration, Erica has successfully led large teams and institutional projects focused on optimizing workflow, aligning technology solutions, and ensuring state and federal compliance. Erica brings a data-informed, systems-thinking approach to everything she does.

Executive Dean of Student Life – Dr. Janelle Green

Dr. Janelle Green brings over 25 years of experience across higher education, K–12, and community-based partnerships, with a strong focus on student success, equity, and well-being. At ACC, she has led innovative programs such as the Make It Center and served in key roles within Student Life and instruction. A passionate leader and entrepreneur, Dr. Green is known for her ability to foster inclusive, student-centered environments that inspire learning and growth.

Executive Dean of Transfer Services – Dr. Renee Esparza

Dr. Renee Esparza is a dedicated higher education leader with nearly 20 years of experience at ACC, specializing in transfer services, cross-institutional partnerships, and student engagement. As the founding Director of Transfer Services, she has led impactful initiatives like the Bats to Cats program, projected to save students over $1 million in tuition and fees. Renee was nationally recognized with the Rising Star Award by the National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students in 2021.

We also extend our congratulations to Dr. Esparza for successfully defending her Doctor of Education in Higher Education Leadership and Practice at the University of North Georgia just last week! 🎉✨

Each of these leaders brings a deep commitment to student success and a strong alignment with our shared leadership competencies, including: Strategic Leadership, Collaboration and Relationship Building, Accountability for Results, Student-Centered Focus, Innovation and Problem Solving, Talent Development, and Growth Mindset.

With these appointments, the Student Affairs Council centralized leadership structure focused on student-facing services is now fully established. We will continue to build out our centralized functions for Strategy & Transformation and Operations in the near future.

In addition to welcoming our new Executive Deans, we are excited to introduce a new member to our Student Affairs Executive Leadership Team.

Please join us in welcoming Trissi Johnson, who officially joined the Student Affairs division this summer as the inaugural Managing Director of College Access Partnerships & Success Initiatives.

Trissi is an skilled executive and advocate with over 20 years of experience in educational leadership, nonprofit management, and student success initiatives. In her new role, she leads efforts to expand postsecondary access and completion for historically underserved students, furthering our commitment to student success.

She will be overseeing the launch of the PATHS program—Providing Access To Holistic Support, a transformative initiative led by Communities In Schools of Central Texas and funded by the Greater Texas Foundation. Launching in Fall 2025, PATHS addresses non-academic barriers such as housing, food insecurity, and mental health, supporting CIS students and their families while in high school. Several years ago, CIS decided to put a strategic focus on helping their students access college and complete. For the first time in CIS - Central Texas’ history, the non-profit organization will follow their students to and through college completion at ACC in order for their students to leverage free tuition and all support services ACC has to offer. Trissi will serve on the Executive Leadership Team during her first year, reporting to both the CEO of Communities In Schools (CIS) and the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs. As the PATHS partnership evolves, her reporting structure and portfolio will be assessed to ensure alignment with our student success outcomes. 

Welcome to the Student Affairs Team Trissi! 

What’s Next?

Throughout the summer, our newly formed Council will continue onboarding through cross-functional meetings, collaborative learning sessions, and professional development experiences designed to foster shared understanding and build collective capacity.

Next, we will be sharing more about the change management strategy and the timeline for the realignment. Stay tuned for updates as we continue to strengthen our approach to student success.

Sincerely,

Shasta Buchanan, Ed.D.

Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs 

Austin Community College District

Austin Community College | austincc.edu