Dr. Lyvier Leffler’s appointment as the first female president of Allen Community College in mid-January was a goal 20 years in the making. But for Leffler, the measure of success has yet to come.
“I’ll be happy when I know I’ve made a difference. Am I confident of that? Yes. Because that’s what an education does,” she said.
What does that difference look like? To start, when the college’s faculty and staff, and the community at large, collectively embrace her vision for how ACC can become a force for positive change. An expanded flow of communication, classes and programs that appeal to the community as well as students is also a top priority.
If that sounds ambitious, that’s because it is. And that’s Lyvier Leffler.
PROMISES, REGRETS
It’s all because of a promise to her mother that Leffler began the somewhat disjointed journey that would lead to a leadership position.
Not really understanding what earning a Ph.D. entailed, Leffler’s mother told her that that should be her goal. At the time, Leffler was earning an advanced degree in psychology.
“I said, ‘Sure, Mom. I promise.’”
Almost 20 years later, that promise stirred Leffler to reapply herself.
“When you’re Hispanic and you make a promise, you keep it,” Leffler said Wednesday.
Leffler also knew it was a promise to herself and that she would be disappointed if she did not take on the challenge.
“I could picture myself as an old woman on my deathbed, regretting it if I didn’t do it,” she said. “And I didn’t want to live with that regret because I’d be miserable. I felt like I had to do it.”
Passionate? That, too, is Leffler.
ROLE MODELS
Growing up, Leffler, now 57, had few role models.
Loving parents, yes, but provincial.
Even in high school and college, academic advisors were lacking.
It wasn’t until she met Larry Ebbers, department head for the Ph.D. educational program at Iowa State University, that a true mentor entered her life.
“He saw something in me that I didn’t realize I had,” she said. “He saw my potential.”
That confidence in her allowed Leffler to bloom.
