Tessa Martinez Pollack
Senior Consultant
Tessa.Pollack@academicsearch.org
Dr. Tessa Martinez Pollack has 42 years of experience in public and private higher education. She has served in three higher education presidencies spanning 24 years at the Medical Center Campus of Miami Dade College, Glendale College of the Maricopa Colleges, and Our Lady of the Lake University.
Dr. Pollack is keenly versed in the requirements of leadership and administration at all levels, especially in today’s both challenging and opportune environment. She is especially knowledgeable on serving diverse student populations from her early work in the public school system, the University of Pennsylvania’s outreach to women and students of color, and cities like Miami, Phoenix, and San Antonio.
As chief executive, Dr. Pollack has helped institutions to diversify their programs and strengthen enrollment; build financial stability; improve retention; and develop productive relationships with legislative, corporate, philanthropic, and community influencers who are critical to institutional outcomes. She speaks nationally and internationally, being described as an inspirational speaker on institutional relevance, transformational change, and, ultimately, student learning and success by which higher learning is being measured.
Dr. Pollack’s recruiting network for her search work is enhanced by her professional contacts as well as her service as a Board member of the American Association of Higher Education, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), and the National Committee on Partnerships for Children’s Health at Harvard University. She has contributed to the educational and economic growth of cities where she has resided and continues to participate in numerous high-impact initiatives that are shaping the higher education landscape.
She holds a bachelor’s in Journalism, master’s in education and business, and a doctorate in educational administration, all from the University of Texas system.
