Dr. Bernard Franklin
Fellow, Harvard University Advanced Leadership Program
Former President, Penn Valley Community College

Areas of Interest and Expertise

  • Student affairs
  • Students of color and First-Generation student success
  • Extensive experience in developing initiatives that support underrepresented students success
  • Raising millions of private funding for diversity, inclusion and equity efforts

Franklin is considered a national thought leader in the emerging work of cultivating and sustaining a culture of calm and excellence in high-pressured youth learning environments. Franklin has consulted on a wide range of topics including leadership, diversity, urban education, and urban father and family issues on a local, national, and international level. He is regarded as a leader in articulating the issues of urban men, youth, and families. Franklin’s main desire is to be a loving father of a daughter and three sons as well as empower people to act and to change the world…one person at a time! He has championed student success, diversity and advocacy for this school longer than almost anyone. He has served selflessly, often leading us and other times supporting and advocating for our students and families in his dynamic, thoughtful and brilliant ways.

About Bernard

At a very young age, Dr. Bernard Franklin demonstrated exceptional leadership skills and strong ambition. As an undergraduate at Kansas State University, he became the first black student ever elected President of the Student Government Association. At the age of 24, Franklin made Kansas history by becoming the youngest person ever appointed to the Kansas State Board of Regents and the youngest Chair of the Board at age 28. Demonstrating his energy and work ethic, Franklin founded and serves as president of the Center for Imagineering Leadership, where he applies and integrates through a trauma-informed lens, resilience and the growing research of neuroscience to personal counseling, leadership development/coaching, organizational strategy, strategic planning and consulting. Franklin currently is the Vice President of Student Life at Mount Saint Mary’s University.