Occasional articles from Paul Lanning, President & CEO of the Foundation for California Community Colleges and Editor in Chief of Affinity Magazine.

Lanning came to the Foundation in August 2007. Under his leadership, the organization has entered a new era in which a number of groundbreaking initiatives have been launched to further benefit, support and enhance the California Community College system. Key successes include securing the largest gift to any two-year system of higher education in the nation's history, raising national awareness of the need for greater private support to public two-year colleges, instituting the organization's resource development and marketing/communications departments to increase the Foundation's capacity in serving the system (including the creation and launch of Affinity Magazine), and continuous growth and enhancement of the Foundation's various programs and offerings that impact various aspects of California Community Colleges.

Lanning brought to his current role nearly two decades of experience in management, marketing, and business development, with extensive background in education administration, fundraising, mass media, technology, entrepreneurship, and executive leadership, including roles in California Community College advancement. In 2000, he was the recipient of the Entrepreneur Business of the Year award from the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce while serving as co-founder and CEO of Today's Communications, Inc.

Lanning holds a doctorate in education administration and leadership from the University of the Pacific, in addition to a master’s degree in sport management from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California, San Diego. He is a Certified Fund Raising Executive, a certification held by fewer than 5,500 professionals in the world. Lanning also serves on a variety of boards and committees that advance the missions of various institutions and organizations of higher education, including the alumni advisory board for the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and the Pacific Fund Advisory Board at the University of the Pacific, as well as the board of directors for the Network of California Community College Foundations. He is also an adjunct professor and dean's advisory board member for the University of the Pacific's Benerd School of Education.