Michael A. Baston leads Tri-C with a clear mission: To turn potential into progress and ensure every student, regardless of background, has the tools to build a better life. As president of Ohio’s oldest and largest community college, serving nearly 40,000 students annually, Baston has delivered results that resonate beyond the classroom and into the fabric of Northeast Ohio.
In just three years under Baston’s leadership, more than 10,000 students have graduated from credit and noncredit programs, a 10.4% increase in completions. His student-centered approach has propelled Tri-C’s credit enrollment up by 13.2%, defying national trends of declining community college enrollment. Today, Tri-C boasts a 50% increase in delayed-entry students and an 18.7% rise in College Credit Plus enrollment, clear indicators of Baston’s success in re-engaging adult learners and building momentum for high school students alike.
Before joining Tri-C, Baston served as the president of Rockland Community College in New York during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Amid national uncertainty, he provided steady leadership, prioritizing access, safety, and recovery. He previously served as vice president for Student Affairs and associate provost at LaGuardia Community College.
Baston is a respected national voice in community college reform, serving on the boards of NACCE and the League for Innovation in the Community College and as a fellow with Complete College America. Locally, he serves on more than a dozen boards, including the Greater Cleveland Partnership, United Way of Greater Cleveland, and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
He earned his B.A. from Iona University, his J.D. from Brooklyn Law School and his Ed.D. in Executive Leadership from St. John Fisher University. He is married to Dr. Tasha S. Baston.
