Nkenge A. Bergan, Ph.D.
About Company
Dr. Nkenge A. Bergan brings nearly 30 years of P–20 leadership in urban and suburban communities She is now Associate Vice President for Student Development Services and Special Assistant to the Provost at Kalamazoo Valley Community College. Across her career, her work has centered on student success, financial stewardship, labor-management relations, community partnerships and board leadership. She serves as Board Chair-Elect and capital campaign co-lead for the YMCA of Greater Kalamazoo, sits on several other community boards, and is President of the Michigan Community College Student Services Association. She is also the founder of JCI Leads Education Consulting and of The Resilience Center, a nonprofit that advances trauma-informed care.
Dr. Bergan believes that results last when they live in systems and people rather than in any one leader. At Kalamazoo Valley she has been an integral part of the college’s strategic planning work. She uses data analysis to drive continuous improvement and has built multi-tiered support systems, standard operating procedures and advising analytics into daily practice. She has a long record of bringing diverse community partners to the same table, uniting K–12 districts, nonprofits, higher education and the faith-based community around a shared commitment to students and families. She has also earned trust with union leadership through steady communication and shared problem-solving. She invests heavily in developing leaders. Her leadership is grounded in culturally responsive and trauma-informed practice, and her dissertation research on college-going among urban Black males shapes her equity-centered view of student access and opportunity.
Dr. Bergan will provide executive search and leadership consulting shaped by each district’s community, culture and goals. Her areas of focus include executive coaching, leadership development, strategic planning, board development, and board and superintendent relations. She also works with districts on school climate and culture, student services and social-emotional learning, trauma-informed systems, and family and community engagement. Her other areas include personnel and labor relations, using student data for continuous improvement, and P–20 pathways that connect K–12 students to college and careers. She is a passionate advocate for leaders who build communities where every student belongs and thrives.
