Dr. Daniel Corr, President of Arizona Western College, announces retirement
October 16, 2025Capping a decade of leadership, Dr. Corr will retire in July 2026
Yuma, Ariz. (October 16, 2025) – During today’s District Governing Board meeting, Dr. Daniel Corr announced his intent to retire as President of Arizona Western College (AWC) effective July 2026.
Dr. Corr is in his 10th year of service to the Arizona Western College district and his 34th year serving in community college education, having moved to the southwestern corner of the state after serving 9 years at Scottsdale Community College in the Maricopa Community College District.
“It has been the honor of my life to work alongside the faculty and staff of AWC to benefit our students and their families. Yuma and La Paz Counties are very special places. I love to say there’s magic happening in our district. Everyone deserves to live in a thriving community, and AWC is making that happen, from Parker, to San Luis, and everywhere in between,” said Dr. Corr. “I know the college faculty and staff will continue to transform lives for generations to come.”
In July 2016, Dr. Corr began his tenure as the ninth President of AWC. He has focused his efforts on facilitating student success, increasing access to higher education, creating two comprehensive strategic plans, and fostering a climate of innovation, collaboration, and stewardship at AWC. Under his leadership, AWC has led the state in enrollment growth, transfer growth to in-state universities, and a whopping 1026% full-time student equivalent growth in Early College enrollment.
“What a decade it has been! We look forward to spending some time together this year celebrating all Dr. Corr's accomplishments. Our board feels very fortunate to have attracted and retained the visionary leadership and talent of Daniel Corr. He has truly been transformative for the students and communities in our district. We are grateful for his service,” said District Governing Board President, Dennis Booth.
Dr. Corr has also been instrumental in radically expanding partnerships that have led to an increase in external funding through grants, fundraising, and a first-ever state appropriation of $15M in 2024.
Other advancements Dr. Corr will be remembered for include his celebration and promotion of AWC's First Generation students. Nearly 7 out of every 10 AWC students are the first in their family to attend college, an attribute shared by Dr. Corr himself.
Dr. Corr has also overseen a wide range of capital improvements across the district, all at zero additional local tax burden to citizens, including the new Matador Activity Center, the AWC Transfer Center, the Law Enforcement Training Academy, the new DeAnza Residence Hall, and a still-underway shared Health Careers Center in partnership with Onvida.
More than just facilities were modernized under Dr. Corr’s leadership. In 2023, the college launched a complete rebrand, including adopting new colors, logos, and eventually, a new mascot.
Perhaps one of Dr. Corr’s most notable accomplishments is the development of a model for Career and Technical Education (CTE) that has been recognized across the nation and globally. The Arizona Western Entrepreneurial College upends the traditional higher education structure to create an organization that operates with agility and dedicated resources as the second pillar of the college, alongside the classic transfer education pillar.
Dr. Corr is known for many favorite catch phrases. One he repeats often at community meetings is, “We are a college OF the community,” and his support of the development of the college’s mission and vision are widely known across the district:
- Mission: Transform lives through education and partnerships to create thriving communities.
- Vision: Cultivating generations who value knowledge, foster independence, eliminate poverty, and create vital, equitable and sustainable communities.
The AWC District Governing Board will announce a transition plan within the next two weeks.
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Contact:
Lorraine Stofft
Vice President for Advancement
Arizona Western College
lorraine.stofft@azwestern.edu
(928) 314-9595