CSM Chief of Staff Larisa Pfeiffer is Elected President of ACCT Professional Board Staff Network

 The College of Southern Maryland (CSM) announces that Chief of Staff Larisa Pfeiffer has been elected to serve the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) Professional Board Staff Network (PBSN) as its president. In this capacity, Pfeiffer will provide leadership to all four of the network’s regions, represent and coordinate the work of the PBSN, and serve as the network’s liaison to ACCT. 

ACCT is a non-profit educational organization of governing boards, representing more than 6,500 elected and appointed trustees who govern more than 1,200 community, technical and junior colleges in the United States and beyond. Located in Washington, D.C., ACCT is a major voice of community college trustees to the presidential administration, U.S. Congress, the Departments of Education and Labor and more. As president, Pfeiffer will oversee the PBSNs in the following regions:

• Northeast Region: Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec. 
• Southern Region: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, Virginia, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands. Central Region: Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Ontario. 
• Western Region: Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Wyoming, Alberta, Manitoba, Northwest Territory, Nunavut Territory, and Saskatchewan. 
• Pacific Region: Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, British Columbia, and Yukon Territory.

“Larisa continues to provide exceptional support to CSM’s Board of Trustees and is a critical member of our senior leadership team,” said CSM President Dr. Maureen Murphy. “Her selection to lead the ACCT Professional Board Staff Network shines a light on her successes at CSM, her successes leading the Northeast Region of the Network, and her overall commitment to the mission of community colleges in the United States.”

“I am equally thrilled and humbled to have been elected to this position by the national and international membership of my peers,” said Pfeiffer. “Community colleges today face new challenges and opportunities, and as such effective governance and leadership remains critical at the local, state, and federal levels to ensure the mission of higher education access, quality, and affordability remains available for all people. This work is only possible if all of the support systems are in place and moving in the same direction. PBSN allows for the highest levels of community college leadership to function effectively and efficiently, we are proud of our role in ensuring everyone is successful.”

Prior to serving as CSM’s chief of staff, Pfeiffer spent four years as the institution’s lead community engagement coordinator and five years as the college’s business and information technology coordinator for CSM Workforce Development division. She has also served as an adjunct professor of Communication.

Pfeiffer holds an associate degree in Arts and Sciences from CSM; a bachelor’s degree in Business from the University of Maryland, a master’s in Communication from Southern New Hampshire University, and is currently a doctoral candidate of the Community College Leadership program at Ferris State University. She is also the recipient of the 2022 Distinguished Scholar-Practitioner Award. Pfeiffer’s dissertation research is focused on onboarding and education practices of new trustees appointed to community college board governance.