WE ARE BLACK HISTORY 2026: LCC Trustee Angela Mathews | Madam Chair, Making Moves for Student Success, Cemented in LCC History | A Chronicle News Community Spotlight

Courtesy Photo- LCC Trustee and Community Advocate Angela Mathews. Some leaders talk about impact. Others sign their name to it. Angela Mathews does both.

Elected to the Lansing Community College Board of Trustees in 2017 and again in 2022, she didn’t just win, she led the ticket, placing number one in votes across the tri-county area both times. That is not coincidence. That is community confidence.

She made history as the first Black woman to serve as Board Chair for two consecutive terms, a four-year stretch that cemented her legacy inside LCC’s institutional record. From 2024 to the present, she has chaired a global majority board, helping shape policy and priorities for thousands of students navigating higher education in real time.

And she does not play small with opportunity.

At the January 2026 regular Board meeting, her trustee-generated initiative led to a $700,000 investment in student success. Half a million dollars will expand the college’s food pantry. Another $200,000 will strengthen the laptop lending program, adding 125 additional laptops for student use.

Food access. Technology access. Equity in motion.

That is what leadership looks like when it understands that textbooks do not matter if a student is hungry, and talent cannot thrive without tools.

Her influence extends far beyond Lansing. Angela serves on the Board of Directors for the Michigan Community College Association and on the MCCA Legislative Committee, helping shape statewide advocacy for community colleges.

Nationally, she broke barriers with the Association of Community College Trustees, serving four consecutive years as President of the African-American Caucus. She currently serves on the Impact and Success Committee, formerly known as DEI, pushing conversations from rhetoric to measurable outcomes.

Because policy is powerful. But purpose is louder.

Beyond the boardroom, Angela was ordained as an Elder on June 1, 2025. She serves faithfully alongside Bishop Dr. Ed Rockett Jr. and First Lady Machea Rockett as a Ministry Liaison, working within the Ministers Council and Women of Excellence Ministry. Her leadership bridges civic duty and spiritual calling, both grounded in service.

She is a respected community influencer, sought-after facilitator, speaker, preacher, and program expediter. When there is work to be done, her name rises to the top of the call list.

Black history is not confined to February. It is written in board minutes, budget allocations, policy votes, and prayers whispered before the gavel drops.

Madam Chair is not just a title. It is a declaration.

Angela Mathews is making moves for student success, and the record will remember her.