Governor Hobbs Commends AWC President, Highlights Community College Gains

Governor Katie Hobbs publicly commended Arizona Western College President Dr. Daniel Corr during an address to the Arizona Community College Coordinating Council on November 21, 2025, praising a decade of leadership and the college's expanded community partnerships. The governor singled out AWC as a state leader in enrollment growth, transfer success, and early college enrollment, crediting those advances with opening opportunities for thousands of students across Yuma, La Paz, and the wider region.

The commendation comes as Dr. Corr prepares to retire in July 2026 after a 35 year career serving Arizona community colleges. The recognition, delivered during AC4's visit with the governor, was described by Dr. Corr in his own words. “I was truly speechless as Governor Hobbs read aloud a proclamation honoring me and AWC during AC4’s visit with her this week,” Dr. Corr reflected. Arizona Western College thanked Governor Hobbs and highlighted the teams whose work expanded access and workforce development across the region.

For La Paz County residents the acknowledgment has practical implications. Community college enrollment growth and early college programs increase local educational attainment and reduce time and cost to degree for high school students. Those factors strengthen the local labor supply and can make the county more attractive to employers seeking trained workers. Workforce development partnerships noted by the governor help align training with employer needs, potentially easing hiring bottlenecks in sectors that rely on community college credentials.

At the state level, public recognition from the governor may translate into stronger policy support for community colleges, including funding priorities and incentives for transfer pathways. Long term trends in higher education point to growing reliance on community colleges to deliver workforce training and affordable transfer routes to four year institutions, making leadership continuity and institutional partnerships consequential for regional economic resilience.

As AWC moves toward a leadership transition in mid 2026, local stakeholders including students, employers, and municipal planners will be watching how the college sustains enrollment momentum, transfer outcomes, and early college access that together influence workforce readiness and economic opportunity across La Paz County. For more information contact Lorraine Stofft, Vice President for Advancement, at lorraine.stofft@azwestern.edu or (928) 314 9595.