MCCA Consultants
Adriana Phelan
Director of Michigan New Jobs Training Program
Adriana has been with MCCA since 2007. She previously served as MCCA Vice President and now is Director of the Michigan New Jobs Training Program. Adriana’s professional background includes consulting and public policy research in education and workforce development, and teaching at the University of Michigan. Adriana has a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from the University of Michigan.
Monica Liggins-Abrams
Leadership Academy Coordinator
Monica is the founder and lead consultant at Liggins Abrams Consulting. She is pleased to partner with MCCA as the Leadership Academy Coordinator. She is an experienced leader, strategist, and practitioner-scholar. Her proven track record in planning and implementing campus-wide initiatives to improve student success make her an invaluable asset to projects that drive institutional transformation. Monica has previous experience at CircleIn (EdTech), Western Michigan University (Higher Education), and the WMU Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine (Graduate Medical Education) and Kalamazoo Public Schools (K-12). She holds a B.A. from The Ohio State University, MPA from Walden University, and an M.A. in Evaluation, Measurement, and Research from WMU. She is a doctoral candidate in Educational Leadership at WMU.
Donna Petras
Consultant
Donna has been supporting the MCCA in a consultant role since 2016. Previously, she served as Dean of University Relations at Macomb Community College and oversaw the office of articulation and transfer, the Macomb University Center, and all activities with baccalaureate-granting colleges and universities. In that role, she served on many state-level committees related to transfer including the Michigan Transfer Agreement, 60-credit Block Transfer, and the Transfer Steering Committee. Donna has also taught undergraduate and graduate-level courses at Macomb Community College and Oakland University. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University, a master’s degree from Oakland University, and a doctoral degree in higher education administration from Northeastern University in Boston. Her dissertation focused on the impact of collaborative inter-institutional relationships on successful student transfer.