Angel Royal

Dr. Angel M. Royal is the senior vice president of strategic initiatives for the American Association of Community Colleges. In this role, Royal oversees the AACC annual convention, the AACC competencies for community college leaders, transfer, guided pathways reform, strategic partnerships, innovation, and corporate and foundation relationships.

Before joining AACC, Royal served as executive director of university outreach for The University of Texas at Austin. She worked in private industry as the director of special programs and initiatives with Best Associates in Dallas, Texas. From 2002 to 2007, she served as executive assistant to the president and vice president of external affairs with the Louisiana Community and Technical College System. She was executive assistant to the chancellor of Baton Rouge Community College from 2001-2002 and served as special programs manager with the Louisiana Board of Regents from 1999-2001.

In addition to her administrative work, Royal has been an adjunct faculty member teaching developmental English and reading at Baton Rouge Community College and an adjunct faculty member with the Department of Educational Administration at the University of Texas at Austin.

Royal has routinely interfaced with staff at the White House, the U.S. Departments of Education and Labor, and other external stakeholders. She serves as Chair of the Higher Ed Equity Network and is a member of the Anthology Education and Research Center Advisory Board and the Aspen Institute’s Transfer Playbook Advisory Board.

Royal holds a bachelor’s degree in English with a concentration in creative writing, a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction, an Ed.S. in curriculum and instruction, and a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from Louisiana State University.