RALEIGH, N.C., October 20, 2026 – Wake Tech Community has joined the Alliance of Future Makers (AFM), a national innovation initiative launched by Austin Community College District (ACC) to shape the future of higher education. The Alliance brings together educators, administrators, industry leaders and students to create strategies that prepare students for an increasingly complex and rapidly changing world.

Wake Tech is one of 17 institutions with 72 individual participants across the cohort to learn foresight methods, experiment with innovative approaches and apply future-focused strategies across institutions and industries. AFM, developed through ACC's Office for the Future, brings members together monthly to identify emerging trends, develop scenarios and design solutions that anticipate the needs of students, colleges and communities.

Led by ACC's Executive Vice Chancellor for the Future, Dr. Monique Reeves, the alliance offers unique cohort tracks for college and university presidents and CEOs, administrators and department chairs. The initiative will culminate in spring 2027 with the 2nd Annual Summit of Future Makers, where members will showcase future-ready models for higher education and workforce development.

"The jobs of tomorrow will require new skills, new technologies and new approaches to education," said Wake Tech President Dr. Scott Ralls. "Through the Alliance of Future Makers, Wake Tech is helping shape workforce training that keeps pace with change and prepares students and employers for what's next."

Representing Wake Tech for 2026-27 are:

• President/CEO Circle
  Dr. Scott Ralls
   
• Administrator Cohort
  Associate Vice President for Workforce Development and Chief Continuing Education Officer Monica Gemperlein
  Associate Chief Information Officer Dr. Jonathan Vester
   
• Fellows Cohort
  Dean of Information Technology Cindy Lutrell
  Mechanical Engineering Program Director and Associate Professor Dr. Hessam Ghasemmi
  Program Director of Civil Engineering and Geomatics Technology Beth Ihnatolya
  Biotechnology Instructor Dr. Mike Nicholson
  Computer Programming & Development Assistant Professor Jim Matlock

"This is not a conversation for later. It's a call for leaders, innovators, and educators to step into the work now," says Reeves. "By joining the alliance, you become part of the community that will decide what higher education looks like in 2030 and beyond and ensure that it continues to serve students, employers and society in ways that matter."

For more information about the Alliance of Future Makers, visit austincc.edu/afm.

About Wake Tech

Wake Tech is North Carolina's largest community college, serving more than 76,000 adults annually across nine campuses and training sites throughout Wake County, as well as through a comprehensive array of online learning options. The college offers more than 250 associate degree, diploma and certificate programs of study that prepare students for university transfer or immediate employment, along with short-term workforce training, public safety education and training, customized corporate training, small-business support and adult education programs.

About the Alliance of Future Makers

The Alliance of Future Makers, launched by Austin Community College District's Office for the Future, is a national network of educators, industry leaders and futurists committed to reimagining higher education. Through collaborative foresight, innovation and design, AFM equips institutions to anticipate change, build agility and prepare students for success in a rapidly evolving world.

About ACC

Austin Community College District is a nationally recognized two-year college serving Central Texas. The college is focused on student success and building brighter futures through upward mobility. Through collaborative partnerships and innovative learning programs, ACC provides affordable, flexible pathways to help everyone reach their education goals, learn new job skills or advance their career. The college enrolls more than 70,000 students annually.