Lennetta Coney has worked as a Mott Community College (MCC) administrator for the past 34 years. Presently, she holds two titles— President of The Foundation for Mott Community College and Executive Director of the Office of College & Community Advancement. In those two respective capacities she is responsible for private fundraising, special events and multicultural affairs at MCC.
As the president and chief development officer for the Foundation for MCC, she has grown the foundation from $194,000 to just over $12M currently, established an Alumni Association for the school, and developed and implemented programs to uniquely link the community to the college.
"Mrs. Coney has been a long-time board member for the Council for Resource Development (CRD) which is a national organization for community college funding. In 2004, Lennetta held the title of Director for Region V which encompassed Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Ontario, and Wisconsin. In March of 2007, under Coney's leadership, Mott College was the host site for a resource development training program open to community college fundraisers nationwide.
Prior to coming to Mott College, Mrs. Coney worked on the East Coast for thirteen years both in New York City and Washington, DC before returning to her hometown, Flint, MI. In those years she served as Senior Account Executive for a specialty market advertising agency in New York City and also held the title of Assistant Manager of local advertising at Equitable Life Assurance Society. She entered the buying and merchandising field while working for Garfinckel's in the nation's capital.
In 1992, Mrs. Coney took a brief hiatus to work as the Director of Public Relations for the former mayor of the City of Flint, Woodrow Stanley.
Mrs. Coney's professional involvement includes her membership in the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and its National Conference Planning Committee, Council for Resource Development, The Links, Inc. and membership in Michigan ACE Women in Higher Education Network (in November 2016 Mott hosted the ACE Women of Color Collaborative Luncheon). Equally extensive is the list of community organizations where Mrs. Coney donates her time and talent. These include Mott Children's Health Center, Rotary Club of Flint, and Board member for Flint Institute of Music, New Paths, Inc., the National Association of Career Women, and serves as the co-chair of FIM's Black Classical Music Family Festival, and as an announcement clerk and member of the usher board for Mt. Olive Baptist Church.
She is a past recipient of the Community Development Corporation P.A.P.A.S.’ Women In Power Living Legend Award, the Donald Riegle Community Service Award, the Chamber of Commerce's Athena Award, YWCA's Nina Mills/Women of Achievement Award, the Woman of the Year Award from the National Association of Women in Higher Education, Career Woman of the Year from the National Association of Career Women, the Golden Apple Employee Award from Mott College, the Choice Award from the Flint Club of the Negro Business and Professional Women, Community Service Award from the Eta Phi Beta Sorority Inc., The Outstanding Achievement Award from the National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa, Inc., Woman of the Year Award from Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.-Theta Tau Chapter, The Martin Luther King Jr. Award, and the Arts/Cultural Awareness Award from the Catholic Charities' Spanish Speaking Information Center.
Ms. Coney possesses a Bachelor's Degree from Howard University, a Master's Degree in Advertising from Michigan State University and has also done graduate work at Long Island University as well as post-graduate/preliminary doctoral work at Michigan State University. She is married to Craig Coney (retired), past President/CEO of the Genesee Shiawassee MI Works!, and is mother of 29-year-old twin daughters, Lauren and Erin.
Finally, she is proud to say that she is a graduate of Southwestern High School.