FORT WORTH, Texas — Tarrant County College Chancellor Elva LeBlanc’s career is redefining what it means to lead one of the largest post-secondary institutions in the country. With an innovative approach to learning and a commitment to transformative education, she’s making her mark on the county, the state and the nation.
She’ll be recognized April 2 with the Great Women of Texas 2025 Legacy Award from the Business Press. The celebration takes place at the downtown Fort Worth Club.
Recipients are selected for significant civic and professional accomplishment. The publication says their commitment to community and family sets them apart.
Dr. LeBlanc is one of 23 local women selected for 2025 awards.
“I am deeply honored to be named among this group of visionaries whose work I admire,” she said. “This award belongs to the entire Tarrant County College family — our faculty and staff, students and alumni, trustees and Foundation board members — anyone who is a TCC Trailblazer.
“Together we’re building a bridge from education to employment for some of the brightest minds in the region.”
The hundreds of women recognized by the Business Press over the years are icons of Fort Worth, Tarrant County and Texas history — leaders such as Anne Marion, philanthropist, rancher, art patron and founder of the Modern in Fort Worth; Martha Williams and Joan Trew, pacesetters who forged a new path for the entire real estate industry; Kit Moncrief, philanthropist and chairwoman of the Cowgirl Hall of Fame; and Betsy Price, Fort Worth’s mayor from 2011 through 2021.
Since taking the reins in 2022 as TCC’s sixth chancellor, Dr. LeBlanc has strengthened the College’s academics, innovation and collaborations. Spring 2025 enrollment is up 8 percent over a year ago, another post-pandemic high, with about 47,000 students across six campuses.
This surpasses many of the nation’s two-year institutions. Approximately 12,500 students are dual enrolled (dual credit and Early College High School).
And it was Dr. LeBlanc who established TCC’s first Early College High School. She also led efforts to open the Center of Excellence for Aviation, Transportation and Logistics in 2015 at Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport, a collaboration with North Texas industries to enhance workforce skills.
Most recently she oversaw the development of Trailblazing Together: 2030, TCC’s five-year strategic plan, and has focused the College on aligning resources with community needs. The plan emphasizes investment in people and promises a positive impact for students, the region and the economy.
Dr. LeBlanc backs Trailblazing Together: 2030 with decades of higher education contributions. Her Tarrant County College experience began as a student and progressed to professor, dean, campus president and executive vice chancellor and provost. In these roles she has worked with local school districts to enhance TCC access and coordinated with business leaders to craft industry-focused job-ready programs.
Today the College enjoys more than 1,200 partnerships with North Texas businesses and maintains some 70 transfer agreements with four-year institutions to create seamless pathways into high-wage careers or advanced degrees.
TCC Board President Teresa Ayala: “Elva LeBlanc is one of the most outstanding chancellors in higher education. She sets the standard for excellence and leaves a positive impact on all who work alongside her. Her blend of wisdom, compassion and innovation is truly uplifting and inspires everyone at TCC — students, faculty, staff — to exceed their own expectations.”
Dr. LeBlanc’s tenure as Galveston College president cemented her reputation for forward thinking. She elevated the institution to spotlight learning outcomes and institutional assessment. Faced with limited local and state funding, she secured external dollars to support the school’s goals.
As executive vice president for instructional affairs at Austin Community College, she developed an academic master plan and advanced ACC’s approach to unified institutional success.
She holds bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of North Texas and completed her postdoctoral work at Texas A&M University.
In partnership with her husband, she established a scholarship in their name through the TCC Foundation. The Drs. Adrian and Elva LeBlanc Scholarship honors the legacy of leadership that she began as a TCC student and continues to exemplify.
Celebrating 60 years of excellence and impact in 2025, Tarrant County College is one of the nation’s largest higher education institutions and boasts the second lowest tuition of Texas’ Top 10 community colleges. A comprehensive two-year college with six campuses in Tarrant County and online classes, TCC offers a range of opportunities for learners of all ages and backgrounds, including Associate of Arts and Associate of Applied Science degrees; workforce and economic development programs; technical and skilled trades programs; and customized training for area businesses and corporations.