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In 1959, Florida created the Junior College of Broward County as part of its plan to develop a statewide network of two-year colleges. Across more than six decades, the institution’s name and mission have evolved to meet with the times, including offering four-year degrees and serving more than 54,000 students at multiple campuses and centers. The College’s presidents have been an integral part of its evolution.
Torey Alston became Broward College’s eighth president and CEO in February 2025. Upon joining Broward College, President Alston quickly introduced a shared vision of making the College the #1 destination for academic excellence. During his tenure, the College increased enrollment to the highest level in five state reporting years and achieved its first ever Purple Star Campus designation, highlighting strategic efforts with veteran and military families. The Aspen Institute named the College as a Top 200 institution nationwide and the College was recognized as a top employer in South Florida for professional development. During the 2025 and 2026 legislative sessions, President Alston secured $11.7 million in state appropriations for construction of a new state-of-the-art health sciences and nursing facility on the North Campus and $1 million in federal community project funds (formerly called Congressional earmarks) through Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
In 2018, Gregory Haile was selected as Broward College’s seventh president after serving for seven years as the College’s general counsel and vice president for Public Policy and Government Affairs. During his tenure, the College made a number of accomplishments. Following a generous gift from the Motwani family, the College in 2019 created the R. Motwani Family Academy of Hospitality and Tourism Management. In 2021, the College received a transformational gift of $30 million from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. Broward College was named a Finalist with Distinction for the 2023 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. Following President Haile’s departure in 2023, two interim presidents led the College until 2025.
J. David Armstrong Jr. became the College's sixth president after having previously served as Chancellor of the Florida Community College System. In 2008, the College adopted its current name after the Florida Legislature allowed its two-year colleges to begin offering baccalaureate degrees. The College expanded its footprint in South Broward with the opening of the Miramar Town Center location in 2008. The College’s state-of-the-art Health Sciences Simulation Center opened in 2014 on the Central Campus. In the same year, the Miramar West Center opened in partnership with Florida International University.
Dr. Larry Calderon became the College’s fifth president in 2004. During his tenure, the College developed its first education master plan and secured a $14.5 million Title V grant. Calderon also initiated a "One College" philosophy to unify the three campuses and Downtown Center to increase efficiency. In 2006, the College opened a new joint use library at the South Campus in partnership with the Broward County Library. The Broward College Foundation endowed an American Dream Scholarship in recognition of Dr. Calderon's contributions to the College. Dr. Calderon was briefly succeeded by his predecessor Dr. Holcombe following his departure in 2006.
Dr. Willis Holcombe served in multiple roles at Broward Community College before becoming its fourth president, including as provost, academic dean, and professor. During his tenure, the Aviation Institute opened in 1993 at South Campus. The College expanded its partnership with Florida Atlantic University with the construction of several buildings at Central Campus, including the joint-use University College Library, which opened in 1996. The Academic Village opened in Pembroke Pines in 2000, followed by the Higher Education Center in downtown Fort Lauderdale in 2001. Dr. Holcombe also served as interim president from 2006-2007 following the departure of his successor. The downtown facility was renamed in his honor in 2004.
As the third president of the College, A. Hugh Adams oversaw many changes during his long tenure, including name changes to Broward Junior College and later Broward Community College after the institution joined the Florida College System. This change also led to the College's Advisory Board becoming a Board of Trustees. The North Campus opened in 1972, followed by the Downtown Center in 1973. Also in 1972, the Criminal Justice Institute (now known as the Public Safety institute) opened on Central Campus to train Broward County law enforcement officers. The Central Campus further expanded in 1980 with the opening of Bailey Hall, and South Campus opened its doors that same year. In 1986, Central Campus was renamed in honor of Dr. Adams.
Dr. Myron Blee became the College’s second president in 1965. During that year, the College received first-time accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, or SACS. During this time, the institution's name changed from the Junior College of Broward County to Broward Junior College. The Central Campus further expanded in 1966 with the opening of the gymnasium and the Buehler Planetarium, and aviation offerings expanded with the purchase of six new Piper Cherokee airplanes. This year also saw the creation of the alumni association. The College also initiated innovative virtual education via closed circuit television instruction.
As the first president of the Junior College of Broward County, Dr. Joe B. Rushing oversaw the start of classes in 1960 at the former Naval Air Station Junior High in Fort Lauderdale. The athletics program kicked off with the introduction of intercollegiate basketball in the 1962-63 academic year. By fall 1963, the College had relocated to buildings at the newly constructed Central Campus in Davie. In that same year, the College began offering innovative data processing courses that predated modern IT degrees. The College also offered elementary flying courses and received a donation of $35,000 from aviation pioneer Emil Buehler for the construction of the planetarium that would bear his name.