Hezekiah “Heze” Simmons serves as CFO and Vice President for Administrative Services for Monroe Community College in Rochester, New York. Before serving as CBO, he would have been as surprised as anyone on being asked to lead the charge to build a new college campus. But Simmons is all about stretch goals, and that very college campus is on schedule and under budget, targeting a September opening.

This week on CBO Speaks, Simmons shares his recipe for success as a CBO. His is a story of alliances, both inside the college and in the community beyond. It’s a story of transparency, ensuring that his responsibilities serve the intention and process of shared governance. And it’s a story of mentorship, using his experience as a mentee at Xerox as a model for becoming a mentor himself.