From Participants to Leaders: Reflections on Faculty Development for Equity‐Minded Leadership and Data Coaching in a Community College

ABSTRACT In this reflective essay, I share my insights as a faculty developer supporting two colleagues who transitioned from participants to facilitators in an innovative professional development program designed to build and implement equity‐minded leadership practices in community college settings. Rooted in faculty‐led change, professional learning communities, and data‐informed inquiry principles, I detail the intentional design and developmental scaffolding that prepared them to step into facilitative leadership roles. Through continuous dialogue, shared reflection, and ongoing professional development, I worked alongside these colleagues as they developed a deeper understanding of equity and started modeling the practices in their own work. Their path uncovered the dynamic interplay between personal growth and institutional culture shift. These experiences underscore the transformative power of relational trust, reflective practice, and peer facilitation as levers for equity‐driven change. By reflecting on their journey through dialogue, I offer insights into how faculty can be positioned not just as recipients of professional development but as agents and architects of change in their own learning environments.