Wirral Met College Principal and CEO Sue Higginson, has been made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).
She has worked in further education for 33 years and will have served as Principal and chief executive at the college for 11 years when she retires next July.
Looking back on her time in charge, Sue said: "It's been the greatest privilege to lead a fantastic College and to serve my own community as Principal.
"In the last 10 years, with my team, we have completely transformed the college and it is such a joy to have played a part in leading and developing Wirral Met College.
"Over that time, we have grown significantly as a college with around 10,000 students, we now supporting many more students with learning difficulties and disabilities.
"We are the largest provider for children looked after, care leavers, and we serve over 500 ESOL students (English for speakers of other languages), including 200 refugees and asylum seekers.
"A total of 66% of our students are from areas of the highest deprivation and they all deserve the very best!
"This year we delivered a ten-year estate strategy on time and in budget, having secured multi millions of capital investment from Government and Liverpool City Region, to invest locally, which has transformed our estate; building the Oval Campus, Wirral Waters Campus and Hamilton Campus that now form part of five, career based, learning environments, at the highest of standards that our Wirral community deserves."
"I will continue to work hard, with and for my team, students and community until the end of the academic year and thank my governors, staff, students and community partners, past and present, for sharing and supporting my journey.
"This role is one that it is a privilege to hold and as I prepare to pass on the baton for the leadership of a very special college, our Board of Governors will now start the process to recruit the next Principal."
Tim Kelly, chair of the Wirral Met Board said: "Sue has been an outstanding Principal and CEO who has completely repositioned our college, through her transformational leadership, to be a strong, successful and inclusive college that is totally focused on serving the communities of Wirral and the wider Liverpool City Region.
"Sue has built exceptionally strong partnerships with employers and key community stakeholders and her passion for making a difference for the most vulnerable and under-represented people in our community has truly transformed Wirral Met to be the inclusive and successful college that we see today.
"We wish Sue every happiness for her future, and we owe her a debt of gratitude for the strong legacy of success that, through her leadership, Wirral Met has become and will build on in the future."
