Presidential Search

Dear RCC Community,

Thank you for participating in the candidate campus interviews for the next President of Rockland Community College. The Board met and has made its recommendation to SUNY for their next steps and approval. Although it was our hope to announce the President this month, due to scheduling delays, we are waiting to hear back from SUNY on their Board Meeting date. We will be back in touch with the RCC community with more details as they become available.

Thank you for your continued patience and participation. We are excited to finalize this process and announce RCC’s new President soon.

Sincerely,
Joseph Rand
Chair, Presidential Search Committee
Vice Chair, Board of Trustees
Rockland Community College

Dear RCC Community,

I hope that this email finds you well. I’m pleased to provide you with an update on RCC’s Presidential Search.

Following a series of virtual interviews, the Rockland Community College Presidential Search Advisory Committee is identifying final candidates for consideration as the College’s new president.

The finalists will visit campus in early March to meet with various stakeholders and participate in Open Forums with faculty and staff and with students. The Faculty & Staff and Student Open Forums will take place in-person and will be accessible virtually. While I will share the names and bios of the finalists next week, in the interest of planning, I encourage faculty, staff and students to register for the Open Forums now.

RCC faculty, staff and students should check their RCC email for specific  dates, times and registration information.

Stay tuned for the full bios of the finalists next week. Thank you for your continued support as we move to this phase of the search.

Sincerely,
Joseph Rand
Chair, Presidential Search Committee
Vice Chair, Board of Trustees
Rockland Community College

Dear RCC Community,

I hope that this email finds you well. I’m pleased to provide you with an update on RCC’s Presidential Search.

First, thank you to everyone who participated in the Listening Sessions with our search firm, Isaacson Miller. The feedback gathered in those sessions was invaluable as we worked with Isaacson Miller to develop the presidential profile for the position.

That presidential profile is posted on Isaacson Miller’s website. It is also linked from RCC’s presidential search page. The application is open and the Search Committee is scheduled to meet next week to begin the initial review.

I will continue to update you as the process moves forward. You can find updates about the Presidential Search here.

Wishing you and your families a happy, healthy and safe holiday season! I look forward to the great work we’ll do as a community in 2023.

Sincerely,
Joseph Rand
Chair, Presidential Search Committee
Vice Chair, Board of Trustees
Rockland Community College

Dear RCC Community,

I hope that you are enjoying the start to another great year at RCC. I am pleased to inform the community that the Trustee Search Committee has chosen the firm Isaacson Miller to lead the charge on our Presidential Search. The Trustees are confident that the firm’s understanding of our community, approach to leadership, and thorough screening process will bring us our next great leader.

Isaacson Miller is an outstanding search firm that is not only intimately familiar with the specific needs of Rockland Community College, but is deeply experienced with SUNY and community college searches. The firm has been in practice for forty years and has worked on many successful searches, including the current search for our next SUNY Chancellor. Isaacson Miller also led RCC in our last presidential search that brought us Dr. Baston.

The Trustee Search Committee is currently reviewing applications and recommendations for community member representation on the Committee. I will be announcing the full membership of the committee shortly.

I will continue to update you as the process moves forward. You can find updates about the Presidential Search here.

Sincerely,
Joseph Rand
Chair, Presidential Search Committee
Vice Chair, Board of Trustees
Rockland Community College

Dear RCC Community,

I hope that you all had a pleasant and restful summer. I have been working closely with the RCC Board of Trustees on the Presidential Search process and I wanted to give you an update.

In July, a request for proposal (RFP) for a search firm was posted. Members of the RCC Board of Trustees are currently reviewing the applications and interviewing high-potential applicants. The RCC Board of Trustees members that are joining me in the review process are Ileana Eckert, Lynne Hilowitz, Grant Valentine, Elana Yeger, and student trustee, Rafhilene Frias-Sanchez. Learn more about the RCC Board of Trustees.

As soon as the search firm is selected, we will finalize the members of the search committee. We are currently soliciting representatives from various constituent groups in Rockland County and have collected a number of nominations from the RCC community. We anticipate having a search firm in place early in the fall and will notify the RCC community when the firm is hired.

We will continue to update you as the process moves forward. You can find updates about the Presidential Search here. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Joseph Rand
Chair, Presidential Search Committee
Vice Chair, Board of Trustees
Rockland Community College

Dear RCC Community,

On behalf of the Rockland Community College Board of Trustees, I am writing to let you know that we have begun the search process to identify a new president who will continue to amplify and expand on the mission and vision of RCC which has served Rockland County and the surrounding area for over six decades. Our goal is to select an individual who will continue the work of seeking new ways to serve our diverse student body while providing educational opportunities that empower individuals to transform their lives. This will be the first of many communications over the next several months as we undertake a national search for the College’s eighth president.

New Appointments
RCC’s Board of Trustees will vote to appoint Dr. Susan Deer as Officer in Charge at their meeting on June 27, 2022. In this role, Dr. Deer will be responsible for leadership, oversight and supervision, for all areas of the College. The Trustees will also vote to appoint Dr. Katherine Lynch as Officer in Charge of Academic Affairs. Dr. Lynch will report to Dr. Deer and serve on the Executive Cabinet. In this new role, Dr. Lynch will provide administrative leadership and direction for all academic activities and faculty affairs at the College. Drs. Deer and Lynch will assume their new roles on July 1, 2022.

For the past 14 years, Dr. Deer has had an unwavering commitment to the students of RCC. We have full confidence in her ability to lead the Institution with the support of Dr. Lynch and the entire Executive Cabinet. Together, and with your support, the College’s leadership will continue moving the Institution forward during the search and ensure a seamless transition for the incoming president.

Presidential Search
Mr. Joseph Rand, an RCC Board member since 2013 and current Vice Chair, will serve as the Chair of the presidential search committee. Mr. Rand chaired RCC’s 2016 successful presidential search that culminated with the hiring of Dr. Baston. Five RCC Board of Trustees members will join Mr. Rand on the search committee: Ileana Eckert, Lynne Hilowitz, Grant Valentine, Elana Yeger, and student trustee, Rafhilene Frias-Sanchez. These core members are charged with forming the broader committee that will include representation from the College’s various constituents, and maintaining a transparent process keeping the RCC Community informed throughout the coming months.

The Board is also working closely with representatives from the State University of New York to ensure compliance with established best practices for community colleges. We will rely on their guidance to ensure that we adhere to the highest standards in executing our search and transition.

Additional information about the search committee formation and the appointment of a search firm will be announced in the coming weeks. A Presidential Search webpage has been created to provide on-going updates and can be found here: sunyrockland.edu/presidential-search.

Please join me in thanking Drs. Deer and Lynch for taking on these new roles to lead and serve the College. We appreciate the Community’s support as we move through this process.

Sincerely,
Martin Wortendyke
Chair, Board of Trustees
Rockland Community College

Dear RCC Family and Friends,

Five years ago, I was blessed to join a vibrant, caring community that believed in the power of the possible for students. A Community College with aspirations to have greater local, regional, and national impact by sharing innovative strategies to improve the lives of students.

Over these five years, together, we have built a College that is a highly respected national educational leader preparing students to become real-world ready.

Together, our “can do” College has weathered many storms from financial challenges, a global pandemic, the shifting economic and educational landscape, and our national quest for inclusive excellence so that all students, regardless of their zip code, have access and the opportunity to live the lives they deserve, their American dream.

I am proud of our efforts over the years including:

The establishment of the Hospitality and Culinary Arts Center location in Nyack.

The implementation of the Guided Pathways Model and associated restructuring of our Schools.

The significant improvement of our enrollment and student services.

Our College’s newfound place in the national spotlight due to your voice.

The successful navigation of myriad unknowns during our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The development of the Career Skills and English Skills Academies to grow footprints in the non-degree and workforce development areas with growth potential.

The securing of more than $30 million in grant, capital, and other fundraising efforts to advance student success, including back-to-back Title V Developing Hispanic Serving Institutions awards and garnered support to address deferred maintenance and infrastructure challenges after years of neglect and lack of funding.

Our Steps Beyond Statements initiative to prepare Rockland Community College to become a national leader in Inclusive Excellence.

Given all we have accomplished together it is with mixed emotions that I share that I have decided to accept the position of President of Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland, Ohio where I will begin a new chapter in my professional career later this summer. Please know I am deeply inspired by what we have accomplished together. I leave RCC confident that the College is well-positioned to continue building the momentum for fruitful, sustainable growth, and greater levels of individual student success.

Serving as RCC’s president, alongside an extraordinary executive team, dynamic and dedicated faculty and staff, and under the leadership and wise counsel of our committed, forward-thinking Board of Trustees has been a source of great pride and joy. Tasha and I, from the moment we joined the RCC Family, felt the love and support of the College community. We will always treasure the friends we’ve made and the joyful times we have shared in Rockland County and at RCC.

In the days and months ahead, I will work closely with the Board of Trustees to ensure a smooth transition to new leadership. I have faith that the next president will embrace our culture of collaboration and embrace the RCC philosophy of opening our doors to students from every part of our society, and providing everyone the opportunity to thrive and succeed. There is so much important work yet to be done.

Maya Angelou once remarked, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” As time passes you may forget the things I have said. You may forget what I did. But I hope that you, who have felt the love I have in my heart for our College, our community, and our students, will remember that commitment and in some way be inspired to shine your light on others as well. With a grateful heart, I can assure you I will never forget how each of you made me feel.

With love and gratitude,
Dr. Baston