wish to improve their skills in problem solving and team building. e afternoon session
was targeted toward those seeking employment and included basic information such
as resume preparation and interviewing tips. e event was offered free of charge.
in June, i attended the 49
th
annual Puerto rican Hispanic Day Parade. Also in
attendance were Trustees irizarry and escorbores. As part of the College’s strategic
priority to have a presence in our communities, i was able to address viP members of
the audience who were present to celebrate the heritage and culture of the area.
for the second consecutive year, the College hosted the Yonex U.S. open Badminton
tournament inside the field House on the Michael J. Grant Campus. Staff reported
an increase in the number of people attending the earlier rounds and indicated that
this trend continued throughout the tournament. Local and international media
provided extensive coverage of the tournament and the players. i was interviewed
several times during the tournament and used those opportunities to emphasize how
happy we were to host the event. is tournament enables us to showcase Long island
and the College’s facilities, while simultaneously boosting the local economy.
New Leadership Roles and Human Resources
earlier this year, i was pleased to announce the promotion of Dr. Christopher J. Adams
to the position of vice President for Student Affairs. following a period of review,
Dr. Adams determined it was necessary to implement a number of administrative
changes within the division: Ms. Anna flack was named College Associate Dean for
Master Schedule/registrar; Ms. Cheryl eldredge was appointed to the position of
College Assistant Director for Master Schedule/registrar; Kevin foley’s title was
changed to Director of Athletics and the term “interim” was removed; Ms. rose
Bancroft was named to serve as College Director of financial Aid; Ms. Sylvia Camacho
was appointed to serve as College Director of Career Services; Dr. omas Tyson was
appointed College Associate Dean for Mental Health Services; and Dr. Patty Munsch
was named College Assistant Dean for Student engagement Assessment.
i also took some time to evaluate the College’s organizational Chart, and quickly
decided that it was a priority to pursue filling the Cabinet-level position of vice
President for Academic Affairs and to successfully complete a search for an executive
Dean on our Ammerman Campus. i am pleased to share that Dr. Suzanne M. Johnson
accepted an appointment to the College as vice President for Academic Affairs
coming to us from oregon, where she had served as the interim President at Portland
Community College’s Sylvania Campus in Portland. Her experience includes
leadership in curriculum development and improvement, assessment and accreditation,
as well as mentoring and evaluation of staff. She is well-versed with the priorities of
the Middle States Commission on Higher education, having served as Co-chair of
Dowling College’s Decennial Accreditation review.
i am also happy to announce that P. wesley Lundburg was appointed as executive
Dean of the Ammerman Campus. Mr. Lundburg most recently served as Dean of the
New Bedford Campus of Bristol Community College in fall river, Massachusetts.
A veteran of the United States Coast Guard, he began his career in higher education
as an adjunct professor, teaching developmental and english courses at the University
of Alaska. He went on to gain progressive academic and administrative experience,
serving in the roles of Dean of Academic Affairs, Dean of instruction, and interim
President and Ceo at various institutions in Minnesota and Alaska.
roughout 2015, we were able to consistently attract strong pools of exceptionally
50
❘
2014-2015 Review of Accomplishments
Dr. Christopher Adams, Vice President
for Student Affairs
Dr. Suzanne Johnson, Vice President
for Academic Affairs
e College was visible in our local community through its
participation in the 49
th
Annual Puerto Rican Hispanic Day Parade.
