PRESS RELEASES

CUNY Names Four College Presidents

(June 29, 2020) The Board of Trustees of the City University of New York today voted to appoint accomplished, experienced and diverse leaders as presidents of York College, and Borough of Manhattan, LaGuardia and Queensborough Community Colleges. The appointments bring to seven the number of presidential vacancies filled in the last five months by Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, who took the helm of the nation’s leading urban public university in May 2019.

To lead York College, the trustees appointed Dr. Berenecea Johnson Eanes, who has served as York’s interim president for the 2019-2020 academic year. In her first nine months, Dr. Eanes accomplished several long and short-term goals for York, a college known particularly for its strong and varied liberal arts curriculum and record as an engine of social and economic mobility. Dr. Eanes succeeded Dr. Marcia V. Keizs, who stepped down last August and returned to teaching.

To serve as president of Borough of Manhattan Community College, CUNY’s largest school with about 24,000 students in over 50 associate degree programs and thousands more in adult and continuing education programs, the Board appointed Dr. Anthony E. Munroe, the president of Essex County College in New Jersey. Dr. Munroe brings three decades of experience as both an educator and a nationally recognized executive and leader of urban healthcare and health education institutions. Dr. Munroe succeeds Interim President Karrin E. Wilks.

To lead LaGuardia Community College – known for its strong success as a driver of economic mobility and a leading voice on behalf of community colleges nationwide – the Board appointed Kenneth Adams, who currently serves as dean of workforce and economic development at Bronx Community College and brings a highly accomplished résumé as chief executive of numerous New York State governmental agencies. Mr. Adams succeeds Interim President Paul Arcario.

To lead Queensborough Community College, which prizes the diversity of its students and the engagement of its faculty in pedagogical research for the improvement of teaching methodologies, the Board appointed Dr. Christine Mangino, a proud champion of community colleges who has worked at CUNY’s Hostos Community College for 16 years, the last five as provost. Dr. Mangino succeeds Interim President Timothy G. Lynch.

“These four outstanding educators are a valuable addition to the cohort of energetic new leaders on our campuses embracing the University’s proud history and helping CUNY set the standard for quality and access in public higher education in the United States,” said Chairperson William C. Thompson, Jr. “Each have established track records of success by fostering innovation, promoting diversity and inclusion, and achieving excellence throughout their careers. We welcome them to CUNY, at a crucial juncture in our University’s history, as we look beyond this current crisis to the future and continue our historic mission of serving the people of New York.”

“I am especially proud to have been able to recommend these dedicated and experienced leaders to guide four CUNY colleges as we continue to navigate the uncertainty of the pandemic and its many associated challenges,” said Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez. “Berenecea Johnson Eanes has demonstrated strong motivational management acumen and an ironclad commitment to improve student outcomes. Anthony Munroe knows from personal experience how challenging it can be to pursue educational objectives while juggling family and job obligations, and he brings the depth and breadth of knowledge to support CUNY students who are following that course. Kenneth Adams has the skills and track record to ensure that LaGuardia’s students can be prominent participants in a post-COVID economy. Christine Mangino is driven by a deeply held belief in the importance of community colleges, along with her invaluable prior service at CUNY as an educator and administrator. All four of these leaders have acquired the wide-ranging personal and career histories to make innovative contributions as CUNY college presidents.”

Berenecea Johnson Eanes has been appointed president of York College, effective Aug. 1, after serving in the interim role since September 2019. Her arrival on the Queens campus last fall marked a return to CUNY for Dr. Eanes, who served for six years as vice president for student affairs at John Jay College of Criminal Justice from 2006-2012. Prior to her role at York College, Dr. Eanes was vice president for student affairs at California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) from 2012-2019, leading a team of over 400 employees and a division that supported 40,000 students. Dr. Eanes’s university-wide planning to increase engagement, retention and graduation rates at CSUF led to a number of University records — a 33% improvement in six-year graduation rates for first-time freshmen; a more than 100% improvement in four-year graduation rates for first-time freshmen; a 19% improvement in two-year graduation rates for transfer students, and a 41% improvement in four-year graduation rates for transfer students. She was the lone administrator to earn the California State University’s 2018 Wang Family Excellence Award for her notable contributions.

Upon assuming the role of Interim President at York College, President Eanes embarked on executive team building efforts that focused on improving collaboration, cooperation, and transparency through the ranks of faculty and staff. Dr. Eanes also led the completion of the campus strategic planning initiative through work with a cross-campus planning committee to establish the goals of academic excellence, faculty and staff support, student success, and the building of a safe, vibrant campus. In addition, she is leading the revitalization of facilities, capital projects and budget infrastructure with the goal of building and initiating a culture of fiscal transparency and health.

This spring, she guided York College through the COVID-19 crisis, implementing a system of distance learning and remote working while also launching a number of support services to help the most vulnerable students. Dr. Eanes earned a Ph.D in Social Work from Clark Atlanta University, a Master of Social Work from Boston University and a Bachelor of Science in Public Health from Dillard University.

“It is a great privilege to be selected by Chancellor Félix Matos Rodríguez to be the president of York College. York is a campus rich with a history and a diversity that is a reflection of the Jamaica, Queens, community it was built within,” Dr. Eanes said. “It has been a pleasure to serve as the interim president this past academic year and establish the new strategic plan and priorities that will drive the future of the college. Following our ‘One York’ theme, we will push ahead and work collaboratively to embrace the amazing opportunities and tackle the current challenges, together. I am humbled to be chosen to lead this amazing campus community that paves the way for local students to rise in social mobility and become global citizens.”

Anthony E. Munroe will serve as president of Borough of Manhattan Community College, effective Oct. 1. A nationally recognized executive with more than 30 years of experience leading education and health-care organizations, Dr. Munroe has since 2017 been president of Essex County College, one of the most diverse colleges in New Jersey and a national leader in boosting the social mobility of its graduates. He was previously president of Malcolm X College, part of the City Colleges of Chicago system.

A first-generation U.S. citizen who grew up in the Bronx and attended New York City public schools, Dr. Munroe holds a doctorate in education from Columbia University Teachers College with a concentration in health education. His extensive experience includes serving as associate vice president of health systems affairs at Ross University School of Medicine in New Jersey and as president of Advocate Trinity Hospital in Chicago. He was also executive director of Family Health Services in the New York City Department of Health, overseeing an agency with a $200 million budget and more than 100 service sites. Dr. Munroe is an international expert on cultural competency and disparities in health care and was named one of the top 25 minority health care executives in the United States by Modern Healthcare Magazine. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and on the Commission on Student Success with the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). He was recently named a winner of the 2020 Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society’s Paragon Award for New Presidents, which recognizes college presidents who have shown strong support for student success at their schools.

“BMCC has established itself as a leader among community colleges providing an exceptional academic and workforce training experience for all. It is a tremendous honor to have been appointed by Chancellor Matos Rodríguez and the CUNY Board of Trustees as the next president of BMCC,” Dr. Munroe said. “I look forward to joining BMCC and CUNY, as we work together, to educate and train the global leaders of today and tomorrow, for New York City and the world.”

Kenneth Adams comes to LaGuardia Community College after a tenure as the dean of workforce and economic development at Bronx Community College and following an extensive career leading large and complex government agencies in New York State. Throughout his professional life, he has demonstrated a commitment to sound fiscal management and cost-effective service delivery. He raised nearly $2 million in support of workforce training and career services initiatives at Bronx Community College, while also increasing Continuing Education enrollment by 45% and revenue by 15%. Fundamental to Adams’ mission is the cultivation of robust partnerships with employers, including unions and industry associations to advance student outcomes and CUNY priorities.

Prior to joining CUNY, he served as the acting commissioner of the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, overseeing more than 5,000 employees and an annual operating budget of $464 million. From 2011 to 2015, Adams was the President and CEO of the Empire State Development and Commissioner of the NYS Department of Economic Development, managing New York State’s economic development agency with more than 450 employees and an annual operating budget of $80 million. Before joining state government, he led the Business Council of New York State, the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, the MetroTech Area Business Improvement District, and was the founding Executive Director of New York Cares. In the sphere of community service, he currently serves as the Chairman of the Boards of Directors of New York State’s affordable housing agencies, including the Housing Finance Agency, State of New York Mortgage Agency and the Housing Trust Fund Corporation. Mr. Adams has MA and BA degrees from Middlebury College. He will begin his tenure at LaGuardia on Aug. 17.

“LaGuardia is uniquely positioned to support the city’s recovery by training and upskilling workers who have lost their jobs and preparing students for new fields and emerging occupations in a post-COVID economy,” Adams said. “I look forward to working with the incredible LaGuardia faculty, students, staff and alumni – and, of course, the Queens community – in a collective effort to deliver on the rich promise of LaGuardia to a growing number of students in these challenging times.”

Christine Mangino will head Queensborough Community College after 16 years at Hostos Community College – the last nine in the Office of Academic affairs, first as an associate dean for faculty and curriculum and then as provost and vice president. As provost, she oversaw a budget of $45 million and was responsible for 10 academic departments, 182 full-time faculty and 350 part-time faculty. In 2018, she was tapped to participate in the Aspen Presidential Fellowship for Community College Excellence, a leadership program aimed at preparing the next generation of community college presidents.

Dr. Mangino is a first-generation college student and developed her interest in championing the mission and success of community colleges from her experience as a student at Nassau Community College. Dr. Mangino earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from Hofstra University, and later, a doctoral degree in instructional leadership at St. John’s University. Dr. Mangino has been noted throughout her career for her leadership in operational planning and budgetary and accountability measures that have expanded student outcomes and diversified faculty. In her five years as provost, Hostos increased three-year graduation rates by nearly 15 percent; boosted the number of faculty of color by six percent and expanded online offerings by five percent. The college was also recognized in 2015 as a Top Ten institution for the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. Dr. Mangino began her tenure at Hostos as an assistant professor for Early Childhood Education (ECE) in 2004 and later served as coordinator of the ECE unit, director of the CUNY Teacher Academy at Hostos and chair of the Education Department. Her appointment is effective Aug. 17.

“I am honored and excited for the opportunity to serve the QCC community,” Dr. Mangino said. “I look forward to working together to not only recover from the current crises, but also to continue the important work of student success and providing an affordable, high-quality education marked by academic excellence and rigor. I am deeply committed to the QCC and CUNY missions and eager to partner with faculty, staff and the community to support students as they achieve academic, social and economic progress.”

The City University of New York is the nation’s largest urban public university, a transformative engine of social mobility that is a critical component of the lifeblood of New York City. Founded in 1847 as the nation’s first free public institution of higher education, CUNY today has seven community colleges, 11 senior colleges and seven graduate or professional institutions spread across New York City’s five boroughs, serving 500,000 students of all ages and awarding 55,000 degrees each year. CUNY’s mix of quality and affordability propels almost six times as many low-income students into the middle class and beyond as all the Ivy League colleges combined. More than 80 percent of the University’s graduates stay in New York, contributing to all aspects of the city’s economic, civic and cultural life and diversifying the city’s workforce in every sector. CUNY’s graduates and faculty have received many prestigious honors, including 13 Nobel Prizes and 26 MacArthur “Genius” Grants. The University’s historic mission continues to this day: provide a first-rate public education to all students, regardless of means or background.