Bergen Community College: Council Of County Colleges Recognizes Bergen's Blakeslee

Press release from Bergen Community College:

July 23, 2024

NJCCC President Aaron Fichtner, Board Chair Dorothy Blakeslee and NJCCC Chair Sheetal Ranjan.

“The council is honoring you for your vision, leadership, and unwavering support of community colleges, including your service to Bergen Community College as well as your service to the numerous organizations that make a positive difference in the lives of the people of Bergen County and the State of New Jersey,” NJCCC President Aaron Fichtner, Ph.D., said in a congratulatory letter to Blakeslee.

The first Asian-American chair in Bergen history, Blakeslee has led the institution through an unprecedented period of growth, innovation and prosperity. Selected as chair to coincide with the hiring of President Friedman, the pair have forged a bond rooted in the support of the institution’s students, faculty and staff. Among many key initiatives, they have worked together to deepen ties with Bergen County government leaders, launch Bergen’s first all-online degree programs through the Center for Online Learning and create holistic programs that eased pressures on students such as a tuition-debt relief initiative.

“It is a privilege to be associated with an institution dedicated to providing opportunities to anyone who wants to grow and learn,” Blakeslee said.

Blakeslee first joined the College’s governing body in 2003. Before becoming chair in 2020, she served as treasurer for nearly 16 years. A managing director at Government Strategy Group, Blakeslee remains an active member of many organizations including the New Jersey Housing Mortgage Finance Agency, the Quest Autism Program and the State of New Jersey Family Advisory Council. She currently serves as the chair of the Family Support Planning Council, a statewide network of families living with developmental disabilities. Blakeslee previously served on the boards of the Hackensack University Medical Foundation, the New Jersey Task Force on the Needs of Autistic Adults and the Organization of Chinese Americans. She received her B.S. from the University of Connecticut and holds a master black belt in Tae Kwan Do.

Based in Paramus, Bergen Community College (www.bergen.edu), a public two-year coeducational college, enrolls more than 13,000 students at locations in Paramus, the Philip Ciarco Jr. Learning Center in Hackensack and Bergen Community College at the Meadowlands in Lyndhurst. The College offers associate degree, certificate and continuing education programs in a variety of fields. More students graduate from Bergen than any other community college in the state.

This press release was produced by Bergen Community College. The views expressed here are the author’s own.