Dr. Victoria L. Bastecki-Perez named sixth President of Montgomery County Community College
BLUE BELL, Pa. and POTTSTOWN, Pa. and LANSDALE, Pa., May 19, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Upon completion of a nationwide search, Montgomery County Community College's (MCCC) Board of Trustees is pleased to announce that Dr. Victoria L. Bastecki-Perez has been selected to serve as the College's sixth President. She has signed a three-year contract, and she will begin her tenure immediately starting May 18.
"We are confident that Dr. Bastecki-Perez's strong leadership and unwavering dedication to the success of our students will continue to propel Montgomery County Community College as a national leading institution in higher education, a key community partner and an invaluable resource for all County residents. Her performance as Interim President, especially during the current Covid-19 crisis, only served to confirm that the Board was choosing the right person to lead the College today and into the future," said Board Chair Frank X. Custer.
For more than 30 years, Dr. Bastecki-Perez has dedicated her professional pursuits to helping students achieve their dreams of higher education, including access to college, retention, completion, and family-sustainable wage employment.
"It is a great honor and privilege to be selected as the sixth president of Montgomery County Community College," said Dr. Bastecki-Perez. "The College has a long history of providing quality, relevant educational experiences for all students, and I look forward to continuing to work together with our exceptional faculty, staff and administrators, the Board of Trustees and community partners to advance the College and help our students realize their dreams, which will further strengthen our communities and economy."
While Dr. Bastecki-Perez served as Interim President, MCCC earned the prestigious Achieving the Dream Leader College of Distinction award, a national recognition for its work in narrowing equity gaps and improving student outcomes. Additionally, MCCC was named one of the Most Promising Places to Work in Community Colleges for the fifth consecutive year. This national recognition salutes community and technical colleges that cultivate diverse, inclusive and supportive workplaces and learning environments. Under her leadership, MCCC also was recognized as an inaugural PNGAS Guard-Friendly School for its support of students in the National Guard, an All-In Gold Campus for outstanding student voter engagement, a national Bellwether Award finalist in the categorical strand for Planning, Governance, and Finance, and a Forbes' ranking as a top employer, among other prestigious awards and designations.
In her role as Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost starting in 2010, Dr. Bastecki-Perez provided leadership and strategic direction for the College's five academic divisions, libraries, academic support services and signature programs including the Virtual Campus, University Center, Culinary Arts Institute, Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, Honors Program, Lively Arts, Galleries and Center for Faculty Success.
Dr. Bastecki-Perez also served as the College's Accreditation Liaison Officer for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, and she is the primary member on the Transfer Oversight Articulation Committee and is actively involved on several educational advisory and regional workforce boards, including as a member of the Board of Directors for the Montgomery County Workforce Development Board, MontcoWorks.
Dr. Bastecki-Perez previously held the positions of Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs (2006-2010), Dean of Health and Physical Education (2000-2006), and Director and Professor of Dental Hygiene (1996-2003) at the College. Before joining MCCC in 1996, she was an award-winning faculty member and Senior Clinical Supervisor at the University of Pittsburgh, School of Dental Medicine for nine years.
As a first-generation college graduate, Dr. Bastecki-Perez holds an Ed.D. and M.Ed. in Instructional Design and Technology from the University of Pittsburgh and a B.S. in Education from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. She began her graduate coursework at Exeter College, Oxford University through the Edinboro-Oxford Experience study abroad program. She was recognized as a Distinguished Alumna by Edinboro University and by the University of Pittsburgh, School of Dental Medicine.
About Montgomery County Community College
For more than 55 years, Montgomery County Community College has grown with the community to meet the evolving educational needs of Montgomery County. The College's comprehensive curriculum includes more than 100 associate degree and certificate programs, as well as customized workforce training and certifications. Students enjoy the flexibility of learning at the College's thriving campuses in Blue Bell and Pottstown, at the Culinary Arts Institute in Lansdale, and online through a robust Virtual Campus.
As an Achieving the Dream Leader College of Distinction, the institution is positioned at the vanguard of national efforts to remove barriers to access, improve learning outcomes, and increase completion for all students. The College also is recognized regionally and nationally for its sustainability leadership, work with military veterans, community service and service learning opportunities, and use of classroom technology. For the fifth consecutive year, MCCC has been named one of the Most Promising Places to Work in Community Colleges in the nation by the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development for its commitment to diversity through inclusive learning and work environments, student and staff recruitment and retention practices, and meaningful community service and engagement opportunities. For more information, visit https://www.mc3.edu.
SOURCE Montgomery County Community College
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