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NJCCC President Aaron Fichtner, Board Chair Dorothy Blakeslee and NJCCC Chair Sheetal Ranjan.
PARAMUS, N.J. – The New Jersey Council of County Colleges has selected Bergen Community College Board of Trustees Chair Dorothy Blakeslee to receive the organization’s top honor for trustees. Chosen from nominees submitted by the state’s 18 community colleges, the NJCCC’s executive committee selected Blakeslee for the Ronald D. Winthers Community College Trustee Leadership Award, which honors an individual who “exemplifies visionary trustee leadership at the local, state and national levels.” The NJCCC recognized Blakeslee during an awards dinner as part of the organization’s New Jersey Community College Opportunity Summit in Atlantic City.
“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.
The NJCCC honor represents the second of the spring semester for Bergen’s board chair; the American Association of Community Colleges selected Blakeslee as a finalist for the “Trustee of the Year” award as part of the organization’s annual Awards of Excellence program. The honor recognized her as one of the top three trustees in the nation.
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.
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