RCC names leadership team as search for new president begins

Rockland Community College has begun the search for a new president following the departure of Michael A. Baston, who accepted the president's post at Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland.

The RCC Board of Trustees appointed the SUNY school's provost and executive vice president, Susan Deer, as officer in charge while a national search takes place to identify a candidate to serve as the two-year college's eighth president since its founding in 1959. 

The board also appointed Katherine Lynch, an associate English professor at RCC, as officer in charge of Academic Affairs, reporting to Deer. 

Deer and Lynch were scheduled to begin their new roles on July 1 and will serve until a president is selected and assumes office, which is expected to occur on or before July 2023.

RCC's enrollment of about 5,637 full- and part-time students includes 52 international students and more than 1,184 students over 25 years old. RCC is also home to about 70 veteran students each year, according to its website. 

Besides its main campus off College Road in Ramapo, the school has a Hospitality and Culinary Arts Center in Nyack, the Herbert Kurz Automotive Technology Center in Orangeburg, and an extension center in the Village of Haverstraw.

RCC Board President Martin Wortendyke conveyed trustees' appreciation for Baston's leadership, especially in light of the challenges the school and its students faced during the pandemic.

"We are committed to finding a new president for the College who will continue to amplify and expand on the mission and vision of RCC," Wortendyke stated. "Rockland Community College has been serving the surrounding community for over six decades providing educational opportunities for individuals at all ages and stages of life. We will continue to fulfill that mission while embracing and moving forward with many of the initiatives developed over the past several years."

Baston held the RCC presidency since 2017, a period during which the college launched the hospitality and culinary arts center, Career Skills and English Skills Academies to address middle-skills workforce needs, and secured $30 million in grants, capital and other funding including Title V Developing Hispanic-Serving Institution awards.

“This was a difficult decision.” stated Baston. “I have truly enjoyed leading Rockland Community College over the past five years and while the pandemic presented unique challenges, I believe the RCC campus community is stronger and more prepared for the future than ever before."

Interim leadership team

Susan Deer joined RCC in 2008 as dean of instruction. She has served as provost since 2013 and was named executive vice president in 2016. Deer was awarded the Catalyst Leadership Award by the American Council of Education as the New York State outstanding woman leader in higher education in 2016.

Katherine Lynch will serve on the Executive Cabinet, the college’s senior leadership team, providing administrative leadership and direction for all academic activities and faculty affairs. Lynch chairs the Sam Draper Honors Program and received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2020. She has led RCC’s efforts to design and implement a new, mandatory college success course that empowers students to identify their goals early to ensure a more successful college experience.

“Dr. Deer has had an unwavering commitment to the students of RCC over the past 14 years," Wortendyke stated. "The Board of Trustees has full confidence in her ability to lead the College with the support of Dr. Lynch and the entire Executive Cabinet. Together, they will ensure a seamless transition to the incoming eighth president of the College.”

Trustees will announce a search committee and the appointment of a search firm in the coming weeks. Updates throughout the search process can be found on the RCC website: https://sunyrockland.edu/about/presidential-search/