Page 31 - Chester County Chamber - 2019 Guide and Business Directory

Dr. Joy Gates Black,
President, Delaware County Community College
Unlike Allen and Lettiere, Dr. Joy Gates Black had no previous ties to her institution, but she did have a history of working in leadership positions at community colleges in her native Texas and in California.
She was vice chancellor of academic and student affairs at Tarrant County College in Fort Worth when a search firm contacted her and encouraged her to look into an opportunity to lead Delaware County Community College (DCCC). “They sent me the college’s strategic plan, and that’s what really piqued my interest because the college had been very honest in the construction of the plan,” said Black. “It really highlighted the strengths of the institution, but also those areas where the college needs to do a better job, and I thought that was really forward-thinking.”
The more Black learned about DCCC, the more she liked the opportunity, and she accepted the offer to become president in 2017, as the college was celebrating its 50th anniversary.
In those 50 years, “we’ve done so much to support both Chester and Delaware County in the growth of our communities and our students,” she said. “I want us to continue to build partnerships with our communities and increase the number of school districts we work with. I want us to continue to partner more effectively with our university partners.”
Black cites DCCC’s recent partnership with West Chester University (WCU) as a success — students who lacked the means to get to West Chester now can conveniently earn a WCU bachelor’s degree at DCCC’s Marple campus.
Another great asset for DCCC is its family atmosphere, said Black: “It’s one of the things I really sensed when I visited the college
as part of the search process. There appeared to be such a sense of family and support for each other, regardless of where you
worked.” Just last week, DCCC was chosen by the Chronicle of Higher Education as a Great College To Work For — for the ninth consecutive year, Black noted. “No other college or university in the greater Philadelphia area has achieved that.”
Going forward, Black wants DCCC to “continue to be seen as a source of employees who have the education and the skills needed to be successful in the 21st-century workplace. That means working with business and industry to make sure our curriculum stays relevant to what they need.”
Dr. Joy Gates Black
Ranked Among the Nation’s Best Universities
WEST CHESTER UNIVERSITY
wcupa.edu
www.cccbi.org 29