The NCCFT was pleased to host County Executive Bruce Blakeman, County Comptroller Elaine Phillips, Nassau Deputy County Executive Anissa Moore, and their staff for a 75-minute tour of the College on Tuesday, February 8th. The tour was led by NCCFT Vice-President of Classroom Faculty Dr. David Stern. Also joining from the NCCFT were: NCCFT President Dr. Faren Siminoff, NCCFT Secretary Dr. Suzanne Kaebnick, and AFA President Stefan Krompier. At the request of Officer-in-Charge Donna Haugen, Vice President of Academic Student Services Maria P. Conzatti, Vice President of Institutional Advancement Adrian Kerrigan, and Vice President of Finance and Administration Julio Izquierdo attended.
Due to time constraints, we were only able to give the County officials a sampling of the opportunities and challenges NCC holds. Our tour included Hospitality Business, Allied Health Sciences, Marketing, and Theatre and Dance. We also walked through the CCB and G buildings and discussed the library (which was closed due to a broken steam pipe).
The chairs and faculty whom the County officials met with gave impressive presentations regarding their programs, projects for further expansion, and the success of our students. They also clearly wove a vision for what the college could be with adequate funding and leadership. County Executive Blakeman and Comptroller Phillips were truly impressed by our wonderful and able chairs and faculty and the great teaching happening at NCC, and by the success of our students. They also clearly understood the challenges we face as a college.
We greatly thank County Executive Bruce Blakeman and Comptroller Elaine Phillips for their interest in NCC. This is the first time, in anyone’s recent memory, that a County Executive and Comptroller have toured the college and shown such interest in NCC, our faculty, and students. We hope that the sunny day we were blessed with portends a bright future for Nassau Community College; in County Executive Blakeman’s words, NCC will be “Bigger, Better, and Greater!”