Delaware County Community College appoints new president

Delaware County Community College on Monday announced that Marta Yera Cronin, who currently leads a community college in Oregon, will become its next president this summer.

Cronin, 55, who has been president of Columbia Gorge Community College since 2018, will replace L. Joy Gates Black, who will retire June 30 after six years. Cronin becomes the fifth president of the college, which serves 16,000 credit and noncredit students, and the first Latina to lead the school.

“Dr. Cronin’s long and successful career in education, dedication to equity-related efforts and strong organizational and leadership skills will be great assets,” Kevin Scott, college board chair, said in a statement.

» READ MORE: Are community colleges accessible to students without cars? A national group tracks proximity to public transportation.

Cronin is co-chair of the Oregon Community College Association’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, co-chair of the board for the Oregon League of Minority Voters, and president of the Comunidades board, which advocates for the empowerment of the region’s Latino women and youth, the college said.

She has more than 30 years experience in higher education, most of them at community colleges. She also taught French and reading in K-12 schools in Florida for more than a decade.

» READ MORE: West Chester and DCCC are the first local colleges to join national program to close equity gaps

Cronin has a bachelor’s in French from the University of Miami, a master’s in reading from Barry University, and a doctorate from the University of Sarasota.