News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Tues. June 30, 2020: An educator whose roots extend through his maternal grandfather to the Caribbean, has been named the new president of the Borough of Manhattan Community College in New York, News Americas has learnt.
Dr. Anthony E. Munroe will serve as president of the school effective Oct. 1st, The Board of Trustees of the City University of New York announced Monday. The appointment came on the second to last day of Caribbean American Heritage Month.
“BMCC has established itself as a leader among community colleges providing an exceptional academic and workforce training experience for all. It is a tremendous honor to have been appointed by Chancellor Matos Rodríguez and the CUNY Board of Trustees as the next president of BMCC,” Dr. Munroe said of the appoinment. “I look forward to joining BMCC and CUNY, as we work together, to educate and train the global leaders of today and tomorrow, for New York City and the world.”
A nationally recognized executive with more than 30 years of experience leading education and health-care organizations, Dr. Munroe has since 2017 been president of Essex County College, one of the most diverse colleges in New Jersey and a national leader in boosting the social mobility of its graduates. He was previously president of Malcolm X College, part of the City Colleges of Chicago system.
A first-generation U.S. citizen who grew up in the Bronx and attended New York City public schools, Dr. Munroe traces his roots to his grandfather who was born in Panama and raised in Jamaica.
His grandfather emigrated from Jamaica and arrived in The Bronx in the 1960’s and worked at Doctor’s Hospital washing dishes. Dr. Monroe has said in the past that his grandfather helped raise him after brought all 13 of his children to the United States.
Dr. Monroe is the first US-born national in his family. He holds a doctorate in education from Columbia University Teachers College with a concentration in health education.
His extensive experience includes serving as associate vice president of health systems affairs at Ross University School of Medicine in New Jersey and as Executive Administrator, Bahamas Campus – Ross University School of Medicine providing executive leadership and overall direction to the medical school branch campus.
He was also president of Advocate Trinity Hospital in Chicago and executive director of Family Health Services in the New York City Department of Health, overseeing an agency with a $200 million budget and more than 100 service sites.
Dr. Munroe is an international expert on cultural competency and disparities in health care and was named one of the top 25 minority health care executives in the United States by Modern Healthcare Magazine.
He serves on the Board of Directors of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and on the Commission on Student Success with the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) and was recently named a winner of the 2020 Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society’s Paragon Award for New Presidents, which recognizes college presidents who have shown strong support for student success at their schools.
The City University of New York is the US’ largest urban public university. Founded in 1847 as the nation’s first free public institution of higher education, CUNY today has seven community colleges, 11 senior colleges and seven graduate or professional institutions spread across New York City’s five boroughs, serving 500,000 students of all ages and awarding 55,000 degrees each year. More than 80 percent of the University’s graduates stay in New York, contributing to all aspects of the city’s economic, civic and cultural life and diversifying the city’s workforce in every sector. CUNY’s graduates and faculty have received many prestigious honors, including 13 Nobel Prizes and 26 MacArthur “Genius” Grants.
