The Colorado Community College System (CCCS) Chancellor Joe Garcia announced Dr. Rosana Reyes as the next president of Lamar Community College (LCC).

Dr. Reyes, a transformative leader, educator, and administrator with more than 20 years of experience in building equitable pathways to and through higher education, will assume the LCC presidency on March 1, 2023, succeeding current president Dr. Linda Lujan following her planned retirement.

“Dr. Reyes is a dynamic leader who will step into the presidency with the confidence, experience, and energy needed to advance student success and strategic partnerships in Colorado’s southeast rural region,” said Chancellor Garcia. “Our colleges are key to revitalizing our rural communities and essential to their economic, cultural, and civic enrichment. Dr. Reyes understands this charge, and I believe her DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) engagement strategies, fluency in Spanish, and her proven track record of successfully working with diverse and under-served communities makes her the right leader for LCC at this time in the college’s history and in its development as a federally-designated Hispanic-Serving Institution.”

Upon her appointment, Dr. Reyes shared her enthusiasm to pursue LCC’s student-centered vision for higher education with the goal of making it a premier site for innovative programming, career training, and community economic development.

“I am humbled and excited by this appointment and by the trust Chancellor Garcia and the Lamar community has placed in me to continue the institution’s progress,” said Dr. Reyes. “I strongly believe in the community college mission and will prioritize LCC’s dedication to expanding access, promoting equity and inclusion, realizing transformative outcomes for our students, and building strategic partnerships with community and business that will help advance LCC and the surrounding community forward.”

Dr. Reyes currently serves as Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs at Luzerne County Community College, located in a small rural town in Pennsylvania, where she oversees seven college centers, a comprehensive student services division, and enrollment and academic support services. Under her leadership, she spearheaded efforts during the pandemic that increased Luzerne’s enrollment and retention rates by more than 10%, outpacing national averages. During her tenure, she also secured millions in public and private funding to build and open a new student learning commons, e-sports arena, and recovery institute to support students living with a substance use disorder.

Prior to Luzerne, Dr. Reyes served as Associate Vice President of the Newburgh campus at The State University of New York-Orange County, SUNY Orange. There, she led collaboratives with local school districts and four-year institutions that paved the way for the institution’s first One Stop Enrollment and Support Center. This innovative Center, operated by a team of cross-trained staff, successfully unified admissions, advising, testing, registration, and student billing to effectively streamline and better support students in their college journeys.

Dr. Reyes, her husband, their three children, and their two cats will make Lamar their new residence in the coming months. 

“LCC is a unique and special institution that truly reflects the spirit of Southeast Colorado,” Dr. Reyes said. “I am eager to start working alongside LCC’s outstanding students, faculty, staff, and community partners to build upon the institution’s rich 85-year history.”