MORRIS COUNTY — The County College of Morris (CCM) recently announced that its president, Dr. Anthony J. Iacono, made the 2020 NJBIZ Education Power 50 list for the second straight year. The list recognizes the leadership of educators during the COVID-19 pandemic and their roles in the economic recovery. Earlier this year, Iacono received the inaugural S.H.I.N.E. (Serves, Helps, Inspires, Nurtures, and Excel) award from Child & Family Resources of Morris County in recognition of the college’s programs to bring services and resources to diverse populations.
“It’s an honor and also humbling to be named to this list, which includes so many outstanding educational leaders in New Jersey,” said Iacono. “Being named to the Education Power 50 list testifies to all the great work, of the entire CCM community, to provide pathways for individuals to realize their dreams and develop the partnerships to strengthen our communities.”
Since his appointment as CCM’s third president in 2016, Iacono has focused on establishing the college as a community partner to provide diverse populations access to a high-quality education, build healthy and prosperous communities and meet the employment needs of business and industry.
When the COVID-19 pandemic reached New Jersey last March, forcing most businesses and all schools, colleges, and universities to close their doors, CCM took action. The campus served as a COVID-19 Testing Center, operated by Morris County and Atlantic Health System. The testing site, which operated on the campus from March 30 to June 26, provided nasal swab tests for more than 8,000 people from Morris and Sussex counties during its course of operations.
As COVID-19 cases increased in Morris County, placing a strain on Morristown Medical Center, CCM lent the hospital five ventilators and donated 325 N95 masks and 3,000 gloves. In response to pandemic hardships, CCM hosted a Table of Hope food and back-to-school backpack distribution event on its campus in March and in August. Throughout the pandemic, CCM faculty, students, staff, and graduates worked or volunteered on the front lines and supported essential workers by providing them with face masks, face shields, and food.
Under Iacono’s leadership, the college this year launched Dover College Promise (DCP), supported with a $110,000 grant from Impact 100 Garden State. DCP, in conjunction with the Educational Center in Dover, will provide low-income middle and high school students in the community with college-readiness training and support. Participants who graduate from high school in good standing also will receive scholarships to attend CCM.
To address the need for skilled employees in both the county and state, CCM opened the Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Center (AMEC) this fall semester. With funding and support from the state, the Morris County Board of Commissioners, and local businesses, AMEC was constructed to provide a pipeline of new employees and to update the skills of current employees.
With a $4 million four-year grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, CCM expanded its apprenticeship programs in advanced manufacturing. Those programs began this fall semester.
Reprinted from Parsippany Focus Magazine, October 2020 issue
