Only One Lawyer Has Been at the Helm of a Community College in New York

When Dr. Michael Batson stepped down as President of Rockland County Community College (RCC) in New York in 2022 to become the President of Tri-C or Cuyahoga Community College in Ohio, New York lost its sole lawyer leading a community college.

Appointed to lead RCC in 2017, Batson was known as, “…a popular and accessible figure whose accomplishments include launching the Hospitality and Culinary Arts Center in Nyack, introducing a guided pathway academic school model, adding Career and English Skills Academies to address middle-skills workforce needs, to name a few.” Further, “Under his leadership, the college [has] secured $30 million in grants, capital, and other fundraising efforts, including back-to-back Title V Developing Hispanic-Serving Institution awards, the largest grants in RCC’s 62-year history.”

In announcing his appointment as President at RCC, Marty Wortendyke chairman of RCC's board of trustees, called him "a visionary and compassionate educational administrator." Prior to his appointment at RCC, Michael Baston was vice president of student affairs and associate provost at LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City, New York. Before that he was dean of student development and campus life at Berkeley College. A graduate of Brooklyn Law School, Batson began his career as an attorney representing various educational institutions and social justice organizations. His work with academic clients led him to pursue a second career in academics, both as a professor of legal studies and business and as a student affairs administrator. In addition to his JD, Batson holds an EdD from St. John Fisher College.

Today, Dr. Batson is chair of the Black Male CEO Educators network and a member of the American Association of Community Colleges Board of Directors, chairing its Commission on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. In 2021, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Batson was selected to participate in the Education Design Lab as a Designer in Residence to reimagine the role of higher education in closing racial and economic opportunity gaps. Batson was also part of the inaugural class of Aspen Presidential Fellows.

One Lawyer Campus President Engaged in Colorful Feminist Activism as a College Student

Appointed as the 10th President of CUNY’s Brooklyn College in 2016, Michelle Anderson previously served as the Dean of CUNY Law School from 2006-2016. Prior to joining CUNY, Anderson was a law professor at Villanova University School of Law, where she became a leading legal scholar on rape law and sexual assault.

Following graduation from Yale Law School with a JD, Anderson clerked for Judge William A. Norris on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. After the clerkship, she entered academia working in the Appellate Litigation Program and Institute for Public Representation at Georgetown University Law Center where she earned an LLM in Advocacy.

At CUNY Law School, Anderson enjoyed a successful tenure as dean where she is credited with, among other things, “…overseeing a period of great renewal and transformation in development, facilities, programs, and recognition…CUNY Law strengthened its public interest mission, increased its academic standards…. CUNY School of Law moved from a converted junior high school building in Flushing, Queens, to a new LEED gold-certified facility in Long Island City. CUNY Law launched a number of groundbreaking initiatives, as well, including the Pipeline to Justice Program, the Incubator Program, the Community & Economic Development Clinic, the Center for Urban Environmental Reform, the Center on Latino and Latina Rights & Equality, and the Sorensen Center for International Peace and Justice.”

But long before, as a college student, in 1988 Michelle Anderson disrupted the Miss California beauty pageant. Spending a year and half along with financial resources to enter the pageant, just as the winner was about to be announced, Anderson pulled out a banner that read, “Pageants Hurt All Women.” This protest actually exemplifies many traits of good college presidents – speaking out for what they believe is right, taking risks, strategic planning, and having the confidence to say and do what others may be thinking but are not willing to act on. Moreover, Anderson’s action suggested a youthful but ultimately enduring commitment to education and equality.

President Anderson has received numerous awards and recognition for her educational leadership, including City & State’s “Above & Beyond Award for Outstanding Women in Public Service” at the organization’s gala honoring the 25 most powerful women in New York who have demonstrated exemplary leadership in their field and made significant contributions to society; the “Susan Rosenberg Zalk Award” by the Feminist Press; and by the Center for Women in Government and Civil Society at the University of Albany, with its “Public Service Leadership Award.”

In announcing her appointment as President, Board of Trustees Chair Benno Schmidt (former President of Yale University and former Dean of Columbia Law School) and Chancellor James B. Milliken (also a lawyer) stated, “Dean Anderson brings to Brooklyn College a record of extraordinary academic leadership and success, a strong commitment to students, an exemplary record of public service and a deep belief in Brooklyn College’s mission of academic excellence and opportunity.” The search Committee was chaired by noted attorney and trustee Barry F. Schwartz.

The fact that the search committee and board of trustees were headed by lawyers, certainly created a welcoming environment for qualified lawyer leaders to navigate through the presidential search process, something that is not the case on every campus. While her legacy at Brooklyn College is still being written, Michelle Anderson has proven to be an excellent higher education leader.

37 Year-Old Accomplished Lawyer Appointed Interim President of New Jersey City University

In a short period of time, Andres Acebo has had a meteoric rise from interim chief of staff and secretary to the board in 2021 to interim President of New Jersey City University (NJCU) in 2023 for 24 months. Acebo also served as assistant university counsel, and most recently as Executive Vice President and University Counsel before being elevated to the presidency. At the age of 37, Acebo is the youngest known president to ever lead a public university in the State of New Jersey.

Upon graduation from Rutgers Law School, Acebo clerked for the Honorable Jonathan N. Harris, J.A.D. (retired) in the Appellate Division of the Superior Court of New Jersey. He then entered private practice, with the Teaneck, NJ firm of DeCotiis FitzPatrick Cole & Giblin where he counseled and represented governmental entities, higher education institutions and public school districts, and closely-held corporations. His practice focused on employment and labor, education law, and government/public entity law. He was also regularly retained by governmental entities to conduct independent special investigations into alleged public official and employee misconduct and adverse employment actions.

NJCU has been undergoing major financial difficulties. As noted in the announcement of Acebo’s appointment, “Since the announcement of the financial emergency, Acebo has demonstrated significant executive leadership. Facing a more than $20 million deficit, he collaborated with NJCU’s organized labor, stakeholders, and constituencies to reduce the deficit by more than 50 percent within 120 days, while leading with empathy and compassion about the mission of the university and those who serve it. Acebo has worked diligently with NJCU’s other senior leaders, external stakeholders, and entities, including the bond rating agencies which has resulted in the removal of the University from the rating agency’s negative watch. His efforts with the senior leadership of NJCU’s academic affairs division has led to developing an academic rightsizing framework that honors collective bargaining rights and creates a pathway for reallocation of resources and an updated academic portfolio. He also has worked with the Division of Academic Affairs to affirm NJCU’s Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) accreditation while working with Senator Menendez and our congressional delegation to identify significant future federal aid which will provide equitable access to high demand online nursing education.”

Among Acebo’s many accomplishments outside of NJCU, the announcement notes, “Acebo has been recognized as a Rising Star by New Jersey Super Lawyers, a Top Latino Lawyer by Latino Leaders Magazine, a Top Lawyer under 40 by the Hispanic National Bar Association, and as a Diverse Attorney of the Year by the New Jersey Law Journal. In Fall 2022, he was recognized as a 2022 “Latinos 40 Under 40” award recipient by Negocios Now, in recognition of leadership by young Latinos in the New York metropolitan area. This fall, Acebo was also honored by the Boys Scouts of America-North Jersey Council with the 2022 Good Scout Award, in reflection of his service to his community. He currently serves as a Deputy Regional President of the Hispanic National Bar Association and Chair of the Special Committee on Cuba. He serves on the board of the Cuban American Alliance for Leadership and Education (CAALE) — a non-profit board that serves first-generation students in the NJCU community.”

Profiled in the NJ Law Journal in 2019, Acebo’s advice to others was, "Focus on what you want to do, not what you want to be. Invest your time in causes that drive progress. You have a moral obligation to use your influence to lift others. Don’t wait until you have 'arrived' … lift as you climb." In an interview with Hispanic Executive in 2021 Acebo said about his initial appointment with NJCU, “I’m now working in service of a public anchor institution—a federally recognized, minority-serving, and Hispanic-serving university in the county that raised me and shaped me,” Acebo explains. “The part that I love so much about being a lawyer is being an advocate, a problem-solver, and a strategic partner. I love preparing and navigating legal arguments to protect and defend individual interests and positions.”

Appointments to college presidencies for people in their 30s is rare, but not unheard of. For example, lawyer Ellen Futter became president of Barnard when she was 30. In both cases these leaders had been involved with leadership positions at both institutions.