Trustees

Dr. Antonio Pérez, President of Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) since 1995, is a visionary, high-energy leader with 25 years of experience as a chief executive officer. He has dedicated himself to making BMCC an institution revered nationally for its excellence in teaching, learning, scholarships, and service to students and the community.

BMCC serves 24,500 students enrolled in 31 degree-granting programs. Under Pérez’s guidance, BMCC has also forged partnerships with City University of New York (CUNY) colleges in Inwood, the Bronx, and Brooklyn.

A driving force behind BMCC’s Study Abroad program, Pérez helped develop educational ventures between BMCC and colleges outside the United States. Branching out beyond BMCC, this summer, study abroad students will take classes at University of Oviedo in Spain, and Centro Panamericano de idiomas (CPI Spanish Immersion School) in Costa Rica.

Pérez was instrumental in overseeing the reconstruction of Fiterman Hall, BMCC’s academic building that was damaged on 9/11 and proudly re-opens its doors to students this fall, 2012. Pérez maintains a deep personal commitment to community service by serving on the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation’s World Trade Center Memorial Committee.

Additionally, Pérez holds leadership positions with numerous civic and education groups such as Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, Vice Chair; Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education, Editorial Board; Hispanic Educational Telecommunications Systems (HETS); National Community College Hispanic Council and National Puerto Rican Forum. He is also Commissioner of the Greater New York Councils of Boy Scouts of America.

In October 2008, Pérez was one of five recipients of the Annual Latino Heritage and Culture Award, an honor that recognizes the accomplishments of Latino leaders in New York City. Fittingly, Crain’s New York Business called President Pérez one of New York’s “Top 100 Minority Business Leaders.” His worldwide keynote speeches have addressed a variety of topics such as the makings of a good leader, to crisis and emergency management at the college level.

Recently, Pérez participated in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) forum Educating Our Future Workforce and Growing Consumer Base. As a panelist, Pérez explained how programs such as ASAP help student retention within the Latino community at BMCC, adding that Latinos have closed the gap in one area—social networking.

Armed with his knowledge, Pérez is researching a variety of interactive, educational games that will appeal to BMCC students, improving their English, Math, and social skills.

In recognition of his distinguished service to higher education, Dr. Pérez was awarded an honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters by his alma mater, the State University of New York at Oneonta.