MCC Announces Appointments to Leadership, Staff and Faculty Positions

Manchester, Conn. (April 13, 2016) – Manchester Community College is pleased to announce the following new appointments:

Susan Alston, of Hampden, Mass., has been named executive director of Manchester Community College Foundation, Inc. She works closely with the board leadership and its committees, as well as with the dean of institutional advancement and community engagement, other deans and the college president to manage the foundation and ensure that it maintains focus on its mission. A priority for Alston is developing and implementing a strategy for the college’s first-ever capital campaign. She holds a master’s degree from Bay Path College and a bachelor of science degree from the University of Massachusetts.

Shawn Bolden, of Windsor, was appointed second-shift police officer in the MCC police department. As a POST-certified officer, Bolden responds to emergencies and requests for assistance and conducts criminal investigations, including applying for search warrants. He enforces motor vehicle and criminal statutes and conducts arrests and other police duties on the college campus. Bolden is a retired sergeant from the Bloomfield, Conn., police department, with 20 years of service. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Husson University.

Deborah Boyle, of Farmington, joined the MCC faculty as a paralegal instructor. Boyle’s teaching responsibilities include courses in the field of paralegal studies and other related business subjects. She is also responsible for recruiting and advising students, as well as developing and revising curricula. She is a certified paralegal and joins MCC after a near 20-year career as paralegal program manager and instructor at the University of Hartford. She holds a master’s degree from the University of Connecticut and a bachelor’s degree/paralegal certificate from Marist College. She is also a PACE® Registered Paralegal since 1999.

Kevin Fox, of East Hartford, and Carlos Rivera, of Willimantic, were hired as maintainers, in Facilities Management and Planning. They join a team responsible for carrying out a variety of tasks required to keep the college facilities in top condition, including minor maintenance, repairs and inspections, as well as grounds work. Prior to joining MCC, Fox was a maintainer and a custodian at the University of Hartford. Before that he worked for Spartan Aerospace as a driver. Rivera was previously a custodian at Ella Grasso High School in Groton. He is a graduate of Rafael Lopez Landron High School, Guayama, Puerto Rico.

Samantha Gonzalez, of South Windsor, has been named Liberal Arts academic division director. She is responsible for providing academic leadership to one of four MCC academic divisions, managing more than 100 full- and part-time faculty and staff in disciplines including communications/humanities, English, general studies, multimedia, graphic arts, game design, music and visual fine arts. Gonzalez is also a member of the college’s senior academic leadership team. She holds a master’s degree from the University of Hartford and a bachelor’s degree from Southern Connecticut State University.

Donna Huff ’11, of Manchester, was hired as development assistant in the Institutional Advancement and Community Engagement division. She provides administrative support for the college’s first-ever capital campaign. Huff holds an associate degree from MCC and a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Connecticut State University.

Erin O’Neil, of Willington, joined the Institutional Advancement and Community Engagement division as an administrative assistant to the dean. O’Neil assists in managing the MCC Foundation scholarship program, which includes updating the databases, tracking fund-account balances and maintaining activities reports. She also supports the dean’s activities, including maintaining calendars, arranging meetings and recording minutes for those meetings. In addition, she will support special event planning for the department. O’Neil holds a master’s degree in public administration and a bachelors’ degree in psychology, both from Clark University.

Jill Ross ’14, of Tolland, has been named enrollment services aide in the Enrollment Services office. She provides administrative support for the admissions/registrar’s offices, including maintaining student records and processing student applications, registrations and other activities related to college enrollment. An alumna of MCC, Ross holds an associate degree in general studies. She graduated magna cum laude and Phi Theta Kappa and is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in psychology and sociology at Charter Oak State College.

Yamilet Santiago, of Hartford, was hired as secretary 2 in Facilities Management and Planning. She provides administrative and confidential assistance to ensure the successful operation of the department, including handling correspondences and maintaining various databases for organizing and tracking state contracts and bids. Santiago joins MCC from the Connecticut Department of Children and Families, where she worked for two years. Prior to that she was at the Department of Public Health and other state agencies.