Pamela R. Edington, Ed.D.
President, Dutchess Community College
An educator with more than 35 years of service at community colleges in the northeast, Pamela R. Edington, Ed.D. became Dutchess Community College’s fifth – and first female – president in August 2014.
Dr. Edington’s professional life has been dedicated to making a difference, particularly through higher education that is accessible, equitable and inclusive. She began her association with community colleges as a faculty member teaching sociology, transitioning to leadership positions as a dean, provost and now president.
Key educational initiatives that Dr. Edington is committed to advancing as president include increasing the number of Dutchess students who complete a degree, developing additional programs of study to meet emerging workforce needs in the mid-Hudson Valley, growing service and applied learning opportunities, and enhancing strategic relationships with local partners to enhance the educational pathway in Dutchess County.
Reducing barriers to post-secondary education has been a hallmark of Dr. Edington’s work. Under her leadership, the College opened a site at the Family Partnership Center to serve the needs of the residents of the City of Poughkeepsie, and an on-campus food pantry and DCC CARES center were established to provide wraparound support to students.
Dr. Edington has distinguished herself in both the community and on the DCC campus as an accessible, engaged and passionate visionary gifted in creating linkages between people and organizations to leverage resources and facilitate positive change. She was awarded an Eleanor Roosevelt Val-Kill Medal in 2018.
