Past Presidents of the College

 

President Orinthia T. Montague

2017-2021

Orinthia T. Montague, Ph.D., became the fourth president of Tompkins Cortland Community College on July 5, 2017. She was appointed to the position by the Tompkins Cortland Community College Board of Trustees and approved by the State University of New York Board of Trustees.

President Montague came to Tompkins Cortland from Normandale Community College in Bloomington, Minnesota, where she was the vice president of student affairs and chief diversity officer. Prior to serving as vice president, Montague was the dean of students at Normandale, and also had been associate vice provost and dean of students at University of Missouri-St. Louis. She left Tompkins Cortland to become president of Volunteer State Community College in Tennessee.

Montague was born in Jamaica. She received a Bachelor of Arts in interpersonal communication from Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri; a Master of Arts in counseling from Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri; and a Doctorate degree in higher education administration from the University of Missouri-St. Louis.  

 

President Carl E. Haynes

1994-2017

Carl E. Haynes, Ph.D. became Tompkins Cortland Community College's third president in 1994, having previously served in several positions at the College dating back to 1969. He retired from the College in 2017, completing the longest presidency in the College’s history. He was named President Emeritus by the College's Board of Trustees on July 20, 2017.

During Haynes’ tenure, the College was recognized as a leader in online learning, technology integration, and international education. The College has been named a top Digital Community College six times by the Center for Digital Education and the American Association of Community Colleges. Haynes was a featured speaker at several national and international conferences, where he focused on the innovative concept driving the College's successful Global Connections program that saw the College form more than 30 partnerships in more than 20 countries.

Haynes also oversaw the expansion of innovative academic offerings to include a restaurant in downtown Ithaca, Coltivare, and an organic farm adjacent to campus. The “farm to bistro” concept, in which the farm provides produce to the restaurant while supporting four academic programs at the College was the first of its kind among community colleges in the Eastern United States.

During Haynes’ tenure, the College also completed two master plan renovations, adding approximately 90,000 square feet of building space to the campus, and rehabilitating approximately 40,000 square feet in the main building. A ten-acre solar plant was constructed on campus in 2014, providing nearly 90% of the College’s electricity. Haynes also led the College through its first-ever major gifts campaign and received a $2 million gift that was later expanded to a total of $11.5 million to support a scholarship for adult students.

Haynes, a lifelong resident of New York State, received a bachelor's degree in business from the Rochester Institute of Technology, a Master of Science and Master of Business Administration from Syracuse University, and a Ph.D. from Cornell University. 

 

President Eduardo J. Marti

1986-1994

Eduardo J Marti, Ph.D., became the second president of Tompkins Cortland Community College in 1986. He held the position until 1994.

Marti came to Tompkins Cortland after having served in leadership roles at several institutions. He was Executive Dean at Tunxis Community College (Conn.), Dean of Faculty and acting President at Middlesex Community College (Conn.) and Associate Dean of Faculty of the Borough of Manhattan Community College.

After leaving Tompkins Cortland, Marti served as president of Corning Community College for six years, president of Queensborough community College for ten years, and Vice Chancellor for Community College for the City University of New York (CUNY). He also served as interim president of Bronx Community College and was a member of several national and regional boards.

Marti was born in Cuba. He received his B.A., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in biology from New York University.

 

President Hushang Bahar

1968-1986

Hushang Bahar was the founding president of Tompkins Cortland Community College, leading the College through its first 18 years of existence.

Bahar was President when the College first opened its doors in September 1968, with 180 students attending classes in a renovated old high school building in Groton. He was the driving force behind the College's growth and the opening of the current campus building in Dryden in 1974. By the end of his tenure, the College was serving more than 5,000 full and part-time students each year.

Prior to Tompkins Cortland, Bahar experiences included teaching at the Army Language school in Monterey, California and serving as Director of Correctional Education in the Florida State Prison System. He was a faculty member at Orange County Community College and at Corning Community College, where he was also Director of the Continuing Education Program and Summer Session. Directly prior to assuming the presidency of Tompkins Cortland, Bahar was the Director of Graduate Studies and Extension Services at Ithaca College.

Bahar was born in Iran. He graduated from the American College of Tehran, Iran and the Indian Forest College in India. He received his B.A. in sociology and his M.A. in sociology and anthropology from the University of Montana. He pursued his doctoral studies at the University of Michigan.