Kremenek Named President of the College

The State University of New York Board of Trustees today approved the appointment of Dr. Amy Kremenek as the fifth president of Tompkins Cortland Community College. She begins June 1, 2022.  

For the last seven years Kremenek has served as Vice President of Enrollment, Development, and Communications at Onondaga Community College in Syracuse. The previous four years she was Vice President of Human Resources and External Relations at Onondaga, part of her nearly 20 years of experience in higher education.

“I am excited and honored to join the outstanding faculty and staff of Tompkins Cortland Community College and to serve as its next President,” said Kremenek. “The College has a rich history of excellence and entrepreneurship and its mission is tremendously important to the region. I look forward to working with the campus and the community to build on this tradition and to advance the mission in support of student success.”

The Tompkins Cortland Community College Board of Trustees selected Kremenek following a national search that brought four finalists to campus for visits in February. Kremenek replaces Orinthia Montague, who served as president for just over four years before leaving for another presidency in Tennessee in August of 2021. Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Paul Reifenheiser has served the College as Administrator in Charge since August. He will remain at the College as Provost and Vice President.

“The search committee and Board selected Dr. Kremenek from a very strong pool of candidates,” said Tompkins Cortland Community College Board of Trustees Chair Ray Schlather. “She is the right person at the right time for Tompkins Cortland Community College. She has a commitment to higher education in the region and is a proven leader. Her experience, her knowledge of the College and SUNY, and her passion for the mission of a community college, including TC3's many innovative programs, make her the perfect fit. We are very happy to welcome Dr. Kremenek as our next president.”

“Interactions and connections are critical in a school environment,” said Student Trustee and search committee member Paige Innis. “During Dr. Kremenek’s visit to campus, I was beyond impressed with the connection she made with the students. She showed compassion and understanding for our concerns, questions, and comments. It is clear that Dr. Kremenek cares for students and will continue to value students.”

In her time at Onondaga, Kremenek has held leadership roles in a variety of areas. She led the implementation of early college models based on academic degree and certificate pathways, rebuilding of the concurrent enrollment program and securing reaccreditation, and development of a pathways-based Early College High School dual enrollment program. She was key in the implementing of four NYS Department of Education’s Pathways in Technology Early College High Schools (P-Tech) and leading the successful launch of two early college academies with in-demand transfer degree pathways.

In addition to her work at Onondaga, Kremenek has been active in several service organizations, including serving as board president of the SUNY Council on University Advancement, the founding chapter president of the American Association of Women in Community Colleges, and the OCC Achieving the Dream Leadership Team. She was inducted into the SUNY Council on University Advancement Hall of Fame, received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service, and, in 2018, was recognized as the National Doctoral Scholarship Winner by the American Association of Women in Community Colleges.

Kremenek earned a Bachelor of Science from the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, a Master of Public Administration from the Maxwell School of Public Affairs and Citizenship at Syracuse University, and a Doctorate in Community College Policy and Administration from the University of Maryland Global Campus.

Amy Kremenek; Johanna Duncan-Poitier, SUNY Senior Vice-Chancellor for Community Colleges and the Education; Deborah F. Stanley, SUNY Interim Chancellor