Hudson County Community College to Honor Retiring President on June 14
June 18, 2018
College names the HCCC Library for Glen Gabert, who is retiring after 25+ years at the helm.
June 18, 2018, Jersey City, NJ – Hudson County Community College (HCCC) officially honored and said farewell to the College’s longtime President, Glen Gabert, Ph.D. on Thursday evening, June 14th.
The retirement celebration began with a ceremony naming the College’s Library – which is located at 71 Sip Avenue in Jersey City – the “Gabert Library” and unveiling a plaque memorializing the naming. Immediately following, guests attended a cocktail reception in the Benjamin J. Dineen, III and Dennis C. Hull Gallery on the Library’s sixth floor, where they viewed a special exhibit featuring works from the HCCC Foundation Art Collection. Guests then proceeded to the HCCC Culinary Arts Institute at 161 Newkirk Street for a dinner honoring Dr. Gabert.
In attendance at the event were: William O’Dea and Anthony L. Romano, Jr. from the Hudson County Board of Chosen Freeholders; HCCC Board of Trustees Chair William J. Netchert, Esq. and members of that Board; members of the HCCC Foundation Board of Directors; area and state educational, community and business leaders; HCCC administrators, faculty, and students; and Dr. Gabert’s family and friends.
Dr. Gabert announced his retirement in December 2017. He is the College’s longest serving President, having held that office since September 1992. He is also the longest-serving current community college president in New Jersey. He will remain in office until June 30.
Chairman Netchert said: “ In the 25-plus years that Glen Gabert has been President of Hudson County Community College, remarkable and beneficial changes have taken place. He formed a partnership with my colleagues on the Board of Trustees and me, and together with our elected representatives and area leaders, we have transformed what was a deeply distressed college into a life-changing resource for the people of our community.”
Mr. Netchert said that under Dr. Gabert’s leadership, Hudson County Community College is now an award-winning, student- and community-centered institution focused on fostering understanding and attaining success . During Dr. Gabert’s tenure enrollment more than tripled, two state-of-the-art campuses – Journal Square (Jersey City) and North Hudson (Union City) – were built, and more than 60 degree and certificate programs have been put in place. In addition, the HCCC Foundation, which has provided over $3 million in scholarships to more than 2,000 deserving students, was initiated.
The 2017 Equality of Opportunity Project ranked HCCC in the top 120 of 2,200 U.S. higher education institutions for social mobility – the only community college in New Jersey’s top ten. The College’s Culinary Arts program is ranked number eight in the U.S., and, with 93.75% of graduates passing the NCLEX first time out, the HCCC Nursing program is ranked number two among New Jersey associate-degree programs.