Ronnie Sevilla to Lead Hudson County Community College Foundation
October 16, 2024
Ronnie Sevilla takes over as the new Chair of the HCCC Foundation after nearly a decade of service to the Foundation Board.
Sevilla takes over as Foundation Chair after nearly a decade of service with the Foundation Board.
October 16, 2024, Jersey City, NJ – There’s a new Chair at the Hudson County Community College Foundation, but he’s
not new to serving others or to the value of education.
Ronnie Sevilla steps into the leading role of Foundation Chair after serving as Treasurer and as a dedicated member of the Foundation Board for nearly a decade.
Sevilla brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to this role. He is currently the Vice President and a Cash Management and Sales Officer at Spencer Savings Bank. Sevilla previously worked at Investors’ Bank (now part of Citizen’s Financial) where he helped lead the bank’s expansion into Jersey City and Hudson County.
Sevilla holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics degree from Rutgers University and earned an Executive MBA from Rutgers Business School. His experience in business school played a large part in forming his views about the importance of education. Sevilla states, “Look at me. I went back to grad school as an adult learner to pursue my MBA. I loved the experience, and I’m a better person for it. I want everyone to have the opportunity to experience the life-changing effect of a college education.”
The New Foundation Chair also believes that education creates social and economic mobility in the community, pointing out that “Education is the gift that keeps on giving; it’s intergenerational. A college education helps people break the cycle and empowers them to have more control over their future.”
Sevilla knows this firsthand. He was born in the United States to parents from Ecuador. At age eight, he and his family moved back to Ecuador, and he returned to the U.S. as a teenager, so he can relate to the immigrant experience that is especially relevant in Hudson County, one of the most culturally diverse counties in the United States. He stated, “I truly believe with all my heart that the United States is the greatest country in the world because it offers the most social and economic opportunity. Education is the great equalizer and the key to unlocking that opportunity.”
As HCCC Foundation Chair, Sevilla seeks to create new synergies and bring the Foundation into closer alignment with the College than ever before, explaining that “President Reber has done an incredible job of putting HCCC on the map, winning national and statewide awards. The Hudson Scholars Program is a groundbreaking program for students. The Foundation must facilitate this growth and support transformational programs like Hudson Scholars.”
Founded in 1997, the Hudson County Community College Foundation supports and promotes the College and its students by building awareness and developing financial resources. In keeping with its vision that all Hudson County residents should be afforded the opportunity to acquire a college education and enjoy the lifelong benefits of that education, the HCCC Foundation works diligently to find and generate funding that provides scholarships for students, seed money for new and innovative programs, stipends for faculty development, capital to assist the College in its physical expansion, and resources to address basic needs and insecurities of our HCCC community members and students beyond the classroom.
The HCCC Foundation has raised over $4 million for student scholarships and helped thousands of deserving HCCC students.
According to HCCC President Dr. Christopher Reber, “The HCCC Foundation is in good hands with Ronnie Sevilla, who will build on its strong legacy and add to its proud history as this exciting new chapter at the College begins. We are honored to have Ronnie Sevilla as Foundation Chair.”