Trailblazing Leadership: Hudson County Community College Board of Trustees Chair Jeanette Peña Inspires at Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration

October 25, 2024

HCCC Board of Trustees Chair Jeanette Peña

HCCC Board of Trustees Chair Jeanette Peña inspired approximately 200 members of the HCCC community at the College’s signature Hispanic Heritage Month event in Union City.

A full house turned out at HCCC’s North Hudson Campus in Union City to hear the first Hispanic Chair of the Board of Trustees tell her story.


October 25, 2024, Jersey City, NJ – Approximately 200 Hudson County Community College (HCCC) students, faculty, and staff celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month by attending a rousing keynote speech from Jeanette Peña, Chair of the HCCC Board of Trustees, at HCCC’s North Hudson Campus in Union City. Not only is Peña the first Hispanic to hold this position, but she is also the first woman to do so, making her a true Hudson County trailblazer.

As the daughter of immigrants from Cuba, Peña’s role as the first Hispanic Chair of the Board of Trustees is especially significant as Hudson County Community College is a majority-minority institution with 55% of students identifying as Hispanic or Latino. Many HCCC students were born outside of the United States, and many speak English as a second language. HCCC is a federally designated Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and received the ‘Outstanding Member Institution Award’ from the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) in 2023.

The diversity of HCCC’s Hispanic presence was on full display at the event, as students from Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, and beyond were all in attendance. “Chair Peña’s ascension to HCCC Chair is inspiring not only to Hispanic students but to the HCCC community as a whole,” stated HCCC Chemistry Instructor Raffi Manjikian, who helped organize the event as co-chair of the President’s Advisory Council on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (PACDEI) alongside colleagues Joseph Caniglia, Executive Director of the North Hudson Campus, and Diana Galvez, Associate Director of the North Hudson Campus and PACDEI co-chair.

Peña is a lifelong advocate for public education and a longtime member of the HCCC family who taught as an adjunct professor at HCCC and served on the Foundation Board for over a decade. She is the Director of Special Services and Organizational Accountability at Union City Public Schools. Notably, she is also a member of the New Jersey State Board of Education after being appointed by Governor Phil Murphy in 2024. Peña earned her Master of Arts degree in education from Seton Hall University and her Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Rutgers University. She also holds a Professional Diploma in School Psychology from New Jersey City University.

Peña regaled the audience with a compelling story of why education is so important to her. Her grandmother was a lifelong and avid reader but was forced to stop attending school in her native Cuba during the sixth grade so that she could take care of her siblings after her mother passed away. Additionally, Peña’s mother, who attended the event virtually, was a teacher in Cuba before being forced to flee the country after the Communist Revolution. Peña stressed that while this is her family’s history, it’s something everyone can relate to as “this is a story somewhere in all of our family’s timelines.” Peña emphasized the importance of education by stating, “They can take everything away from you, but they can’t take away your education,” something her grandmother told her as a young woman.

Peña’s parents worked hard to give her a wonderful childhood in Union City, and her father worked from sun up to sun down both as a bus driver for NJ Transit and at the family’s bodega. Peña is a proud lifelong resident of Union City and has no plans to ever leave her place of birth. She reminded those in attendance that “Hudson County is a wonderful community.” HCCC President Dr. Christopher Reber stated that “Chair Peña’s passion for education is matched only by her dedication to Union City and Hudson County, which we all call home.”

On being the first Hispanic woman to serve as Chair of the Board of Trustees, Peña gave sage advice to all in attendance: “Bring yourself to the table and make yourself part of the conversation.”

As Chair, Peña has a vision of prioritizing the College’s role as a launchpad to gainful employment and family-sustaining wages for Hudson County residents. She explained that while a college degree may not be for everyone, everyone can benefit from credentialed training in fields ranging from electrician and HVAC technician to cosmetologist, and HCCC’s workforce development programs and credentialed training can unlock these opportunities. Peña knows the value of these jobs firsthand, recalling that early in her career, her husband earned more than she did as an electrician.

When asked what Hispanic Heritage Month means to her, Peña replied “It means celebrating our every day. We’re very proud of our heritage. It’s a great opportunity to share our rich mosaic of cultures both with other members of the Hispanic community, and with those outside of the community. I believe that as people, we all have a lot in common, but that 15% or so that makes us different is what makes the world a special place.”