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Miami Dade College’s (MDC) Board of Trustees recently announced the selection of Madeline Pumariega as the college’s fifth and first female president. She is expected to assume office in early January.
“It is an honor and a privilege to be selected to lead Miami Dade College, one of the country’s finest higher education institutions and a true beacon of hope for this community,” Pumariega said. “I look forward to serving MDC, its students, faculty and staff and working together to achieve more than we ever thought was possible.”
MDC’s Board of Trustees voted unanimously for the appointment, highlighting her impressive record of achievement, experience, vision, passion and consensus-building abilities.
“It has been a great experience serving on MDC’s Presidential Search Committee. After an exhaustive process, my fellow trustees and I are certain we have chosen the right individual to lead Democracy’s College into a new era of success,” added Michael Bileca, chair of MDC’s Board of Trustees.
In her most recent role, Pumariega serves as executive vice president and provost of Tallahassee Community College, where she provides leadership and is responsible for aligning and advancing the high-impact practices within the institution’s three core divisions — academic affairs, student affairs and workforce development.
A thought leader in student success, workforce innovation and higher education policy, Pumariega was appointed as the first female and Hispanic Chancellor of the Florida College System in 2015. Prior to that, she was president of Take Stock in Children, a statewide nonprofit focused on breaking the cycle of poverty through education.
Pumariega began her academic career at MDC and returned to work at the college for 20 years, growing her career and culminating as president of the Wolfson Campus. While at MDC, she developed innovative approaches to support academic progress and student success, ensuring that thousands of youth can access and complete college. Pumariega was instrumental in supporting workforce programs by leveraging key partnerships in the community. She believes in giving back and being involved in both statewide and local boards that focus on transforming communities.
The national search for MDC’s next president began in January, but was interrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On Nov. 6, the 17-member Presidential Search Committee composed of internal and external stakeholders from all sectors, recommended four finalists to the Board of Trustees. Each of the finalists were invited to make campus presentations on Thursday, Nov. 12, and Friday, Nov. 13, to the MDC community. The finalists were interviewed by MDC’s Board of Trustees and Pumariega emerged as the top choice from a very competitive pool.
Pumariega succeeds Dr. Rolando Montoya, who was called to serve as MDC’s interim president in August 2019. He retired as provost for operations in 2017, and previously served the college in various ascending capacities since 1987. As MDC’s former chief operating officer, Dr. Montoya oversaw finance, information technology, institutional effectiveness, human resources, facilities, legal affairs, resource development, and emergency preparedness.
“I am grateful to the committee members and our board that worked so hard to find the best candidate for our beloved institution,” Dr. Montoya said. “I feel confident that I am leaving Miami Dade College in good hands.”
For more information, visit www.mdc.edu.
