Lawrence, MA (January 2, 2025) – Northern Essex Community College announces the selection of Dr. Naydeen González-De Jesús as the next Vice President of Lawrence Campus and Community Relations, starting mid-January 2025.

“We are thrilled to welcome a strong academic leader in our selection of Dr. Naydeen González-De Jesús,” said NECC President Lane Glenn. “We had terrific candidates across our hiring selection process, but Dr. Naydeen González-De Jesús’s twenty-plus years of experience in higher education administration combined with her mastery of international public diplomacy has been wonderfully on display across this entire process.”

Dr. Naydeen González-De Jesús

Reporting to the President, and in close collaboration with other college leaders, the Lawrence Campus and Community Relations Council, and the Lawrence Partnership, the Vice President of Lawrence Campus and Community Relations (VP LCCR) plays a crucial role in fostering student success, cultivating a vibrant campus community, and developing strong strategic partnerships.

“I am truly excited to join the Northern Essex Community College family and to serve as the Vice President of the Lawrence Campus and Community Relations,” said Dr. Naydeen González-De Jesús. “The work ahead is deeply personal to me—having been a first-generation college graduate, I understand the power of education to transform lives. I look forward to building stronger connections within the Lawrence community and beyond, and to collaborating with local and international partners that will serve as catalysts to launch innovative solutions that not only elevate educational outcomes but also foster workforce development and economic growth throughout the Merrimack Valley and beyond.”

A first-generation college graduate, Dr. González-De Jesús is an Aspen Rising Presidents Fellow and a National Community College Hispanic Council Fellow.

Prior to her position at NECC, Gonzalez-De Jesus served at San Antonio College as its 13th president, making her the first woman president in a quarter century and only the second to hold the office since the college’s founding in 1925. Gonzalez-De Jesus also previously served as the public diplomacy officer for the U.S. Embassy in Argentina, dedicating her time to impacting the lives of students from the U.S. and abroad by creating connections and platforms for student success and faculty-led research.

Her previous roles include serving as vice president of student affairs for Bergen Community College in New Jersey; associate dean, academic advising, and working with special populations at Rowan College at Burlington County in New Jersey; and as assistant dean of student services and founding member and director of the Center for Student Success at Salem Community College in New Jersey.

While at Bergen, Gonzalez-De Jesus led Project Graduation, an initiative that was nationally highlighted through the American Association of Community College’s 21st Century Center, which also received several Bellwether Award nominations for its ability to help students complete their college education, thus moving the needle on student success with a focus on equity.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Penn State University, a master’s degree in student personnel services from Rowan University, and a doctorate from Northcentral University in industrial/organizational psychology.

“I am looking forward to co-creating opportunities for all to succeed as we intentionally engage to build our future grounded in innovation, integrity, and the collective good,” said Gonzalez-De Jesus

Dr. Noemi Custodia-Lora, who has served as Northern Essex Community College vice president of the Lawrence campus and community relations since 2014, announced her departure effective January 2025 to the job of vice president of academic affairs and workforce development for Urban College of Boston.

NECC is New England’s first federally recognized Hispanic Serving Institution. Half of Northern Essex students are Hispanic, largely from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, as well as Cuba, Mexico, and countries in Central and South America. The City of Lawrence is a “Gateway City” in Massachusetts, a post-industrial city with tremendous infrastructure, history, and culture, home today to a large immigrant population that is more than 80% Hispanic.