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ECC has a new leader with WNY ties

WBFO News photo from SUNY webcast by Eileen Buckley

Erie Community College (SUNY ECC) has a brand new leader. WBFO Senior Reporter Eileen Buckley says the education leader comes from the West Coast.  

The SUNY Board of Trustees approved the appointment of Dan Hocoy to serve as the 11th president of ECC. Hocoy was one of four finalists. He has been serving as associate vice chancellor of advancement at Antioch University Systems. The school has campuses in California, New Hampshire, Ohio and Washington State. 

“I am just thrilled to join the SUNY system,” declared Hocoy. “Joining Erie Community College is a real homecoming for me, because I grew up in the Western New York region and my parents will be so nearby. And it will allow me to make the biggest impact on the greatest number of people because few colleges have as significant an impact on its community and state as Erie Community College.”

Hocoy is from an immigrant family and speaks several languages. He said as leader of ECC, he will be serving in a region he calls home. 

“With a grandmother from Jamaica, mother from Malaysia, father from China and my sister and I from Trinidad and Tobago, we’re part of a long tradition of migration to New York and I will also be serving an increasingly diverse immigrant and refugee population in the region, so I see myself in these individuals and I believ e they help us see things differently,” declared Hocoy. 

Credit Photo provided ECC
Dan Hocoy, new ECC president.

Hocoy turns 50 on Friday. He replaces Jack Quinn, who announced his retirement last August. Quinn’s last day is June 30.

“I welcome President Dan Hocoy to Erie Community College and the Erie County family,” said Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz. “As a member of the search committee, I know we were presented with several outstanding candidates to choose from to lead the college. Dr. Hocoy’s personal and professional experience, innovative educational approach, and extensive administrative knowledge make him the perfect choice to lead ECC. I look forward to working with him in the coming years to ensure the college is the best it can be for our community and, most importantly, our students.”

Hocoy was selected after an extensive national search. He was one of four finalists selected by a 19-member search committee.    

“We at Erie Community College are excited to welcome Dr. Hocoy as the 11th president in our community college’s history,” said Dennis Murphy, chairman of ECC’s Board of Trustees. “Our leadership endured a comprehensive search to find the right candidate, one that could lead our faculty, staff, and students forward. We believe Dr. Hocoy is this candidate, and we’re very confident that he’ll provide the direction we need to solidify our role as an indispensable higher education entity for Western New York.”

Erie County Legislature Chairman John Mills, who served on the Erie Community College Presidential Search Committee, has released the following statement concerning the announcement of the next president of ECC:

“Congratulations to Dr. Hocoy on being selected to serve as the 11th president of Erie Community College. In working with my colleagues on the Presidential Search Committee, I felt we found four finalists that could lead the college and tackle the issues ECC is facing. I look forward to working with Dan to make ECC stronger and more competitive in the future. I’d also like to thank the Chairman of the ECC Board of Trustees Dennis Murphy, the board of trustees and my fellow presidential search committee members. Dennis led a national search that brought in tremendous candidates from across the country and I think he did a great job keeping the process open and transparent to the public.”

Dr. Hocoy received a Bachelor of Science from the University of Toronto, and a Masters and Ph. D in clinical psychology from Queen’s University in Canada. He is a graduate of Harvard University’s Management and Leadership in Education executive program as well as the Harvard Seminar for New Presidents.

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