Board of Trustees

The Essex County College Board of Trustees is governed by the policies and procedures outlined in the Board Policy Manual.

President Emeritus

Dr. A. Zachary Yamba

President Emeritus

Former President of Essex County College

(1980 – 2010)

Dr. A. Zachary Yamba holds the title of President Emeritus after stepping down as the longest serving college president in New Jersey on March 31, 2010. Affiliated with the College for four decades, he joined the humanities faculty when the college opened in 1968 and served as Dean of Faculty prior to his appointment as president in May 1980.

Recognized as the catalyst for more than a quarter century of extraordinary achievement that defines Essex County College, he is widely credited with transforming the College into the vibrant and progressive institution that today enrolls more than 25,000 students. Under his singular leadership, Essex experienced unprecedented stability and growth and emerged as a leader in the community college sector, gaining significant recognition for the quality of its academic programs, its responsive community outreach, its key role in revitalizing the regional workforce, and its impressive levels of student success.

An unrelenting advocate for the power and promise of education, Dr. Yamba’ believes in the enduring values of service, access and excellence. His advocacy of excellence and opportunity in higher education includes more than a decade of service as a commissioner of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. He is a founding member of the Presidents’ Round Table, an affiliate of the National Council on Black American Affairs of the American Association of Community Colleges. His numerous community affiliations include serving on the boards of the Victoria Foundation, Newark Downtown Core Redevelopment Corp., and the American Conference on Diversity.

He holds the title of Regent Emeritus on the Board of Regents of Seton Hall University, his alma mater, which has also inducted him into its Athletic Hall of Fame and awarded him an honorary degree. He also holds honorary degrees from Rutgers University and the University for Development Studies in Ghana.

(1975 N.J. Laws, Chapter 231), Notice of Public Meetings for calendar year

2020 is as follows:

• January 21 – Main Campus
• February 18 – Main Campus
• March 17 – West Essex Campus
• April 21 – Main Campus
• May 19 – West Essex Campus
• June 16 – Main Campus
• July – No Meeting – Main Campus
• August – No Meeting
• September 15 – Main Campus
• October 20 – Main Campus
• November 17 – Reorganization Meeting – Main Campus
• December 15 – Main Campus

In accordance with the Open Public Meetings Act of the State of New Jersey which permits a public body to exclude the public from that portion of a meeting at which certain topics are discussed, the Board of Trustees of Essex County College shall hold prior to all meetings at 303 University Avenue, Newark, NJ (including the March 17 and May 19, 2020 meetings, which will be held at the West Essex Campus, 730 Bloomfield Avenue, West Caldwell, NJ, and the November 19 reorganization of the officers of the Board of Trustees meeting) an Executive Session for discussion, the general nature of which includes, but is not limited to Collective Bargaining Agreements, Pending and Existing Contracts, Litigation, and Personnel Matters.  The discussion of said topics shall be disclosed to the public as soon as reasonable and practicable, bearing in mind the particular subject matter involved.

The Board of Trustees meetings for calendar year 2020 will take place on the third Tuesday of every month as indicated with an Executive Session to take place at 3:00 pm and the Public Meeting will be held at 4:30 pm.

Jeweline Grimes, Secretary