Dr. Catherine Hebson McVicker of Califon has been named the new chair of the Raritan Valley Community College (RVCC) Board of Trustees. The new chair was elected to a one-year term during the Board's reorganization meeting, held November 29 at the College's Branchburg Campus.

During the meeting, Robert P. Wise of Clinton Township was elected vice chair from Hunterdon County. Evelyn S. Field of Bridgewater was selected to continue serving as the vice chair from Somerset County. The terms for vice chairs are for one year.

McVicker, a member of the RVCC Board of Trustees since 1986, previously served as a vice chair from Hunterdon County. She is also a member of the RVCC Foundation Board and a member of the Executive Committee of the NJ Council of County Colleges.

McVicker served as executive director of the Hunterdon Economic Partnership until it closed in 2005. She is a past president and past executive director of the Economic Development Association of NJ. She has also served on the Hunterdon Art Museum board and the Chestnut Hill College alumni board.

McVicker has been a faculty member at LeMoyne College and Essex County College and has also taught at Centenary College, RVCC and Rutgers University. She earned a B.S. in chemistry from Chestnut Hill College; an M.A. in economics from the University of Wyoming; and a Ph.D. in regional economics from Rutgers University.

McVicker assumes the leadership role from Dr. Paul J. Hirsch, who served as chair from November 2008 to November 2011. Dr. Hirsch was honored at the reorganization meeting with a resolution stating that he has "made significant contributions toward the fiscal strength and stability of the College and has advocated for high standards, clear accountability, and the best stewardship of the public's resources."

Under Hirsch's leadership, the College has made a number of advancements, including assuming administration of all post-secondary programs previously offered by the Somerset County Technology Institute; becoming the first community college in the country to sign an environmental stewardship agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; and obtaining a $4.6 million federal grant — the largest in RVCC's history — from the U.S. Department of Labor to work in partnership with local businesses to train workers in new career paths.

Other one-year leadership positions approved during the meeting include:

Secretary: Kate R. Whitman (Oldwick)

Treasurer: Peter G. Schoberl (Hillsborough)

1st Assistant Treasurer: Dr. Frederic C. Sterritt (Neshanic Station)

Board of School Estimate: Raymond H. Bateman (North Branch) and Robert P. Wise (Clinton Township)

The Board of Trustees is responsible for the overall planning and policymaking for the College.

RVCC's main campus is located at 118 Lamington Road in Branchburg, NJ. Serving Somerset and Hunterdon County residents for over 40 years, the College offers more than 90 associate degrees and certificates. RVCC at Bridgewater, located at 14 Vogt Drive, offers technical, trade, credit and non-credit courses.

The College is committed to offering a quality and affordable education through effective teaching, liaisons with the community's businesses and state-of-the-art technology. For further information, visit raritanval.edu.