AVP of Communications, Marketing and External Affairs Michelle Hernandez Joins Office of Public Affairs

Assistant Vice President of Communications, Marketing and External Affairs Michelle Hernandez has joined the Office of Public Affairs at Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC/CUNY) as of December 2023.

AVP Hernandez grew up in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, and still lives there today. BMCC was “technically” her first college, she says, as she took two prerequisite mathematics courses at BMCC before enrolling as an 18-year-old freshman at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in English and sociology.

“One of the things about BMCC that initially appealed to me is its central location in New York City,” she says. “I love that it offers so much more than people might expect from a community college. The robust academic and research  programs, workforce partnerships that enable students to get hands-on corporate experience, and articulation agreements with many prestigious colleges and universities,  all send a clear message that the College is thriving.”

In addition, AVP Hernandez says, “At BMCC, there is the sense that this is an international community with students of diverse backgrounds and interests.”

With a bachelor’s degree from Rutgers under her belt, Hernandez went on to earn a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from Long Island University, and in Fall 2023, she was awarded a Doctor of Professional Studies in Business with a concentration in marketing by the Lubin School of Business at Pace University.

The AVP’s experience includes having served as Director of Marketing, Communications and Public Affairs at NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull in Brooklyn, New York, and as Director of Development at Urban Health Plan, Inc., in the Bronx.

The majority of her experience was in the role of Director of External Affairs at the Helene Fuld College of Nursing (HFCN) in Manhattan.

“I spent over 12 years focused on the success of nursing students at HFCN. It is exciting to expand that focus at BMCC, where there are students enrolled in over 50 associate degree programs, including nursing, as well as students taking continuing education courses in various fields. I’m committed to raising the visibility of the College and promoting student achievement. I am excited about the opportunity to assist in helping the College to continue to flourish.”

“Michelle will serve as a valued strategic partner to BMCC leadership, faculty and staff and help drive awareness of BMCC among diverse audiences of prospective students, academic peers and business community partners,” said BMCC President Anthony E. Munroe. “She will also serve as a trusted advisor to the Office of the President in managing executive and crisis communications.”

“This is an exciting time in BMCC’s history, and I’m thrilled to be part of it,” says AVP Hernandez. “I look forward to becoming acquainted with the many communities at BMCC, and I feel strongly that together, we can make amazing things happen.”

AVP Hernandez can be contacted through the Office of Public Affairs in Fiterman Hall at mihernandez@bmcc.cuny.edu or (212) 220-1238.