Milton Santiago, Ed.D.
Interim President

Dr. Milton Santiago began as Interim President on August 21, 2023, after serving as Interim Vice President of Administration & Finance here at Bronx Community College (BCC). He assumed the role following the retirement of Dr. Thomas A. Isekenegbe, the sixth president in BCC’s history.  Dr. Santiago is an experienced leader in higher education, having held numerous roles within the CUNY system.

As Interim President, Dr. Santiago will focus on ensuring BCC’s fiscal stability; increasing the student retention rate; preserving aging infrastructure; and addressing the individual needs of students. He is a strong advocate for the provision of services such as the Early Childcare Center, the food pantry and a range of mental health services to give students every opportunity for success. Dr. Santiago’s early background in social work and his inclination for empathy and human understanding have shaped his professional career.

Dr. Santiago served as VP of Administration at SUNY Dutchess Community College in 2018, before a brief entrée into retirement. He was at Lehman College for more than 10 years, starting in 1997 as Deputy to the President. He also served as Lehman’s Interim AVP for External Affairs and Advancement and Interim Director of External and Government Relations, as well as Interim VP for Continuing Education and Workforce Development and Professional Studies. Additionally, Dr. Santiago’s work at CUNY included a term as Vice President for Finance & Administration at the College of Staten Island.

Dr. Santiago received a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Latin American Studies from Binghamton University and a Master of Social Work degree from NYU.  He earned his Doctor of Education — Ed.D. focused on Higher Education/Higher Education Administration — from University of Massachusetts Boston.

Eddy Bayardelle, Ph.D.
Vice President for Advancement, Communications and External Relations

Prior to that, as Chief Operating Officer for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, Bayardelle enabled a renowned organization to energize its mission and operations, attract new donors, and position itself for long-term sustainability.

Bayardelle’s senior executive posts in pre-K through post-secondary education include Superintendent for the Hempstead Public Schools, Superintendent for Monitoring & School Improvement and Executive Director of Special Education for the NYC Public Schools. He also held several influential roles at Bank Street College Graduate School of Education, including Associate Dean for Planning & Development and Chair of Bilingual Education. Bayardelle co-founded and co-directed at New York University the acclaimed NY Education Policy Fellowship of the Institute for Educational Leadership, a highly selective executive training program for public, nonprofit and private sector professionals specializing in education policy and leadership.

Bayardelle has served on numerous boards, including Mayor Bloomberg’s Cultural Affairs Commission, the Governor’s Advisory Group on Haiti under Jeb Bush, the Independent Sector’s International Task Force, the National Guard Youth Foundation, the Conference Board’s Contributions and Business & Education Councils, NYC & Company/NYC Bureau of Trade and Tourism, the American Heart Association’s Executive Leadership Team for Workplace Giving, the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Foundation, the Institute for Student Achievement, the Multicultural and Training and Advocacy Project, the National Coalition for Haitian Rights and Wall Street Rising.

Bayardelle has been quoted in and authored numerous reports, articles and stories across the media and has been a frequent speaker on a variety of topics in education and philanthropy. His work has attracted awards and honors from organizations around the world, including: American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, Atlanta Public Schools & Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, Baruch College, Borough of Manhattan Community College, Institute for Educational Leadership, Institute for Student Achievement, International Youth Foundation & USAID, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, National Guard Youth Foundation, National Puerto Rican Day Parade, National Urban League, Peking University, PENCIL, Points of Light Foundation, Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, Sesame Workshop, United Nations Association, United Way, and the University of Mexico.

Bayardelle attended elementary school in Haiti and the Congo and high school in New York City. After serving in the U.S. Army, Bayardelle received his B.A. from Marymount Manhattan College, his M.S. from Bank Street College and his Ph.D. from New York University. He speaks English, French, Spanish and Haitian Creole.

Robert E. Diaz
Interim Executive Legal Counsel, Deputy to the President and Labor Designee

Robert E. Diaz joined BCC as Interim Executive Counsel to the President and Labor Designee in January, 2025. Coming out of retirement to take on the role, Diaz’s depth of experience includes serving as Counsel and Vice President for Legal Affairs and Faculty and Staff Relations at the Borough of Manhattan Community College of CUNY from 2001-2020 and, prior to that, as Vice President for Legal and Fiscal Affairs at CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

Diaz’s background has focused on serving as an advisor to college presidents and overseeing college personnel and fiscal operations, including negotiating and monitoring contracts and agreements with governmental and non-governmental agencies and organizations. Diaz also has served as General Counsel and Vice Chancellor for Legal Affairs of CUNY and worked for the New York State Education Department as its Counsel and Deputy Commissioner for Legal Affairs.

Born in New York City, Diaz attended public schools in the Bronx and received a Bachelor’s Degree in political science from Brooklyn College as well as a Juris Doctorate degree from New York University. He is admitted to the bar in the State of New York and in the New York Eastern and Southern Districts of the United States federal courts.

Bernard Gantt, Ph.D
Vice President of Enrollment Management

Dr. Bernard Gantt will assume the newly created position of VP of Enrollment Management.

Addressing the issues of declining enrollment and retention and their negative impact on the College’s budget, the position creates a single point of accountability reporting directly to The President.

Dr. Gantt is the principal advisor to the President on policies and strategic matters relating to admissions, enrollment, registration, financial aid, student accounts, and retention. He oversees all early and pre-college programs.

He serves as a member of the President’s cabinet and as the crucial point person for all enrollment management committees. This will establish a streamlined flow of communication and an opportunity to create a seamless community bringing together everyone responsible for enrollment and retention.

A higher education professional with decades of experience, Dr. Gantt joined BCC in 1998 as Registrar. He has served as Dean of Academic Services since 2015. Before that he served as the Dean of Enrollment Management from January 2007 until 2015; Associate Dean of Enrollment Management from January 2001 until 2007. Under his leadership, BCC experienced tremendous enrollment success.

“One of the best things about working at BCC is our students. Many of them are single parents, caregivers for their parents, or are dealing with real-life issues like homelessness and food insecurity. They are not just a number to me. I get great satisfaction helping them overcome any obstacle whether it be academic, financial, or personal. Seeing them cross the stage at graduation is rewarding because it makes all that we do at BCC worthwhile. In my new position, I will continue listening to their concerns and address them through the newly established enrollment structure.

In addition to his work as a college administrator, he also founded a minority male mentoring program (Men²Men) in 2004 to connect with minority students on the campus. Today the program is a part of CUNY’s Black Male Initiative (BMI) Program and is called the Male Empowerment Network (MEN). He served as the Executive Director of the program for more than 7 years. He sees this as one of the highlights of his career.

Academically, he earned a B.S. degree from Touro College, an M.A degree from Teachers College at Columbia University an M.I.S. degree from The City College of New York, and a Ph.D. in Higher Education from the Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership at Walden University. In addition to BCC, he has held positions at Columbia University, City College, and Medgar Evers College.

President Isekenegbe noted: “Dr. Gantt has a demonstrated track record of more than 25 years of progressive executive leadership in higher education. His background, education, and experience in higher education, registration, admissions, and pre-college programs, make him particularly suited for this leadership role. I know he will be a new and welcome contributor to improving our student enrollment and retention.”

“At BCC we have a lot to offer our students including a great faculty and robust academic programs. We are a hidden gem, a beautiful campus where everyone feels safe. We are also a resource to the community in the Bronx. Reaching out to community groups, pastors, and others and sharing our story will be an important part of my mission,” concluded Dr. Gantt.

Octavio Gomez
Interim Vice President for Administration

Octavio A. Gomez has been an integral part of BCC’s Campus and Facilities Planning Department since 2012, when he began as a construction project manager and was later promoted to Assistant Director of the department. In 2022 he was promoted to Director of Campus and Facilities Planning, responsible for campus capital planning and construction along with all internal campus space planning needs. In 2024 he was promoted to Interim Vice President for Administration, where he will oversee the operations, physical plant services, public safety, auxiliary services, human resources, environmental health and safety and campus planning.

Over the last decade, Gomez – with a strong technical, detailed and team-driven approach – has successfully overseen the College’s strategic capital project planning and execution of more than 20 capital projects. Currently, he is overseeing eight projects under construction and managing 15 in the design stage, including the very important multi-year project to renovate 24,000 sq. feet of space at Meister (Bronx Express) and be able to house the offices of Admissions, Registrar, Bursar and Financial Aid all under one roof.

Prior to coming to BCC, Gomez, who transitioned during the ‘24-’25 academic year to his new Interim VP for Administration title, was senior project manager and designer for private architectural construction and planning companies and also owned his own designing and management company.

Manny Lopez, Ph.D. 
Interim Vice President for Student Success

Dr. Manny Lopez has dedicated nearly two decades to working and teaching in Student Development within Student Affairs at the City University of New York. As a student affairs practitioner, informed by theory, Dr. Lopez has successfully supported students’ success in the areas of Academic Advisement, Accessibility Services, Judicial Affairs, Student Life, Health Services, Retention Programs, Honors Projects and Scholarships. Additionally, Dr. Lopez taught the Orientation and Career Development course for six years to first year students at Bronx Community College as an adjunct instructor.

Prior to his current appointment, Dr. Lopez served as the Associate Dean for Student Development at BCC. Additionally, Dr. Lopez was the founding Director of the Leadership and Success Program at Guttman Community College.

A student centric educator and higher education leader, Dr. Lopez’s work is grounded in human motivation, learning sciences and goal theory. Specifically, his area of interest is the relationship between life purpose/s and academic success of urban college students.

Dr. Lopez is a proud Bronx Community College alumnus. He is the first person at BCC appointed as Vice President for Student Success at his Alma mater.

Dr. Lopez has 5 academic degrees from CUNY colleges: A.A. Liberal Arts; B.S. Urban Public Health; M.S. Urban Affairs; M.A. Philosophy and Ph.D. Urban Education – Learning Sciences

Luis Montenegro, Ph.D.
Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost

Dr. Luis Montenegro has been at Bronx Community College since 1997, with an initial appointment as faculty in the Engineering, Physics and Technology department. He served as department Chairperson for eight years until 2012. Since that time he has served in the executive team in the Office of the Provost, having served as Associate Dean for Curricular Matters, Dean for Academic Affairs and Interim Provost. He oversees the Office of Personnel Administration and Workload and the Center for Teaching and Learning and Technology.

Dr. Montenegro attended Los Angeles City College before transferring to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he received a B.S. degree in Physics. He received a M.A. degree in Physics at City College of New York and a Ph.D. in Physics from CUNY’s Graduate School and University Center.

Grisselle Nadal
Interim Chief Diversity Officer/Director

Grisselle Nadal began as Interim Chief Diversity Officer/Director in April, 2024, during her 20th year of employment at Bronx Community College (BCC). Prior to this role, Ms. Nadal served as Paralegal and Confidential Executive Assistant to the Executive Legal Counsel, Deputy to the President, and Labor Designee; additionally, she has been Labor Relations Manager during the 2023-2024 academic year.

As Interim Director, Ms. Nadal serves as BCC’s Title 9 Coordinator and chief investigator around complaints involving discrimination, Title 9, and disability accommodations. Ms. Nadal began her career at BCC as a work study student while getting her Paralegal certificate and then earned a Bachelor of Science in Labor Relations through CUNY’s Baccalaureate Degree Program for Unique and Interdisciplinary Studies. As a lover of lifelong learning, Ms. Nadal also received two Masters degrees, including a Master of Arts in Urban Studies from Queens College and an Executive Master in Human Resources Management from Baruch’s Zicklin School of  Business.

Ms. Nadal grew up across the street from BCC (180th St and University Ave.). She has fond memories as a child of coming to BCC’s campus to picnic on the quad, soak up the sun and relax.  In her current role, she is most energized by her mission to help ensure a positive, inclusive campus environment for all students and staff and assist each community member in working towards his/her optimal performance.

Jessenia Paoli, Esq.
Interim Assistant Vice President for Student Success

Ms. Jessenia Paoli, Esq. joined BCC in 2011 as an advisor and adjunct professor for the College Discovery program, the higher education opportunity program at the two-year CUNY colleges. This program was established to provide comprehensive academic support to assist capable students who otherwise might not be able to attend college due to their educational and financial circumstances.  As an opportunities program college graduate herself, the mission of the College Discovery program was one near and dear to Ms. Paoli’s heart. She later went on to serve the College as Associate Director of Judicial Affairs before taking on the role of Chief Diversity Officer in 2017, and in 2024 became the Interim Assistant Vice President for Student Success.  

As a member of the President’s cabinet, Ms. Paoli is a close partner in providing purposeful leadership for all college-wide DEI efforts collaborating with both internal and external stakeholders. She is responsible for monitoring, implementing, and enforcing our compliance programs, such as Title VI, VII, and IX; Section 504; and other city, state, and federal laws and regulations.  

Ms. Paoli earned her Bachelor’s degree from New York University and her Juris Doctorate from Brooklyn Law School.  She is a licensed attorney for the First Judicial Department of New York.  Before coming to BCC, she practiced in the Banking & Institutional Investment Group of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP. During her tenure at Skadden, Jessenia did extensive pro bono work in education and mentored public school students in her native Washington Heights. Ms. Paoli was recently listed in Politics NY’s inaugural Power Players in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion list. 

Andrea Pinnock
Assistant VP of Finance and Administration

Andrea Pinnock, Assistant VP of Finance and Administration, came to Bronx Community College in August, 2023. As an accomplished professional with nearly 20 years of experience managing budgets and finances for CUNY schools, she will oversee Administration, Accounting, Purchasing, Bursar, Payroll Operations, Property Management and Receiving.

Ms. Pinnock began her career working in the New York City Mayor’s Office of Labor Relations, where she facilitated all aspects of collective bargaining negotiations for the renewal of contract terms between the City and unions.

Ms. Pinnock joined the CUNY family in 2005, beginning as a budget analyst at The City College of New York. She served as Assistant Director of Budget at Lehman College from 2009-2011 and as Associate Director of Budget from 2012-2014 before moving on to become Finance Procurement Director/Director of Campus Office services at the college and then Director of Auxiliary Services (Confidential Business Manager) for four years. Most recently, Ms. Pinnock served as Business Manager for Accounting and Business Operations at the New York City College of Technology in Brooklyn.

Ms. Pinnock earned her Master of Business Administration/Finance degree from Lehman College and her Bachelors of Science in Accounting, also from Lehman. She is known for her outstanding verbal, analytical, interpersonal and communication skills and hopes to build trust and transparency in her new role.