It gives me great pleasure to pay tribute to President Carolyn Williams, who was solely responsible for my career at Bronx Community College. She was more than just a president, mentor and leader extraordinaire, she was my friend.

As my president, she gave me the autonomy and freedom to do my job as I deemed appropriate, allowing me the ability to make decisions about enrollment management and all matters that affected me and my team. She always set high expectations for me, recognizing my successes and providing constructive feedback when necessary. She fostered a successful leadership team that engaged constituents across all divisions of the institution. We experienced enormous enrollment growth during her tenure at the college, which is a testament to her leadership acumen.

As my mentor, she pulled my coat and kept me abreast of changes within the college that could potentially impact my success. I was confident that she had my back in an environment that was very political, especially during the early part of my tenure at the College. She encouraged me to enroll in multiple leadership training opportunities at CUNY and the National Council on Black American Affairs. But most important, she truly cared about me and my family.

I am saddened that we lost such a great leader and friend of the College. She will surely be missed.

There were other times over the years when she was there for me. I will always have fond memories of Dr. Carolyn Williams.