Dr. Paula Pando is a strategic, forward-thinking educator with nearly 30 years of experience in both public and private higher education. The daughter of immigrants, she is fluent in both Spanish and English and is wholly committed to strengthening lives and communities through the transformative power of an education. In May 2018, Dr. Pando was appointed the fourth president of J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College. Prior to her role as president of Reynolds, Dr. Pando served as the Senior Vice President for Student and Educational Services at Hudson County Community College in New Jersey, where she spent nearly sixteen years of her career. She began her career at Saint Peter’s University in Student Affairs, also in New Jersey.
Dr. Pando’s strong student advocacy and contributions to the field of higher education have been recognized at the local, state, and national levels. Most recently, she was elected to serve on the Board of Directors for the American Association of Community Colleges. She also serves on multiple local boards including the Community Foundation for a greater Richmond, Chamber RVA, and Venture Richmond, among others.
In 2017, she was one of 38 community college leaders selected from across the country for the Aspen Institute’s Presidential Fellowship, a rigorous applied executive fellowship in partnership with Stanford University. In 2021, she was awarded the Dana Hamel Leadership Award, the highest award bestowed by the Virginia Community College System for her leadership in the development of the system’s ambitious six-year strategic plan. In 2023, Dr. Pando was recognized by the Richmond Times Dispatch and Richmond Raceway to the inaugural class of Women Who Drive Richmond in recognition of women driving the region forward, as well as a recipient of the Richmond YWCA Outstanding Woman in Education, 2023.
Dr. Pando was in the inaugural class of the Rowan University Community College Leadership Initiative in 2007, earning a doctorate in educational leadership, and in 2023 was presented with the University’s Alumni Medal for Outstanding Achievement. She earned an M.A. in education administration from Saint Peter’s University, and a B.A. from Stockton University. Dr. Pando is the proud mother of three adult children, Jake, Luke, and Isabella and lives with her husband Eric in Glen Allen, VA.