Biography
The President provides vision for the College, and leadership and direction for the planning and operations of the College鈥檚 programs and services.
Dr. Christopher M. Reber has devoted his entire 43-year career to higher education. On July 1, 2018, he became the eighth president of 51吃瓜黑料 (HCCC).
Dr. Reber is leading and supporting the College鈥檚 engagement in local, regional and national partnerships that support life-changing opportunities for students and the community. He is committed to transparency and the full participation of students, faculty, staff and community members in the life of the College. His leadership priorities include student success; and diversity, equity and inclusion. He continues to lead for excellence and outcomes that have attracted statewide and national recognition and visibility.
In 2019, Dr. Reber led HCCC鈥檚 successful reaffirmation of accreditation, with commendations, from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. He led the College community in joining Achieving the Dream, a national community college reform movement of high-achieving community colleges dedicated to the use of data and best practices to promote student success. Dr. Reber has developed a highly successful HCCC President鈥檚 Advisory Council on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion that promotes principles of excellence in all College activities and outcomes.
Dr. Reber has led the development of 鈥淗udson is Home,鈥� HCCC鈥檚 2021-24 Strategic Plan that is focused on the College鈥檚 mission to provide its diverse communities with inclusive, high-quality educational programs and services that promote student success and upward social and economic mobility. The College鈥檚 updated vision statement embraces the offering of consistently best-practice, transformative educational and economic opportunities for students and all residents of Hudson County. The College鈥檚 values are anchored to its growing culture of care, which has resulted in students coining the phrase, 鈥淗udson is Home.鈥�
Prior to arriving at HCCC, Dr. Reber served as president of Community College of Beaver County (CCBC) near Pittsburgh, PA, where he led new initiatives in support of a student-centered learning environment; diversity, equity and inclusion; strategic enrollment management; regional partnerships; and a culture of planning, assessment and improvement.
Earlier in his career, Dr. Reber served for 12 years as Executive Dean of Venango College of Clarion University of Pennsylvania, where he supported the development of new programs and stackable credentials including certificates, associate degrees, applied baccalaureates and graduate degrees. Dr. Reber led the development and approval of Clarion University鈥檚 first doctoral degree in nursing practice.
Dr. Reber鈥檚 career also includes 18 years at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, where he served as the Chief Development, University Relations and Alumni Relations Officer during a successful $50 million capital campaign; and as Chief Student Affairs Officer during a period of significant college growth. He also led continuing and cooperative education programs at Lakeland Community College near Cleveland, Ohio, in the late 1980鈥檚.
Dr. Reber holds a bachelor鈥檚 degree from Dickinson College, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa; a master鈥檚 degree from Bowling Green State University, where he was named 鈥淕raduate Student of the Year;鈥� and a Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh. He also holds a post-graduate certificate from Harvard University鈥檚 Graduate School of Education.
Dr. Reber lives in Kearny, New Jersey, with his husband, Kerry Stetler. He is the father of Jonathan Reber, 28, an avid fly fisherman living in Colorado, and Katherine Reber, 26, who is pursuing graduate study at University of Cambridge (UK).