Presidential Finalists

Dr. Michael Brophy has served in higher education leadership positions for more than 35 years, with 23 years as a chief executive. He currently serves as the president of Hilbert College (Buffalo). His career began in the Capital District. After graduating from Greenville High School, he earned degrees and gained enrollment management experience at The College of Saint Rose before being promoted to enrollment leadership appointments at Russell Sage College.

His career includes deep experience in two-year college environments, including leadership appointments as Director of Admissions at Sage Junior College of Albany, Dean of Enrollment at SUNY College of Technology at Canton, and a Campus Executive Officer within the University of Wisconsin two-year college system. His two-year enrollment consulting experiences include advising the Indiana, Kentucky, and Louisiana community and technical college systems.

Dr. Brophy’s service as a college president spans nineteen years, including presidencies in Buffalo (Hilbert College), Los Angeles (Marymount California University), and Chicago (Benedictine University). Highlights of his tenure at these institutions include doubling enrollment at Marymount, raising Benedictine’s Standard & Poor’s credit rating, and increasing enrollment at Hilbert by 30% by adding new degree programs, establishing an online division, and expanding its NCAA Division III athletic programs. Under Dr. Brophy’s leadership, Hilbert’s longstanding mission of access has extended into the Buffalo Public Schools with its Higher Educational Opportunity, Dual Enrollment, Say Yes Apprenticeship, and Liberty Partnership programs.

A Fulbright recipient, Dr. Brophy has taught English, Film, Cuban Arts and Culture, Higher Education, Leadership and Freshman Seminar classes with teaching appointments at Long Island University, the University of Wisconsin Colleges, Marymount California University, Russell Sage College, and Benedictine University. His films have been screened in Europe, Cuba, and the United States, and his Cuban medical research work led to his appointment as a regional faculty associate at UW- Milwaukee’s Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies.

Dr. Brophy earned a BA in music and a MA in English from The College of Saint Rose, an MFA in writing from Long Island University, and a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. As a musician, he has accompanied gospel choirs and performed with students and faculty in classical, pop, and jazz settings.

J. Kyle Dalpe, Ph.D., has worked in higher education for nearly three decades supporting student access and success. In March 2023, he was appointed President of Western Nevada College (WNC), a rural community college with campuses in Carson City, Fallon and Minden, Nevada, after serving more than a year in an interim capacity. Previously, he served as Provost and Senior Vice President at WNC overseeing academic affairs, finance and student services for several years. During his time at the college, he has worked to build new programs, defined strategic enrollment management planning and implementation, developed initiatives to increase access and inclusion, and secured external funding to support student-centered projects. Over the past two years under his leadership the college has experienced an 18 percent increase in enrollment, reaching its highest number of students in more than 12 years.

Previous to WNC, Dr. Dalpe worked in various leadership positions at Truckee Meadows Community College (Reno), including Acting President, Dean of Technical Sciences, Chief of Staff and Director of Institutional Advancement. As Dean, he helped develop training programs to support the emerging advanced manufacturing sector in the Northern Nevada region.

Earlier in his career, Dr. Dalpe worked in various positions at Mohave Community College in Kingman, Arizona; the University of Texas at Tyler; and Kilgore Junior College in Texas.

Dr. Dalpe has been actively involved in regional and national education organizations, legislative initiatives, and community development efforts, reinforcing his commitment to access, equity, and excellence in higher education.

Dr. Dalpe earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Photojournalism from the University of Connecticut; a Master of Arts degree in Journalism, Speech and Political Science from the University of Texas at Tyler; and a Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Leadership from the University of Nevada, Reno.

Beyond his professional work, Dr. Dalpe enjoys staying active outdoors, including hiking, biking, and skiing. With a background in photography, he continues to have a passion to capture the world around him, from landscapes to the everyday moments that tell a story. He also finds relaxation in spending time with his kids, making bread, delivering a well-timed dad joke, and traveling, and now over the past year has started a fitness routine to keep up with one-year-old twin grandchildren!

Dr. Christopher M. Reber has devoted his entire career to higher education. On July 1, 2018, he became the eighth president of Hudson County Community College (HCCC) in Jersey City, Union City, and Secaucus, New Jersey. Located in one of the most densely populated and diverse areas of the United States, HCCC serves more than 20,000 credit and noncredit students and 1,000 employees annually on three urban campuses near New York City.

Dr. Reber is leading and supporting the College’s engagement in local, regional and national partnerships that support transformative, 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. Dr. Reber continues to lead for excellence and outcomes that have attracted local, statewide and national recognition.

Dr. Reber has led the development of “Hudson is Home!,” HCCC’s Strategic Plan that is focused on the College’s 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’s values are anchored to its growing culture of care, which has resulted in students coining the phrase, “Hudson is Home!”

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’s first doctoral degree in nursing practice.

Dr. Reber’s 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 within a $1.3 billion university-wide campaign; and as Chief Student Affairs Officer during a period of significant college growth.

Dr. Reber holds a bachelor’s degree from Dickinson College, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa; a master’s degree from Bowling Green State University, where he was named “Graduate Student of the Year;” and a Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh. He also holds a post-graduate certificate from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education.

Dr. Reber lives in Kearny, New Jersey, with his husband, Kerry Stetler and their two Boston Terriers, Greta and Gilda. He is the father of Jonathan Reber, 28, an avid fly fisherman living in Colorado and pursuing a degree in automotive technology at Front Range Community College; and Katherine Reber, 26, a recent graduate of University of Cambridge (UK) and Kenyon College, who aspires to teach English as a full-time university faculty member.

Dr. Irene Rios serves Suffolk County Community College/SUNY Suffolk as the Ammerman Campus CEO, presiding over the largest campus of the college. As the Chief Executive Officer, she is responsible for providing academic, administrative, operational, and fiscal leadership for nearly 8,000 students and more than 300 faculty and staff. As well, Dr. Rios currently serves as the collegewide interim Vice President for Academic Affairs at SUNY Suffolk, a multi-campus, comprehensive community college with campuses in Selden, Riverhead and Brentwood. The College has an enrollment of more than 20,000 credit students and 6,000 continuing education students.

Throughout her career she contributed to the success of educational institutions in New York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. Prior to joining SUNY Suffolk in 2018, Dr. Rios served as the Dean of Academic Affairs and Chief Academic Officer for Naugatuck Valley Community College in Connecticut; the Dean for the Division of Graduate and Evening Adult Undergraduate Programs for all satellite campuses at the four-year Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, CT; as Executive Director of Academic Affairs for Springfield College in Massachusetts with satellite campuses across seven states; as Registrar for Saint Joseph College in Connecticut; and as Director of Academic Advising for Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in New York State. Her leadership has advanced strategic priorities in support of student success, operational efficiency, and organizational change.

Dr. Rios is a seasoned educational leader with a demonstrated commitment to supporting the community college mission of providing a student-centered, open-access, high-quality education for all seeking opportunities for career advancement and further education. She has led academic planning processes resulting in the establishment of new degree programs designed to meet student and regional workforce needs; she helped raise funds for new allied health programs by working with clinical partners; she led efforts to seek significant external grants in support of students and academic programs; and she has led budget processes that ensure allocation of resources meet programmatic priorities.

Dr. Rios provides leadership for planning, management, and assessment of all credit and non-credit instructional programming, along with economic and workforce development initiatives. Her experience as a faculty member and administrator for programs and services promoting student success and completion includes leading accreditation efforts with deans and department chairs to analyze student success data to identify and address strategic directions. Through collaborative efforts with faculty, staff, and administrative colleagues, she has established a campus culture which is student-centered and welcoming.

She takes great pride in sharing the stories of what is happening at the college with those in the campus, local and regional communities. She is well-known by faculty, students, and staff because she is active on campus, supporting students in their activities including athletic competitions, art exhibits, culinary dinners, music recitals, and theatrical performances. She is proud to consistently promote student engagement, school spirit, and serve as a mentor to students.

Dr. Rios earned her Doctorate in Educational Leadership at the University of Hartford, and a Master’s degree and Bachelor of Science degree, both at Rochester Institute of Technology. She is a recipient of the National Academic Advising Association Research Award for her doctoral dissertation.