Rockland Lawmakers Appoint Educator To RCC Board

The Rockland County Legislature has appointed Eckert to the Rockland Community College Board of Trustees.

The North Rockland Central School District Superintendent will now add her expertise to a new kind of classroom – and she says she’s eager for the challenges.

“It’s a pleasure for me to be approached and accepted because I have a lot of respect for the work the college is doing,” Eckert said.

Eckert was unanimously approved by the full Legislature Dec. 3, following a prior go-vote from the Multi-Services Committee.

“We are lucky to have someone with the skill, expertise and grace of Ileana Eckert,” said Legislature Chairman Alden H. Wolfe (D-Montebello). “Her willingness to share her talents and to devote her

Said Legislator Phil Soskin, (D-Monsey), chairman of the Multi-Services Committee, “It’s people like Mrs. Eckert who help the college to continue to grow and to blossom. Her many years in the education field will be a real asset to the college. We thank her for serving.”

The resolution proposing Eckert’s nomination was sponsored by Legislators Jay Hood Jr. (D-Haverstraw) and Michael Grant (D-Garnerville).

“I’ve known Ileana for many years and she has always worked tirelessly for the betterment of thecommunity, most especially children, and I know she will be an asset to the work of RCC,” Hood said.

Said Grant, “Ileana Eckert’s name is synonymous with public service. She continually tackles some of the biggest challenges in our community and I know she will continue to do so during her tenure on the RCC Board.”

Eckert, superintendent of North Rockland since 2009, had her start at RCC. While a senior at North Rockland High School, Eckert also enrolled in courses at RCC and received college credit.

“It was a pretty new program at the time,” Eckert said. “Thanks to that head start, I actually earned my college degree in three years instead of four.”

Nowadays, North Rockland offers about 11 college-level courses to its students through RCC and uses the college’s Haverstraw campus as a summer school location.

Eckert holds a bachelor’s degree from St. Thomas Aquinas College, a master’s degree from Kean College and a professional diploma from the State University of New York at New Paltz.

At North Rockland, she has held a variety of jobs, including teacher, department coordinator, director of secondary education, assistant principal, and assistant superintendent.

Eckert and her husband, Peter, have two grown children and two granddaughters and are well known for their community involvement. Her volunteer term on the RCC board expires June 30, 2018.