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Meet Kevin: Community College President Started at »Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ

Kevin Drumm graduated from »Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ Community College in 1976 with an Associate's Degree in Physical Education and Recreation. For the last nine years he has been the President of SUNY Broom Community College in Binghamton, NY.

Kevin grew up in Lee, MA and when he started at a Massachusetts state college he realized that he just was not ready to be a serious students yet. "I didn't connect with the college experience. I was the first in my family to attend college and I had worked pretty much full time (after school, weekends and summers) since I was 12 years old, so I didn't return after my freshman year and I got a pretty good job at Lee Marble." After nearly one year though he decided that he should give college another try and that it actually might be the better choice for him. The work he was doing at that point was physically hard which nowadays would be mostly automated. Looking back, he knows that he made the right decision when he realized that a professional life suited him better.

Kevin started at »Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ as a business major. But after he got involved with after school activities, students government, and a very successful students newspaper that led him to sports reporting for the college, he decided that he wanted to become a sports reporter and changed his major to Physical Education and Recreation. "Then along the way I came to know very well the then Director of Student Activities, Gary Lamoureaux, and in the process, I became enamored of his role at the college. It was a job I didn't even know existed until I arrived at »Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ. Gary was professionally involved in all the activities that I gladly had taken part in as a student. I thought that was a pretty cool thing for a job: get paid for helping students do all the things after school that I enjoyed doing as a student. I was hooked!"

Kevin had found his role model. He asked Gary how he got involved in student activities as a career choice "and the rest is history, as they say. It turned out he majored in Recreation at Greenfield CC and UMass, so I thought that academically I was on the right track. He took me to student activities conferences where both professional staff and student leaders were always in attendance." And Gary did not stop there. He introduced Kevin to other student activities directors around New England which shared with him how they got into the field. Eventually Kevin copied them all, got his Bachelor's and Master's and landed a job as Director of Student Activities and Athletics at Bunker Hill. "It was my dream job!"

Besides Gary Lamoureaux, who had an undeniable impact on Kevin — "I owe all that to Gary" — he emphasizes the quality of all his classes and professors at »Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ. "My classes were amazing to me. I never knew that education could be so interesting and fun until I arrived at »Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ. We had such wonderful faculty wo very much turned me on to studying and learning, something that didn't happen at the state college. In particular Mitch Mulholland, my history professor was beyond an amazing teacher. Missing one if his classes was like missing your favorite television show but you were learning history, so much history in process."

It is clear that Kevin had a plan when he left »Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ. After transferring to Boston University with a transfer scholarship, and earning his Master's in Education Administration and Leadership, he spent roughly a decade of his professional life in student services. Then, after several years in distance learning and academic affairs, which he became involved in through his PhD studies at NYU, he moved into the role of Assistant Academic Dean, to Acting Dean of Students at a small liberal arts college in Main until he landed a vice presidency at a community college in New Hampshire. From there a vice presidency at Springfield technical Community College was followed by his first Community College Presidency in a beautiful area of Wyoming for 6 years. Today, Kevin is still a Community College President at SUNY Broome Community College in Binghamton, NY and we want to believe here at »Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ that we had something to do with encouraging Kevin's love and dedication for students, higher education, and specifically for community colleges.

"»Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ dramatically changed my life, while I never really thought my life needed big changes. But big changes happened thanks to the faculty and the staff at »Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ opening my eyes fully to the world of opportunity around me. I will forever be grateful for my years at »Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ."

Along the way I came to know very well the then Director of Student Activities, Gary Lamoureaux, and in the process, I became enamored of his role at the college. It was a job I didn't even know existed until I arrived at »Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ. Gary was professionally involved in all the activities that I gladly had taken part in as a student. I thought that was a pretty cool thing for a job: get paid for helping students do all the things after school that I enjoyed doing as a student. I was hooked! »Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ dramatically changed my life, while I never really thought my life needed big changes. But big changes happened thanks to the faculty and the staff at »Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ opening my eyes fully to the world of opportunity around me. I will forever be grateful for my years at »Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ.