In July 2023, Pamela Monaco officially began her tenure as the president of Ocean County College. She immediately got to work, alongside faculty and staff, to resolve an accreditation compliance matter – which, in the end, led to “better structures for shared governance … and made the college stronger,” as she noted in an email after the accreditation was reaffirmed.

‘A DYNAMIC LEADER’: Pamela Monaco, seen here at The SandPaper office in Surf City, is OCC’s fifth president, and its first female president. (Photo by Curt Travers)

Monaco’s efforts validated the words of Board of Trustees Chair Jerry Dasti, who said, upon her hiring, “The Board is confident…