An ardent proponent of the community college mission, Yves Salomon-Fernandez sees Cumberland County College as a catalyst for propelling students and alumni—from all walks of life—to successful, impactful careers and meaningful lives, near and far. She works with the community to ensure that recent high school graduates, non-traditional students, the middle class, the unemployed, and marginalized populations acquire the skills and knowledge to prosper as individuals, to lead and enhance the overall economic vitality of the region. Yves is committed to working with the community to build on Cumberland County College’s great tradition of providing the highest quality of undergraduate education at a reasonable cost.
A product of public higher education and an immigrant to the United States, Dr. Salomon-Fernandez credits her teachers, undergraduate faculty and staff for preparing her to give back as a college president. Yves knows first-hand how education can transform the lives of first-generation students and also the importance of maintaining higher education as a legacy for families. She works to ensure that Cumberland County College remains a vehicle for achieving and maintaining the American dream through the collective impact of community-based organizations, businesses, higher education partners, and the people of the region.
Yves Salomon-Fernandez earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts Boston, her Master’s degree from the London School of Economics, and her Ph.D. from Boston College. In addition to English, she is also fluent in French, Haitian Creole, and Spanish. Her international experience includes working as a consultant for the Bermuda Ministry of Education and the United Nations in Mexico. She spent a decade serving as an adjunct faculty, teaching a range of undergraduate and graduate courses in statistics, research methods, assessment and evaluation, and leadership. She is currently a blogger for Inside Higher Ed.