Donald Generals

Dr. Donald Guy Generals became the sixth president of Community College of Philadelphia on July 1, 2014. As the chief executive officer, he guides Philadelphia’s only public institution of higher learning, which serves more than 35,000 credit and noncredit students from diverse social, cultural and educational backgrounds. Previously, Dr. Generals served as vice president for Academic Affairs at Mercer County Community College in West Windsor, NJ from 2008 to 2014. Before joining Mercer’s cabinet, he held positions as provost at the Katharine Gibbs Schools in New York City; vice president for Academic and Student Affairs at SUNY Rockland Community College in Suffern, NY, and dean of Student and Cultural Affairs at Passaic County Community College in Paterson, NJ. Dr. Generals has twenty years of teaching experience.

Dr. Generals serves on numerous boards in Philadelphia including the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, the Economy League of Greater Philadelphia, Philadelphia Works, Campus Philly, the Urban Affairs Coalition, the Free Library of Philadelphia and Friends Select School. He served on numerous professional organizations, including the New Jersey Academic Affairs Affinity Group (chair); the National Alliance of Community and Technical Colleges (Board member since 2010); the College Board, Middle States Regional Council; and the Paterson Board of Education (commissioner). Dr. Generals writes and speaks on a range of educational issues. His book, Booker T. Washington, The Architect of Progressive Education, was published in 2013.

Dr. Generals earned his Ed.D. in Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education at Rutgers University after earning both his M.A. in Urban Education/Community Service and his B.A. in Political Science at William Paterson College. Additionally, he’s earned certificates in administrative leadership and educational management at Cornell and Harvard Universities.