Grant Valentine

Helping RCC students enroll in college, attain their degrees and find meaningful careers are the top priorities for Grant Valentine, the Community Outreach Liaison to the College’s Board of Trustees. The Rockland County Legislature appointed Valentine in February 2015 to serve the remainder of the five-year term of the late Dr. Sonya Shapiro, who died in May 2014. He was reappointed in July 2016. The term expires June 30, 2020.

Valentine brings a wealth of experience in government relations, criminal justice and education to his Board duties. During a 30-year career with the New York State Division of Parole, he rose to Assistant Director of Operations and Director of Strategic Planning, and has played an integral role in shaping public safety re-entry standards for the state.

At RCC, Valentine has assisted with various events for African American History Month. As Chairman of the Edmund and Susan Gordon Upper Charter School, President of the CEJJES Partnership and a member of the Rockland Youth Advisory Board, he has strongly advocated for expanding students’ opportunities for academic advancement.

Valentine, a New York City native, earned BS degrees in Social Work and Biology from Queens College, CUNY, and an EJD from Concord Law School, which allows him to hold any law position not requiring bar admission. In the political arena, he twice ran unsuccessfully for the New York State Senate and is a Trustee for the Village of Chestnut Ridge.