BCCC appoints former military musician as new president; meet Patrick Jones
Bucks County Community College has a new president.
Patrick M. Jones, who holds a doctoral degree in music education from Penn State and served in the military for 30 years, was unanimously selected by the college Board of Trustees to take the place of Felicia Ganther who resigned at the end of the fall semester 2023.
Calling the college a "gem," Jones said he was grateful to the board in a news release. "I look forward to working with the trustees, faculty, staff and students on our campuses and centers, and our business, community and elected leaders," he said, in ensuring the college "thrives and fulfills its indispensable role an educational, cultural and economic engine of Bucks County."
"We are pleased to welcome Dr. Jones home to Bucks County," said Board Chair Thomas J. Jennings, describing Jones as a "compassionate leader, driven by results, devoted to students and well-acquainted with service to our diverse communities."
Jones currently is the chancellor of Penn State's Schuylkill Campus and a professor of music there. He's introduced in-demand programs like nursing, cybersecurity and information technology to the campus since he began his role there in 2019.
More: BCCC President Felicia Ganther to step down at end of semester
Before joining Penn State, he served as assistant vice president for academic affairs at Drexel University and as director of Veteran Enrollment Practice and Director of the Setnor School of Music at Syracuse University. He also served as chair of the Music Education Department at Boston University and Head of Music Education Division at the University of the Arts.
Jones is a graduate of West Chester University with a degree in music education and holds a Diploma of Fine Arst in conducting and wind literature from the University of Calgary, and a master of arts in conducting from George Mason University. He also is a graduate of the Armed Forces School of Music.
In the military, he served in both the Army and Air Force, retiring from the Air National Guard with the rank of colonel. He was chief of Air National Guard Bands and advisor to the Air Force director of Public Affairs. He served with units across the country and on diplomatic outreach and troop entertainment deployments throughout the Middle East, Central and Southeast Asia and in the Horn of Africa.
Information on Jones' salary was not immediately available.
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Bucks County Community College names Patrick Jones new president
