Deep Roots and Connections

By Nate Jastrzemski of The Bethlehem Press, 1/25. The article is shared here with permission.

Though not set to truly take the reins until July, recently-announced incoming president of Northampton Community College Dr. Mark Erickson is currently performing what he calls a "listening tour."

During a brief stopover in Bethlehem January 13, Erickson spoke with the Bethlehem Press about his experiences in administering higher education and his great respect for the mission of NCC.

A graduate of Princeton and Harvard universities with degrees in American history and educational leadership, Erickson found opportunities for learning the responsibilities of administration while working at Lehigh University, where he ultimately earned his doctorate in education. Erickson said he lived in the Lehigh Valley for almost 22 years and worked his way through six different positions at the college, the last of which was "vice president of administration and government affairs," which he described as a combination of many offices. "I was the right-hand person for the president and I was very engaged with everything he was involved with."

Erickson said the position had him dealing not only with school administration but also with local government and community activities. "One of [then president]Greg Farrington's greater priorities was creating a greater connectedness between Lehigh and especially the Southside.

"All of that provides a nice background for retuning to the Valley," he said. "I think that experience and connections will serve me and serve Northampton well as I come into this role."

Erickson said his wife Lin also provides insight into the Valley. "From the mid-80s until the early 90s [she] worked here," he said, gesturing generally to the NCC Main Campus. "She was an associate dean in community education, so we were pretty plugged in with Northampton Community College - I had an early appreciation for the great things that are going on here."

Stressing his commitment to the relationship between schools and the surrounding communities, Erickson said during his seven years at Wittenberg University he established a center for civic and urban engagement, which was all about playing a major role in economic development of the region. "Another piece I think at Wittenberg people don't realize is that about 25 percent of our students are first generation," he said, "sometimes I think those are the most meaningful sorts of stories in terms of transformation in the lives of students.

"So when I looked at Northampton," Erickson continued, "and the impact it has on the lives of its students, I was really drawn to the mission, to the community connectedness. But also the issue of access and providing opportunities for students that otherwise might not find themselves in higher education. To make a difference in that way.

"I'm excited. In terms of who I am as a person, what my values are, what I believe in; this is a great fit."

Erickson said he feels the Lehigh Valley is blessed with some great institutions that have a wonderful diversity and can also be engaged in a wonderful collaboration with one another. "I think that's awfully important to any community. The most successful communities have a rich array of colleges and universities."

He sees NCC as having an important role in that array. "Part of what I love about it is that it's Northampton Community College. What sort of opportunities can we provide for the student in this community - for all ages. I think being a player at the table, asking 'where is this community going?'

"I think there's a breadth of the types of ways we engage the community that's almost unmatched by any other category of college. And that part I find exciting. If you look at the programs this college provides, the way it touches this community, it's extraordinary."

After graduating from Princeton in 1977, Erickson was a school teacher in Sacramento, Calif. He later moved to Boston and South Carolina, working at colleges and furthering his education, and then made his way to Lehigh.

Erickson has been president of Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio, a school with about 2,000 students, since 2005.

He begins his tenure at NCC July 1.