Mohawk Valley Community College Trustee David Mathis is one step away from leading the nation’s largest organization of community college trustees.

Mathis was recently named chair-elect of the Association of Community College Trustees, which represents more than 6,500 trustees at over 1,200 community colleges across the nation. Mathis has previously served as vice chair and secretary/treasurer of the ACCT Board’s Executive Committee and is currently serving as northeast regional director. He previously received the ACCT Northeast Leadership Award and the ACCT M. Dale Ensign Leadership Award.

Mathis is the director of the Oneida County Office of Workforce Development, a position he has held since 1986.

“I have had the pleasure of calling Dave Mathis a friend and colleague for more than 30 years,” said Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente Jr. “Dave is the consummate professional whose dedication to the betterment of this community is without peer. His knowledge and vision will prove to be invaluable assets to the American Community College Board of Trustees as he leads it as chairman.”

“Our community colleges are facing both great challenges to preserve access but also great opportunities to provide the training and education for the technology-based jobs that are being created in our economy,” Mathis said. “Trustees are the ones who face the ultimate fiscal reality of doing more with less while ensuring that the gains colleges have made in serving the neediest students are not lost.”

Mathis, an MVCC graduate who also graduated from Utica College, joined MVCC as a trustee in 1977, and has served as vice president of the board from 2002 to 2004 and 2011 to 2013, and has been chair of the Board of Trustees three times, with terms held from 1983 to 1987, 2004 to 2006, and 2013 to 2015.

Mathis has been recognized for his outstanding service at the state and national levels. In 2018, he was awarded the New York Community College Trustees’ (NYCCT) Anne M. Bushnell Memorial Award for Special Achievement this September. The Bushnell Award is the most prestigious award for community college trustees awarded by NYCCT. The NYCCT previously honored Mathis with the Marvin A. Rapp Award for Distinguished Service. Mathis served on the NYCCT Board of Directors from 1986 to 2018 and as its Board President (1997-2001 and 2012-2014) and Treasurer (2016-2018).

Named a “Living Legend” by the Oneida County Historical Society, Mathis has been a long-time member of many community boards, and currently serves on boards including Stanley Center for the Arts; New York State Workforce Investment Board; The Arc, Oneida-Lewis Chapter; Insight House; Oneida County NAACP; MVCC Alumni Association; and the Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES School & Business Alliance Program.

Mathis also has received many awards. Among them are United Way “Hero Award,” Oneida County NAACP Achievement Award, Utica College Outstanding Alumnus Award, MVCC Alumni of Merit Award, New York State Governor’s African Americans of Distinction Award, American Red Cross-President’s Fund Award for Cultural Diversity,  and the Joseph R. Carucci Legacy Award.