York College president to be featured in JCAL speaker series

President of York College Dr. Berenecea Johnson Eanes will be featured in this month’s JCAL Talks, the first to be held in-person since inception in February 2021.  Photo via JCAL

By Jacob Kaye

For the first time, JCAL Talks, a speaker series highlighting local Queens leaders, will take place in-person this month.

On Nov. 1, President of York College Dr. Berenecea Johnson Eanes will sit down with Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning Executive Director Leanard Jacobs to talk about her first year running the South Queens college.

“I am delighted by the invitation to be the inaugural speaker for JCAL Talks in person,” Johnson Eanes said. “I am excited for the town and gown relationship we are continuing with this event and look forward to future collaborations. York and JCAL have had a longstanding friendship that has benefited our two entities and our community. I am also doubly excited that this will be an in-person event after more than a year and a half living in virtual reality due to the COVID pandemic.”

Johnson Eanes took over the college during the pandemic – JCAL Talks also began during the pandemic.

“York College is a touchstone for Southeast Queens—not only is it the CUNY school closest to us geographically but it is a beacon for our values,” Jacobs said in a statement. “In a comparatively short tenure that has coincided with the pandemic, Dr. Eanes has confronted unprecedented challenges with remarkable grace—and, in doing so, she has created a template for leadership that is both outstanding and inspiring.”

As president of the CUNY school, Johnson Eanes created “One York,” a strategic plan that aims to make all students and staff feel valued in the school community. She’s also led funding raising efforts, including last December’s Giving Tuesday, which resulted in nearly $100,000 in donations to the school.

The event will take place inside JCAL’s black box theater, located at 161-04 Jamaica Ave., at 6:30 p.m.

During its first year, the program featured conversations with Rhonda Binda, the deputy Queens borough president, and Melva Miller, the CEO of the Association for a Better New York.