It is the highest honor presented by the JCC Alumni Association.

The 1993 liberal arts graduate was awarded at the College’s Commencement exercises in New York on May 20. Of approximately 21,000 alumni, Dr. Holland joins a select group of only 93 other JCC graduates who have been named Distinguished Alumni. The award honors those who have exemplified JCC’s tradition of excellence and brought credit to the College through personal accomplishment, professional achievement or humanitarian service.

Dr. Holland has dedicated his professional life to working with youth. He has volunteered with Big Brother, Big Sister programs in Florida, Montana, Mississippi and New York. He has also mentored youth in six states, most recently as a tutor and counselor for Upward Bound programs. He has lectured widely on diversity, gender and sexuality as well as the experiences of underrepresented student groups.

After graduating from JCC, Dr. Holland went on to earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree in English from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Fredonia and later earned a master’s degree in higher education administration from the University at Albany, SUNY. He also holds a doctorate degree in higher education administration from the University of Alabama (UA).

We are extremely fortunate to have Dr. Holland leading our Student Services and sharing his knowledge and expertise with our faculty, staff and students.