Unlike most college presidents, Dr. Paul Broadie II has had the unusual task of balancing his time and leadership between two institutions, at the same time.
In 2015, Broadie became president of Housatonic Community College (HCC). Two years later, the president of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system Mark Ojakian asked him to become president at Gateway Community College (GCC) after the previous one retired.
“I’m always up for a challenge,” said Broadie in an interview with Diverse. “I was honored that he asked and I thought that I could bring some of my talents to Gateway,”
With the additional responsibilities of running Housatonic and Gateway, Broadie wanted to ensure that he remained a “visible leader” on campus. He set up a schedule to spend time at each college two days a week and then alternated every Friday, adding that managing two institutions was accomplished through partnerships.
Its that on the job training that Broadie will put to good use next year when he begins his new job as president of Santa Fe College.
“I truly believe the president is an extension of the college so that when the community sees the president, they actually see the college,” he said. “So, I just make sure that I am active and extremely involved.”
To fully immerse himself at Housatonic and Gateway, Broadie learned the culture of both schools.
