Carlee Drummer Selected as President of Quinebaug Valley Community College

President Gregory Gray of the Board of Regents for Higher Education announced today that Carlee Drummer, Ph. D., has been selected to be the next President of Quinebaug Valley Community College. The selection was made after consideration of over 90 candidates who applied for the position. Dr. Drummer will succeed Dr. Carmen R. Cid, who has been serving as Quinebaug’s Interim President since August of 2013.

Carlee Drummer

Dr. Drummer currently serves in the dual positions of Executive Director of College Advancement and Executive Director of the Educational Foundation at Oakton Community College in Illinois. She has been with Oakton Community College since 2001.

“This is an exciting time for Quinebaug,” said President Gray. “Dr. Drummer brings an exceptional portfolio of scholarship and experience to her new position, and impressed everyone involved in the search process with her seasoned leadership, imaginative ideas and high energy. I am confident Dr. Drummer will lead the college forward with a dynamic agenda for growth, innovation and development."

Dr. Drummer made it very clear in her interviews she believes strongly in the power of community colleges, and is committed to focusing on transforming the lives of Quinebaug students by equipping them to keep pace with the arc of change.

“During my visit to the Danielson campus and the Willimantic Center, I experienced firsthand the soul of Quinebaug Valley Community College: Learners. Leaders. Partners.  I look forward to collaborating with the community to advance this mission to the residents of northeastern Connecticut.”  Drummer also said that, as Quinebaug’s next president, “I will provide the passionate leadership to communicate the power of a community college education — and the vital role the college plays in the educational and economic life of the region.”

“I am very excited about Dr. Drummer’s selection as president of Quinebaug Valley Community College,” said Nicholas Donofrio, Chairman of the Board of Regents. “She brings intellect, academic achievement, proven development skills and a deep commitment to our public mission and values. The search process for Quinebaug generated an extraordinary pool of candidates, with Dr. Drummer emerging as the best of the best.”

A graduate of Wittenberg University (B.A., magna cum laude), Drummer earned both M.A. and Ph.D. degrees at the State University of New York at Stony Brook.  Her Ph. D. dissertation was The Broken Chrysalis: Virginia Woolf’s Grieved Grief.  In addition, she studied abroad at the University of Exeter, Devon, England, and, as a lifelong learner, is studying Spanish at Oakton Community College. 

Dr. Drummer began her career as Director of Communications/Advertising for a division of Nabisco Brands, Inc., after which she became Director of Public Relations and Publications for Baruch College, The City University of New York.  Following her position at Baruch, she served as Manager of Public Relations and Communications for The New York Public Library system. 

In 1992, Dr. Drummer was named Associate Vice President for Communications and Associate Professor of English at Carthage College in Kenosha, WI.  In between Carthage and her current position at Oakton Community College, she served as Vice President of Lipman Hearne, Inc., in Chicago, IL.

Dr. Drummer has published a number of important works, including “Picturing Perceptions: A Photographic Approach to Understanding Students’ Views of College” (Co-author); “Contexts and Comparisons: A Student Guide to the Great Works” (Editor and co-author); and “A Commonplace Book: Honoring the Literary Lions 1981-1990” (Co-editor).  She has received numerous awards for work in the advancement and support of education, as well as in the fields of Marketing and Public Relations.

Dr. Drummer has been married to husband Michael for 39 years. Mr. Drummer is an architect, fine artist, photographer and filmmaker.