Bergen Celebrates Grand Opening of Bergen Community College at the Meadowlands

On Wednesday, July 16, 2008 Bergen Community College will celebrate the grand opening of Bergen Community College at the Meadowlands with a ceremony and open house from noon to 6:00 p.m. at 1280 Wall Street West, Lyndhurst. The event marks the first phase of the College's plan to expand its educational resources to the southern part of Bergen County and support state and local economic development initiatives.
The general public is invited to attend the event and tour the facility to learn how they can further their career opportunities through professional development and training classes. Career and academic counselors and continuing education representatives will be on hand from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. for the public portion of the tour.

The College will utilize the Lyndhurst facility as it moves forward with construction of a campus at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford.

Bergen Community College at the Meadowlands will support local business initiatives, including providing fundamental job training to employees at Xanadu, a sports, leisure, shopping and family entertainment complex scheduled to open in the summer of 2009.

"The launching of this facility represents an historic opportunity for Bergen Community College to provide the communities we serve with the most extensive benefits of higher education, continuous learning and workforce development through collaborations with a multitude of stakeholders," said Bergen President Dr. G. Jeremiah Ryan. "Through partnerships with state, county and local government organizations, along with the support of the Meadowlands' broad-based business community, Bergen Community College will emerge as an economic development center for North Jersey."

Brandon Steiner, president of Steiner Sports Marketing, will present the keynote address at 1:30 p.m. He will share his perspective on the business of sports and career opportunities in sports marketing and sports management. Steiner Sports Marketing, part of the Omnicom Group, is firmly entrenched as a leader in the marketing industry. Its inventory of collectibles includes more than 10,000 items and the company currently maintains relationships with over 5,000 past and current professional athletes.

Other events at the open house will include:

· 12:00 p.m. - Light lunch and networking;

· 1:00 p.m. - Introduction by President Ryan. He will present Bergen's long-term plans to build a permanent facility at the Meadowlands and will host a discussion on the importance of strategic partnerships with education, labor and business, in sustaining economic development in the Meadowlands region and maintaining New Jersey's competiveness in the global economy;

There will also be a ribbon cutting ceremony and remarks from dignitaries including Bergen County Executive Dennis McNerney, Chairman of the College's Board of Trustees Stephen J. Moses, Chairman of the Bergen Community College Foundation Board of Directors Robert Dill, Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development David Socolow, Chairman of the Bergen County Board of Chosen Freeholders Tomas J. Padilla, Chairman of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority Carl Goldberg, Mayor of Lyndhurst Richard J. DiLascio, and President of the Meadowlands Chamber of Commerce Jim Kirkos;

· 2:00 p.m. - Jennifer Cleary, senior project manager, John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development, will discuss recent economic trends in the Meadowlands region, based on a report created for the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission that used data provided by the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development;

· 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. - Registration; members of the public can tour the Lyndhurst facility and meet with academic and career counselors.

For further information or to register for the open house, please email bccmeadowlands@bergen.edu by July 12, 2008. Seating is limited.

Bergen Community College at the Meadowlands remains a partner of the Bergen Community College Board of Trustees, Bergen Community College Foundation, Bergen County Executive and Freeholder Board, Bergen County One-Stop Career Center, Bergen County Workforce Investment Board, Central Parking, Colony Capital, LLC, Essex County College, Hispanic Institute for Research and Development at Bergen, Hudson County Community College, John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers, The State University, Mayor and Council, Borough of Lyndhurst, Meadowlands Advisory Board, Meadowlands Chamber of Commerce, New Jersey Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, New Jersey Meadowlands Commission, New Jersey Small Business Development Centers, New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, Newark Alliance, Passaic County Community College, Union County College and Xanadu at the Meadowlands.

Bergen Community College, the largest community college in New Jersey, is a public two-year coeducational college, enrolling more than 15,000 students in Associate in Arts, Associate in Science, and Associate in Applied Science degree programs and certificate programs. More than 10,000 students are enrolled in non-credit, professional courses through the Division of Continuing Education, the Institute for Learning in Retirement, and the Philip J. Ciarco Jr. Learning Center, located at 355 Main Street, Hackensack. Information about the College is available at http://www.bergen.edu or by phoning the Welcome Center at 201-447-7200.

For more information on Bergen Community College at the Meadowlands, including a listing of continuing education courses being offered, visit www.bergen.edu/bccmeadowlands/ or call 201-460-0610.

Photo Caption: Bergen at the Meadowlands, Lyndhurst facility