(MIDDLESEX COUNTY, NJ) -- Dorothy K. Power, Chair of the Middlesex College Board of Trustees, died on Sunday, August 21 at the age of 90. She was appointed by the Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders in 1998 and served as the Chairman of the Middlesex County College Board of Trustees since 1998. She is a past Middlesex County Freeholder, and served as a Manager for AT&T and Bellcore. Dot pioneered the establishment of the Middlesex County Commission on the Status of Women.
“Middlesex County has lost a tireless community advocate with the passing of Dorothy K. Power," said Middlesex County Board of Commissioners Director Ronald G. Rios in a statement. "Dot’s unwavering commitment to the people of Middlesex County is evident in her lifetime of public service, including 14 years as a member of the Board of County Commissioners where she served as deputy director of the Board and as chair of the Committee on Education and Welfare. Dot continued to serve Middlesex County as Clerk of the Board for three years and then through her nearly 24 years as a member of the Middlesex College Board of Trustees, including the past 15 years as its chair -- making her the longest serving chair in the College's history.
Rios continued, "In 2020, Dot was awarded the Paige D. L'Hommedieu Award in recognition of her many contributions to Middlesex College. Above all, Dot was a mentor to many and demonstrated what a public servant should be in every position she held. The loss of Dot Power is significant not only for the Power family and for those who were fortunate enough to know Dot personally, but for the Middlesex College community and all of Middlesex County. On behalf of the Board of County Commissioners, I extend my deepest sympathies to Dot’s family, friends, and colleagues, and I thank her for her years of service. I am truly fortunate that Dot Power was a friend. Dot’s legacy will live on in the lives she touched and bettered. She will be missed.”
The Middlesex College Board of Trustees provides leadership and develops policy for the College. The Board is responsible for approving the institution’s strategic direction, mission and goals, and oversees the College’s performance. In addition, the Board of Trustees provides fiscal oversight of the institution and approves all personnel actions, including hiring and evaluating the President.
Middlesex County is home to numerous Fortune 500 companies, three universities, 19 park systems, and world-class healthcare and research facilities making it one of the nation’s most dynamic regions and a leader in technology, transportation, the arts, and food innovation. As one of the most diverse populations in the country, Middlesex County is home to over 832,000 residents living throughout 25 municipalities. The County's award-winning Middlesex County Magnet Schools system and two-year Middlesex College uphold its position as #1 in the state for best schools, offering secondary and postsecondary education and workforce development programs that create a unique ecosystem in which opportunities abound. Conveniently located between New York and Philadelphia, Middlesex County is a leading destination for businesses and residents alike to live, work, and play – and has been since the 17th century.
