About The President

Dr. Grace Sawyer Jones is the president of Three Rivers Community College. In addition to her presidential duties, Grace is a respected member of her community. Most recently, in February 2010, she was named the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut.

The year 2009 was a busy one for Dr. Jones. She received the Distinguished Alumna Award from Aurora University. She was also the recipient of the Palmer Davies Leadership Award. This award is given by UCFS of Connecticut and recognizes individuals who have fostered an environment of community spirit and understanding that reflects the organization's mission. The 2009 Connecticut State Conference of NAACP named Dr. Jones as one of "The 100 most influential blacks in Connecticut."

That same year, Dr. Jones celebrated the publication of Love Letters from the Harlem Renaissance, a book featuring love letters from Aaron Douglas to his wife, Alta Sawyer. This book holds special meaning for Dr. Jones as Alta Sawyer is her aunt.

Dr. Jones is no stranger to the field of publishing; she is the author of "Mission Possible - Diversity in Utah," which was published in Community College Week in 1999.

As a member of Phi Beta Phi, Dr. Jones received the Distinguished Alumna Award from Washburn University, and she was selected as a Distinguished Kansan in Education in 1997.

In 1990, Dr. Jones was named Vice President for Multicultural Affairs at the State University of New York, College of Oneonta. She was also a tenured professor while at the College of Oneonta. Prior to coming to Three Rivers, Dr. Jones was the president of the College of Eastern Utah (CEU) since 1996. Dr. Jones' education degrees are from Ohio, Illinois, and Kansas. She earned her Ph.D. in Organization Behavior from the Union Institute (Cincinnati, Ohio), her master's degree in Community Recreation with Group Work Method from George Williams College (Downers Grove, Illinois), and her bachelor's degree in Physical Education from Washburn University (Topeka, Kansas).

Dr. Jones learned education systems in experiential ways-most importantly by doing it. Professionally, Dr. Jones began her work as a secondary physical education and science teacher in Chicago, Illinois. She entered higher education's community college environment in the late 70's as a faculty member at Berkshire Community College in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. In the nearly ten years at Berkshire she served as faculty and Coordinator of the recreational leadership program, Coordinator of student activities and the college union, and later as Director of Personnel Services.