Former SUNY JCC administrator Marilyn Zagora is surrounded by colleagues sitting on and standing around a bench dedicated to her. Sitting, from left: Sarah Tranum, Occupational Therapy Assistant director and professor; Zagora; Daniel DeMarte, president; Renee Henry, executive assistant to the Academic Affairs vice president. Standing: Jessica Kubiak, Academic Affairs vice president; Crystal Rose-Williams, interim associate Student Affairs vice president; Kathlen Dennison, interim Finance & Operations vice president; and Holger Ekanger, Workforce Development vice president.

Jamestown Community College recognized Marilyn Zagora’s more than 40 years of contributions to the college recently with a bench dedication to the former faculty member and administrator.

The wood bench, etched with her name, was unveiled in the lobby of Hamilton Collegiate Center during a campus gathering and celebration of Zagora, who retired this past summer as academic affairs vice president – a post she held since 2007.

Over the past several decades, Zagora has served the college in many leadership roles, including dean of student development and marketing, dean of student affairs, division chair for human development and educational services, and ad hoc associate dean of instruction.

She was a faculty member at JCC prior to joining the administration, serving as a counselor in the Counseling and Career Center.

Zagora, in 2021, was a recipient of the John D. Hamilton Award that honors individuals whose contributions exemplify those of Hamilton, a past president and trustee emeritus of JCC. That same year, the JCC Foundation established the Dr. Marilyn Zagora Scholarship for Excellence in Student Leadership, which supports students who exhibit the leadership qualities for which Zagora is well known – accountability, passion, dependability, professionalism, and work ethic.

Marilyn Zagora, left, speaks at bench dedication to her while Jessica Kubiak, JCC Academic Affairs vice president looks on.

Zagora also received the Faculty Award for Excellence and the Administrative Award for Excellence from JCC.

Since her retirement, Zagora has served the college and President Daniel DeMarte in a consulting capacity.