Denise McCory Named Tri-C Metro Campus President

New role follows nearly two decades of student-focused work at the College

Denise McCory has been named president of the Metropolitan Campus of Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C^®), where she will build upon her life’s work guiding students toward academic success. 

She enters the new position after two decades at Tri-C marked by increased leadership responsibilities, including the past 16 months as interim president of the campus. 

“My focus has always been on building a can-do attitude on campus,” McCory said. “Tri-C offers life-changing opportunities for our students. The key is to inspire them to find the success that is within their reach.” 

McCory joined the College in 2001 as a national trainer for NASA’s Science, Engineering, Mathematics and Aerospace Academy (SEMAA). She helped the program become an academic model that expanded across the country. 

Her success led to a series of promotions before her 2012 appointment as dean of student affairs at Metro Campus. In this position, McCory directed enrollment and retention efforts and guided student support services to enhance the campus experience. 

McCory later transitioned to dean of academic affairs at Eastern Campus, where she led administrative actions related to accreditations and scheduling while working closely with faculty and staff. 

Since becoming interim president at Metro Campus in July 2019, she has overseen campus construction projects, expanded dual enrollment programs with Cleveland Metropolitan School District and provided leadership during the coronavirus crisis. 

McCory has been widely published on academic and administrative topics in higher education and holds leadership positions in a variety of state and national organizations. 

The selection of McCory follows a national search. 

“Dr. McCory has excelled in every role at Tri-C as measured by the success of students under her guidance,” said Alex Johnson, president of the College. “She will make a difference as Metro Campus president and help grow the next generation of community leaders.” 

McCory holds a doctorate in higher education leadership from Walden University. She earned a Master of Education in adult learning and development from Cleveland State University and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Ohio University. 

She graduated from Cleveland’s John Marshall High School and now lives in Shaker Heights.

October 02, 2020

John Horton, 216-987-4281 john.horton@tri-c.edu