Joined the board in: 2021

Professional title: President, Reynolds Community College

Dr. Paula Pando has over 25 years of experience in both public and private higher education. Since 2018, she has served as president of Reynolds Community College, which enrolls over 15,000 students across four campuses in the Richmond region. She recently chaired a statewide task force to address factors that adversely impact student success, including food and housing insecurity and mental health. The daughter of immigrants, Dr. Pando is fluent in both Spanish and English, and has a profound commitment to educational opportunity and equity.

Dr. Pando currently serves on several boards including Chamber RVA, the Valentine Museum, Go Virginia, the Higher Education Research and Development Institute (HERDI) South, and AACC’s President’s Academy Summer Institute. In 2017, she was selected for the Aspen Institute’s Presidential Fellowship. 

Dr. Pando earned an Ed.D. in educational leadership from Rowan University, an M.A. in education administration from Saint Peter’s University, and a B.A. from Stockton University. She is also a proud mother of three college-aged children, Jake, Luke and Isabella.