Richard Pokrass is Dean of Institutional Advancement at Burlington County College, having previously served as the college's director of College Relations and Publications. During his time as BCC's chief public relations spokesman, he coordinated media relations efforts through several crises, including staff and faculty strikes, a multi-million dollar fire, and the abduction of a student. He received more than two dozen regional and national awards for outstanding public and media relations. As part of his current role as executive director of the BCC Foundation, he coordinates the foundation's extensive student scholarship programs and oversees the college foundation, alumni association, and graduation-related activities. On the national level, Mr. Pokrass is past president of the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations, a 1,500-member affiliate council of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). From 2004 through April 2007, he was an active member of the AACC's Commision on Communications and Marketing. He currently serves on the National Advisory Committee for the Solutions for Our Future project, a cooperative venture of every major higher education association in the United States. In addition, he is a member of the Board of Directors of COMBASE, a national organization of community colleges that focus on community-based education. Within the Southern New Jersey region, he is chair of the Burlington County Chamber of Commerce and an active volunteer for the United Way of Burlington County, the American Heart Association, and the March of Dimes. He previously served as chair of the Education Committee of the Southern New Jersey Development Council. Mr. Pokrass earned a Master of Arts degree in Corporate Communications from Glassboro State College and a Bachelor of Science degree in Radio, Television, and Film from Temple University. He is a contributing author to several nationally distributed books on markeing, volunteerism, and fund raising and has had nearly one dozen articles published in professional journals. He was previously employed as a news director of the former WJJZ-AM, program director of WRTI-FM, and as a sports and feature reporter for the Bucks County Courier Times.