President David R. Jones
The president of Allegany College of Maryland serves as its chief executive officer and is appointed by the College's Board of Trustees.
David R. Jones became the sixth president of Allegany College of Maryland on January
1, 2025. President Jones' top priorities in his first year include the following:
- Commitment to Mission: Upholding the community college mission of accessibility, affordability, and high-quality
education.
- Academic Excellence and Enrollment: Using data-driven strategies to address evolving student needs, boost enrollment,
and drive student retention and completion rates.
- Community Engagement: Building synergistic partnerships with the surrounding community to keep higher education
accessible and responsive to local needs.
- Workforce Development: Equipping students with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in the workforce
and aligning educational programs with industry demands.
- Resource Development: Identifying and securing funding to support ACM's mission and goals.
- Shared Governance: Fostering a unified vision for ACM through open communication and collaborative decision-making
among faculty, staff, students, and administration.
About President Jones
President Jones was Allegany College of Maryland's vice president of advancement and community relations and the executive director of
the ACM Foundation prior to his appointment.
He joined the College in 1996, as an administrative assistant to President Donald
Alexander. Within a year, he was named the College's director of fundraising and grantwriting and later, the director of grants and development
and executive director of the ACM Foundation. He became an ACM vice president in 2014.
During this 28-year span, President Jones became known for his diplomatic and caring
demeanor and collaborative style of leadership. His work on behalf of students and
ACM during this time includes the following achievements:
- Securing more than $68 million in grant funding to support academic programs, athletics,
campus security and safety, capital projects, community and civic engagement, facility
updates and renovations, student services, and workforce development.
- Raising more than $30 million for the College's affiliated foundations, the Allegany
College of Maryland Foundation and the Bedford County Regional Education Foundation.
- Awarding over $20 million in scholarships to students enrolled in academic or job
training programs.
- Building partnerships in collaboration with ACM faculty and staff to develop and expand
programs in advanced manufacturing, cybersecurity, early college, nursing, and P-TECH.
Before joining ACM, President Jones was a program specialist with the U.S. Department
of Education for two years. He has served as a federal grant peer reviewer for the
Department for nearly three decades.
He and his wife, Elaine, a Certified Public Accountant, are the parents of three adult
children, and they reside in Frostburg.
Affiliations and Service to Others
President Jones lives a life of service and is part of the following organizations:
- Allegany County Chamber of Commerce, Institutional Member, Leadership Allegany Committee
Member, Leadership Allegany Graduate of the Class of 2008.
- Allegany Museum, Board Member.
- Bedford County Chamber of Commerce, Institutional Member.
- Cumberland Economic Development Corporation, Board Member.
- Frostburg Memorial Park and (nonprofit) Cemetery, Board Member
- Greater Cumberland Committee, Corporate Council Member, Education and Workforce Development
Work Group Member.
- LaVale Lions Club, Member, Volunteer.
- Maryland Association of Community Colleges, Board of Directors and Legislative Committee
Member.
- Maryland Rural Health Association, Member.
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education, Peer Evaluator.
- Rotary Club of Cumberland, Board Member, Scholarship Chair, Past President.
- Transform Mid-Atlantic, Vice Chair, Board Member.
- Tri-County Council of Western Maryland, Institutional Member.
Education
President Jones earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in social science and education
from Frostburg State University.
Honors and Awards
While under his leadership, the ACM Foundation was selected as the 2024 Nonprofit
of the Year by the Allegany County Chamber of Commerce. President Jones has received
12 employee recognition awards from ACM. He is an honorary member of Phi Theta Kappa.
Locally, he was named a Paul Harris Fellow by the Rotary Club of Cumberland, and Kiwanian
of the Year by the Kiwanis Club of Cumberland. His volunteer efforts have been recognized
by the State of Maryland.
President's Communications
