Friday, November 7, 2025
Maria Conzatti has never been one to follow tradition. The daughter of Italian parents, she recalled that her father, Sandro Conzatti, an immigrant from Genoa, had strict expectations for her traditional role as a woman.
But instead of conforming, Conzatti followed her own path. She devoted much of her life to education and her career — choices that ultimately led her to become the first female president of Nassau Community College in its 65-year history.
Conzatti, 58, was born in the Bronx, and her family moved to West Hempstead in 1972, when she was 5. She described her family as lower-middle class, and remembered her father working two jobs while her mother, Marie, stayed home, raising Maria and her younger brother, Alessandro.
Watching her father work tirelessly, Conzatti realized early that education was the key to a better life.
“When I said I wanted to go to college, he asked, ‘Why would you do that? Women get married and have babies,’” she recalled. “And I thought, yeah … Not this one.”
After graduating from H. Frank Carey High School in 1984, Conzatti, then 18, enrolled at NCC in Garden City. She majored in information processing — a math-based, male-dominated field that she said was a precursor to computer science.
Because her father had rejected the idea her attending college, Conzatti worked two or three jobs at a time to pay her own tuition. She worked as a lifeguard in the summers, and even did telemarketing to make ends meet.
“I wasn’t worried about a social life, or going out, or boyfriends,” she said. “I just wanted good grades.”
After earning her associate’s degree in 1986, she continued her education at Adelphi University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in business management and a master’s in corporate finance and investment.
“In the mid- to late ’80s, Wall Street was where the action was,” she said. “That’s where the money was.”
While pursuing her graduate degree, Conzatti briefly worked at a company in New Jersey, and eventually she was encouraged to apply for a technical assistant position in NCC’s engineering department. She got the job in 1989. By 1990, she had three degrees under her belt, and was fully committed to growing her career at the college.
Over the years, she taught classes, mentored students and helped them navigate their own academic journeys. In 2016, then Interim President Thomas Dolan encouraged Conzatti to consider leading the college one day. But to do that, she would need a doctorate.
In 2018, at age 50, Conzatti enrolled in a doctoral program for instructional leadership at St. John’s University. For four years she took night and summer classes while continuing to teach at NCC.
“I was in front of a classroom because I had a master’s and could teach, but then at night I was also sitting as a student,” she recounted. “It was definitely an interesting experience.”
She completed the program in three years, and then spent another year writing, editing and defending her dissertation. In 2022 she earned her doctorate, and was named interim president of NCC. She became acting president in 2023, and later that year was appointed chief administrative officer.
She remains committed, she said, to ensuring that students have the same opportunities she did.
One of the biggest misconceptions about college presidents, Conzatti said, is that they don’t interact with students, and only focus on fundraising — which couldn’t be further from the truth. She is deeply involved in the college’s day-to-day operations, and frequently meets with students in an effort to understand their needs.
Under her leadership, she said, NCC’s enrollment has continued to rise, with this fall’s admissions up 7 percent.
In her 37 years at the college, Conzatti has led more than a dozen projects designed to help students acclimate to campus life, secure academic resources and access grant-funded programs. She has served on numerous committees, given national presentations and received several awards from State University of New York and Long Island organizations recognizing her leadership and service.
Genette Ortiz, NCC’s vice president of academic affairs, said that Conzatti’s focus has always been on students. “Every decision she makes is made with the students in mind,” Ortiz said.
Ortiz, who has known Conzatti for 31 years, said she immediately recognized her as someone genuine and dedicated.
“When I first met her, I knew she was a genuine individual who loved being here at the college,” Ortiz recalled. “Everything was about serving our students, and that’s who I am as a person, too. It felt like we were two like-minded individuals.”
The two have worked closely for more than a decade to promote student-centered programs and initiatives — both educational and financial. Ortiz described Conzatti as a strong, collaborative leader who values every voice.
“She’s always fostering a spirit of cooperation and mutual respect,” Ortiz said. “She’s a leader who’s fair and has integrity, and she’s created a culture of trust.”
These days, Conzatti lives in West Hempstead with her parents, caring for them as they once cared for her. She said her mother understands that she’s making a difference, even if she doesn’t quite grasp the scope of her work.
Her mother regularly encourages her to “fix the injustices” she sees on the news, Conzatti said, laughing. Her father, meanwhile, remains understated about her achievements, simply telling people, “She works at a college.”
While she acknowledges that it took some time to accept that, Conzatti said she takes pride in having proved him wrong — and in continuing the work she loves.
Even now, her favorite part of the day is teaching NCC 101: The College Experience, where she connects directly with students.
“I love it,” she said. “What you come to understand as you get older is that in life, you’re put on a mission. You’re here for a reason. And if you’re lucky, you’ll understand why. For me, it’s to make sure students have the same opportunities I did.”
