Holyoke Community College Names Angela Cardenas Chief of Operations

Angela Cardenas

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College (HCC) recently welcomed Angela Cardenas as chief of Operations in the Office of the President.

Cardenas comes to HCC with more than 25 years of executive-level leadership experience, having served in continuously advancing roles at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) for the past 17 years, most recently as senior policy advisor.

As a career diplomat and public servant, Cardenas has lived and worked in numerous countries around the world, including Nicaragua, Afghanistan, Egypt, Tanzania, and the Dominican Republic. She joined USAID in 2008 as a private enterprise officer and has since worked for the agency as a land reform advisor, agriculture team leader, and education office director and coordinator of USAID’s Young African Leaders Initiative.

In her role as senior policy advisor, Cardenas, who is bilingual, served as liaison to the Hispanic Assoc. of Colleges and Universities, a consortium of more than 600 U.S. and international higher education institutions. She started her job at HCC on Aug. 18.

“I wanted to find a place where I could make positive contributions and use my passion, which is creating the next generation of globally minded leaders,” Cardenas said. “I am happy to continue my work in higher education and look forward to working for an institution that aligns with my personal values.”

Cardenas holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and a master’s degree in urban planning from Texas A&M University. She is pursuing a PhD in applied social justice at Dominican University. Throughout her career, she has specialized in change management, policy creation, strategy development, grant and contract design and management, fund development, and financial management.

In her role at HCC, she serves as a strategic advisor to the college president and a key operational leader, directly supporting the president, the president’s cabinet, division vice presidents, and the board of trustees, and collaborating with department heads, community leaders, government entities, and other external partners to advance institutional priorities.

“I was looking for a place where I could be part of a great leadership team and work for a transformational leader,” Cardenas said. “I’ve been fortunate to work for exceptional people who make positive change in the communities they serve and been lucky to work with people who want to see you succeed. When I met with President [George] Timmons, I could tell he was that kind of person.”