Yolanda Wilson

Dr. Yolanda Wilson became president of the College of Southern Maryland January 3, 2023. She is the first African American president in the college’s 64-year history.

Prior to her presidential appointment, Wilson worked in the North Carolina and South Carolina Community College Systems for more than 23 years, beginning her career as an adjunct faculty member before moving into more progressive leadership roles in both academic affairs, student services, and campus operations. Her work in higher education has centered on creating a student-ready college culture, mitigating institutional barriers to access, retention, and completion, and strategically focusing on programming and policies that support all students to success.

Wilson has completed the 2019-2020 Aspen Rising President's Fellowship program, received the Phi Theta Kappa Distinguished College Administrator's Awards – both internationally and within the Carolinas – and was recognized as the South Carolina Technical Education Association Administrator of the Year at York Technical College. She is the Region 2 director for the American Association for Women in Community Colleges, serves as a peer evaluator for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, and is a Leadership Coach for Achieving the Dream. In June 2023, she was appointed to the American Association of Community Colleges Commission on College Readiness for a three-year term. She is also on the USM at Southern Maryland Board of Advisors, the Charles County Chamber of Commerce Board, the Charles County Economic Advisory Board, the Calvert County Chamber of Commerce Board, the Calvert Health Board of Directors, the Maryland Association of Community Colleges Presidents' Council and Board of Directors, the Transform Mid-Atlantic Board’s Presidents’ Council, The Patuxent Partnership Board of Directors, the Southern Maryland Task Force – Catholic Charities, and the Southern Maryland Workforce Development Board. She is a graduate of the Leadership Southern Maryland Executive Program (’24).

Wilson earned her bachelor’s degree in English Education and her master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Maryland, College Park, her Developmental Education Specialist Certification from Kellogg Institute at Appalachian State University, and her Ed.D. in Adult and Community College Education from North Carolina State University. She is blessed to be married to her best friend, Dale, and they have three sons: Bryan, Brandon, and Braxton.