Longtime Public Policy Expert, Former White House Appointee 

Elizabeth De León Bhargava brings more than 25 years of executive, legal and public policy experience across federal, state and city government to her role as interim president of Guttman Community College. She most recently served as assistant secretary for administration at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development where she oversaw key agency operations and a $10 billion federal contracting portfolio. Her career includes leadership roles in the White House, the New York State Executive Chamber and the New York City Council where she spearheaded initiatives advancing educational equity, workforce development and economic opportunity.  

A graduate of Binghamton University and the SUNY Buffalo School of Law, she began her legal career as a legislative fellow for former Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and held clerkships for Judge Sonia Sotomayor at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the Civil Rights Bureau for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.  

She will lead Guttman during the search for a permanent successor to Larry Johnson Jr., who became president of Bronx Community College in July, and her appointment is pending approval by the CUNY Board of Trustees. Guttman, which enrolls about 1,000 students on its Midtown Manhattan campus, has added several key degree and certificate programs and student career success initiatives in recent years. 

“I am incredibly excited to join Guttman Community College as interim president. As a first-generation college student and proud product of public higher education in New York, it is an honor to join an institution with such an important mission, an innovative legacy and a deep commitment to student success,” said de León Bhargava. “I look forward to working with the talented faculty, staff and especially the students, to help cultivate a new generation of leaders who achieve their dreams and serve as powerful role models.”