Dermel Warren knows how to solve problems.
During her first few days as director of New Community Career and Technical Institute, she noticed an area that needed immediate attention: the lunchrooms lacked a sense of culture and community. Students were eating lunch at plain tables, and most staff members spent their breaks at their desks. Warren took action, creating a separate space for each group to have a place to relax and connect. Within her first week, she had transformed two spaces in welcoming lounges, furnished with decorated tables, a refrigerator, and a coffee station.
“I’m a big picture thinker, and I think outside the box,” Warren said. “What’s the real problem? How do we fix the problem? Let’s come up with solutions.”
She came up with solutions for the last 10 years at New York University, where she held various roles, most recently serving as Assistant Director of Schack’s Academic and Faculty Affairs. But after a decade-long commute to New York City, she’s excited that her role at New Community will give her the chance to give back to a place she holds near and dear: home.
“My youngest daughter goes to school right around the corner,” said Warren, who lives with her family in East Orange just outside of Newark. “This was my first opportunity to be very close to home and actually serve the community where I live.”
Her love of education and helping students who truly need it also drew her to NCCTI.
“I wanted to make a difference, and I wanted to feel that sense of purpose. I want to be a part of change,” Warren said. “Life may not be linear. Your career path may not be linear. But you can still make it.”
Warren’s own professional journey wasn’t a linear one. After completing a Bachelor of Arts in English from Spring Hill College, she was accepted into pharmacology school with dreams of becoming a doctor. But family responsibilities led her to put those plans on hold, and she instead turned to teaching and training medical technicians. She went on to earn a Master of Arts in Education from Trident University International. Teaching not only fueled her passion for education, but inspired her to pursue leadership roles where she could champion fellow educators.
“I realized I loved teaching but I wanted to do it on a bigger scale,” Warren said. “I wanted to be able to advocate for teachers and students. I learned early on that I wanted a seat at the table.”
At NCCTI, Warren plans to prioritize ensuring curriculum benchmarks are met, increasing student enrollment, and helping teachers better use their expertise as workforce demands change.
“We need to think about how we can use technology and AI in the classroom, and be forward-thinking on what the students’ future careers are actually going to look like,” Warren said.
When Warren isn’t at NCCTI, you might find her behind a microphone. A professional singer, Warren co-owns a music company with her husband. The duo is hitting the studio in July to produce their second jazz album.
“I’ve always had two passions, education and music, and never wanted to substitute one for the other,” she said.
Warren’s younger self had visions of becoming a doctor, an ambition that is about to come full circle. She will earn her doctorate in education from Trident University International later this year.
“I will eventually be that doctor that my 10-year-old self dreamed of being, just a different kind: a doctor of education,” Warren said.
Problem solved.