Rafael J. Betancourt, Esq. has been elected Chairman of the UCNJ Board of Trustees effective July 1, 2026. The election occurred at the Board’s June Meeting upon the retirement of longtime board chairman Dr. Victor M. Richel.
Mr. Betancourt joined the UCNJ Board of Governors in 2017 and the Board of Trustees in 2020. He has held the role of Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees since 2020 and actively contributed to multiple key Board committees, supporting governance, fiscal oversight, and strategic decision-making. From 2022 to 2025, he served as board liaison to the College’s Middle States Steering Committee, helping guide the accreditation process and strengthen institutional accountability. Most recently, he was selected as one of three UCNJ trustees to participate in the Aspen Presidents & Trustees Collaborative, an Aspen Institute College Excellence initiative that helps community college leaders and boards align their governance practices to boost student success and sustain transformational change.
Professionally, Mr. Betancourt is a partner at Triarsi, Betancourt, Wukovits & Dugan, LLC, a law firm based in Cranford, and has served as an FBI Special Agent, Assistant Prosecutor for Union County, and Municipal Prosecutor and Acting Mayor for the Town of Westfield. He also served as an adjunct instructor at UCNJ from 2008 to 2012. Upon Mr. Betancourt’s election as Chairman, Board of Trustees member Brian Campbell (UCNJ ’95), of Berkeley Heights, was elected to serve as Vice Chair.
Mr. Betancourt, who was born and raised in Puerto Rico, resides in Westfield with his wife, Esperanza, and has two sons. He earned a B.A. from Tulane University and a J.D. from the University of Puerto Rico.
“I am excited to work alongside Mr. Betancourt as we begin this next chapter for UCNJ. He is deeply committed to our Mission and shares our unwavering focus on student success: from fostering a strong sense of belonging on campus to ensuring our graduates are prepared to thrive in their careers and communities. I look forward to partnering with him to build on our strong foundation and continue creating opportunities that transform lives,” stated UCNJ President Dr. Margaret M. McMenamin.
UCNJ is a public comprehensive community college that provides quality, affordable, accessible educational programs to the greater Union County region. It is the first of New Jersey’s 18 two-year colleges, serving both career-minded and transfer-oriented students since 1933. The College offers a wide variety of academic programs and extracurricular activities. UCNJ provides many experiential learning opportunities such as access to the Bloomberg Business Center, Innovation Center, and Student Research Lab. Additionally, students at UCNJ attend one of the top community colleges in the country as designated by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. To learn more about UCNJ, visit www.ucc.edu.
