It’s hard to imagine an institution more vital to the Mid-Shore’s economic future than Chesapeake College. For nearly 60 years, the region’s community college has played a central role in educating, training, and launching thousands of students into careers essential to the growth of the five counties it serves.
Despite a strong track record, Chesapeake has faced no shortage of challenges—from shifting demographics and uncertain state funding to the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic. As President Cliff Coppersmith enters his seventh year at the helm, he remains focused on navigating these headwinds while building for the future.
In our annual interview, Coppersmith emphasized the college’s local momentum, underscored by unanimous county support for a $56 million capital project to expand skilled trades education. The planned facility—twice the size of the current Queen Anne’s tech building—will break ground in 2026.
He also spotlighted recent advances, including a $1.2 million mobile welding lab, a new marine trades vessel, and a $500,000 annual investment in nursing programs. With 37% of students now dual-enrolled high schoolers, and federal programs like Pell Grants and Upward Bound under scrutiny, Coppersmith is alert but optimistic—confident in the college’s enduring role as a regional engine of talent and opportunity.
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