CVHEC BOARD NEWS: Retirement of WHCCD Chancellor Clark – STATEMENT
The West Hills Community College District (WHCCD), announced today the retirement of Chancellor Dr. Kristin Clark effective July 2024. For the past two years, Chancellor Clark has served as chair of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Board of Directors, which is made up of the chancellors, presidents and campus directors of 28 institutions of higher education in the region’s nine-county area. She also served on the board during her term as president of West Hills College Lemoore prior to the WHCCD chancellorship. The West Hills Community College District will soon initiate a search for a new chancellor. Dr. Benjamín Durán, CVHEC executive director, issued the following statement.
Dr. Benjamín Durán, CVHEC executive director, and WHCCD Chancellor Kristin Clark at the Central Valley Higher Education Summit October 19, 2023 where she delivered the welcome address.
UPDATE July 26, 2024: Chancellor Clark honored at farewell reception (see photo gallery below).
STATEMENT
Chancellor Clark: a champion
of higher education for all
We at the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium along with so many others in the region and the state, are experiencing mixed feelings with Chancellor Kristin Clark’s announcement of her retirement effective the end of this academic year.
We are happy for Chancellor Clark as she completes a stellar academic career this spring in preparation for her retirement but at the same time we are saddened that the Central Valley region is losing a leader of her caliber. As the chair of the 28-member CVHEC Board of Directors the last two years, Chancellor Clark has been a champion of higher education for all and certainly for the initiatives and projects the Consortium has undertaken. She has been instrumental in building our network of Central Valley college and university leaders to speak in a single voice on higher education policy issues.
Additionally, Chancellor Clark is recognized throughout the state as the leader of one of the most innovative and student-centered multi-college districts in rural California. The West Hills Community College District and the communities it serves have been fortunate to receive her professional and personal leadership.
Please join us in wishing Dr. Clark all the best, as she gets ready to explore the next phase of her life. Well done, Kristin!
Benjamín Durán, Ed.D.
Executive Director – The Central Valley Higher Education Consortium
President-emeritus – Merced College
See the WHCCD retirement announcement press release.
Bio – Chancellor Kristin Clark
Chancellor Clark Farewell Reception – CVHEC photo gallery:
BOARD NEWS: Susan E. Borrego appointed interim president of Stanislaus State
California State University (CSU) Interim Chancellor Jolene Koester has appointed Dr. Susan E. Borrego to serve as interim president of California State University, Stanislaus. Borrego’s term will begin August 2, 2023, and she will serve as interim president for approximately one year while the CSU Board of Trustees conducts a national search for the next regularly appointed president.
Dr. Borrego will also assume the Stanislaus State seat on the CVHC Board of Directors at that time replacing Dr. Ellen N. Junn, who retires August 1, 2023 after serving as the University’s 11th president since 2016. (She will be honored at Warrior Tribute for President Junn June 9).
The interim appointment marks a return to the CSU for Borrego, who previously held senior administrative roles at California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) and California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB). Borrego most recently served as chancellor at the University of Michigan-Flint (UM-Flint), from 2014 to 2019. She currently is a consultant project director and special assistant to the president for the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.
“Dr. Borrego is a principled, visionary and compassionate leader, guided by an unwavering commitment to inclusive excellence and student success,” said Koester. “She has a proven track record of enhancing the student experience, supporting faculty excellence and engaging the broader community. Further, her recent work at the national level to advance authentic access and educational equity will serve Stanislaus State and the CSU well.”
“Working with first-generation students at regional comprehensive universities has been a primary focus in my career, and that is what makes me excited to join such an inclusive university,” said Borrego. “I am drawn to the university’s close-knit community and its collective drive to better not only the lives of its students, but also to elevate the region and broader society it serves. I am honored to have the opportunity to continue the progress and momentum so capably built by President Ellen Junn.”
Among her accomplishments as chancellor at UM-Flint, Borrego launched 12 new academic programs, enhanced the student experience, increased retention and led successful philanthropic efforts, which included the largest successful capital campaign in university history. Borrego’s leadership during the Flint water crisis demonstrated her ability to be part of a multidisciplinary conversation related to public health. She served as a trusted communicator to both university and community members. After stepping down from the role, Borrego maintained an academic appointment as a professor in UM Flint’s School of Education and Human Services until 2022.
Borrego’s previous leadership roles include vice president for Enrollment Management, Planning and Student Affairs at CSUDH (2008-14), vice president of Student Affairs at CSUMB (2005-08), and associate vice chancellor for Student Affairs and dean of students for the University of Arkansas, as well as several administrative roles at the California Institute of Technology.Borrego earned a bachelor’s degree in speech and communication from Northwest Nazarene College, a master’s degree in social science at Azusa Pacific University and a doctorate in education from Claremont Graduate School.
CVHEC BOARD NEWS: Clovis Community College President Kim E. Armstrong welcome
Clovis Community College President Kim E. Armstrong was honored at a welcome reception March 15 on campus led by Dr. Carole Goldsmith, chancellor of the State Center Community College District.
President Kim E. Armstrong, who replaced Dr. Lori Bennett, took office Jan. 3, 2023. She will be seated on the CVHEC Board of Directors at its May 11 quarterly meeting.
Related links:
Dr. Kim E. Armstrong Named Clovis Community College President
Dr. Kim E. Armstrong named new CCC President effective Jan. 3, 2023
See the photo gallery and event video:
CVHEC BOARD NEWS: Stanislaus State President Ellen Junn to Retire
CVHEC Board Member is First Korean American Woman to Lead a U.S. Four-Year Public Institution of Higher Education
Stanislaus State President Ellen Junn announced Jan. 18 she will retire at the end of the 2022-2023 academic year capping 39 years of service in higher education – 37 years with the California State University and the last seven at the helm of CSUS.
Pres. Junn, who as a result will also vacate her seat on the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Board of Directors, shared the news in a video message and letter to campus and community members.
“It is with mixed emotions of anticipatory joy, and the bittersweet sadness of farewells to wonderful campus friends and colleagues, that I share with you the decision that I will retire at the end of this academic year,” Dr. Junn said. “After more than a year of discussions with my family and much planning and preparation, this is now the right time.
“It has been the greatest privilege and honor of my life to serve this remarkable institution of higher learning and to get to know our phenomenal students, dedicated faculty, caring staff and administrators and talented alumni who are the heart and soul of our University.”
Dr. Junn became Stanislaus State’s 11th president on July 1, 2016 when she also joined the CVHEC board.
She is the first Korean-American woman in the United States appointed to lead a four-year public institution of higher education and is the second woman to serve the University as its president.
Prior to joining Stan State, Pres. Junn held high-level administrative roles at five other CSU campuses: Cal State San Bernardino, Cal State Fullerton, Fresno State, San José State and CSU Dominguez Hills.
“I join the CVHEC family in thanking Dr. Ellen Junn for her contribution to improving the well being and future of students in the Central Valley,” said Dr. Benjamín Durán, CVHEC executive director. “We wish her the best as she prepares for retirement and enters the next phase of her life.”
See the CSUS press release full story.
Dr. Kim E. Armstrong Named Clovis Community College President
Dr. Kim E. Armstrong was named president of Clovis Community College by the State Center Community College District (SCCCD) Board of Trustees Nov. 1.
President-select Armstrong will take office Jan. 3, 2023 when she will also join the CVHEC Board of Directors. She replaces the President Lori Bennett, whose retirement is effective Jan. 4.
“The Board of Trustees are grateful to the search committee whose commitment to the District’s values of academic excellence, diversity, equity, and inclusion was evident throughout the process,” said Board President Nasreen Johnson.
SCCCD Chancellor Dr. Carole Goldsmith said, “Dr. Armstrong is widely regarded as an effective and collaborative higher education leader, and I look forward to working with her in this new role as the third President of Clovis Community College. I am confident she will continue to accelerate the college’s mission to Create Opportunities – One Student at a Time.”
The presidential search began earlier this year when the current President, Dr. Lori Bennett, announced her retirement effective January 4, 2023.
Dr. Armstrong currently serves as the Vice Chancellor for Student, Equity, and Community Affairs at Arkansas State University Three Rivers.
She earned her B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. from Howard University in Physiological/Neuropsychology and has Strategic Leadership and Management Specialization certifications.
The Arkansas Community College Student Success Center and Achieving the Dream selected her to be one of only 50 nationally certified Student Success/Guided Pathways Coaches and one of only 8 selected to serve as an Arkansas Holistic Student Support Coach.
Dr. Armstrong serves on the Arkansas Community Colleges Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) Taskforce. Her DEI initiatives received several state and regional recognitions.
She serves on two Arkansas United Way Boards. In Illinois, she served as Co-Campaign Chair for the United Way where she led efforts to raise $8.4M.
Under her leadership, both Black Hawk College and Arkansas State University Three Rivers were cited by regional accreditors for their student success, inclusion, and community engagement culture.
Clovis Community College enrolls approximately 13,000 students annually and offers curriculum for students seeking transfer to a four-year college or university, short-term Career Technical Education, or basic skills education. Clovis Community College is a college of the State Center Community College District.
See the CCC press release.
CCC media contact: Stephanie Babb at stephanie.babb@cloviscollege.edu.
CVHEC MEMBER NEWS: Fresno State President Jiménez-Sandoval Investiture Sept. 9
The investiture ceremony for Fresno State’s ninth president, Dr. Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval, on Sept. 9 wove together iconic threads representing the Valley’s history and elements of his personal and professional trajectory during his time in this fertile land.
And throughout, President Jiménez-Sandoval, who also serves on the CVHEC Board of Directors made up 30 valley college CEOs, emphasized that “every thread matters” when it comes to advancing student success, promoting the University and solving tough challenges.
Hundreds gathered in the Save Mart Center for the formal ceremony that conferred upon President Jiménez-Sandoval, an immigrant from Mexico who grew up in the Central Valley community of Fowler a few miles south of Fresno, the authority and symbols of the highest University office by California State University interim Chancellor Jolene Koester.
Fellow CVHEC Board member, Dr. Lynnette Zelezny, president of CSU Bakersfield, returned to Fresno State where she once served as provost to deliver the investiture keynote address.
In addition to President Zelezny, other CVHEC board members in attendance were
- Dr. Ellen Junn, President – California State University, Stanislaus
- Dr. Andre Stephens, President – Fresno Pacific University
- Dr. Lori Bennett, President – Clovis Community College
- Dr. Jerry Buckley, President – Reedley Community College
Related links:
FresnoStateNews.com press release
CSU Board of Trustees appoint Jiménez-Sandoval the ninth Fresno State president May 19, 2021.
President Jiménez-Sandoval profile (The Fresno State Collegian – Sept. 8, 2022).
Presenting our renovated CVHEC Website: Meet our Board of Directors
The chancellors, presidents and superintendents of 30 institutions of higher education in the Central Valley nine-county region from Stockton to Bakersfield sit on the CVHEC Board of Directors. They meet quarterly in pursuit of CVHEC’s core mission to increase valley college-going rates and degree/certification attainment, providing a unified voice for their more than 250,000 students served jointly. See the board of directors section in our newly renovated website: https://cvhec.org/about-cvhec/
This fall, we unveil phase one of our renovated Central Valley Higher Education Consortium website which we hope will be easier to navigate as we showcase the work of the Consortium throughout the valley.
We will be featuring a different piece of our website as we continue to build it out in hopes of showcasing it as a resource for our members, colleagues and partners.
This month, we feature the professionals and experts who are carrying out the CVHEC mission. On the “About CVHEC” page, you can meet our CVHEC Board of Directors – the presidents and chancellors of our 30 members of higher education in the Central Valley’s nine-county region from Stockton to Bakersfield as well as the core staff that includes several former educational leaders who now served as CVHEC regional coordinators/liasions,
Also, see our CVHEC News web page that is being finalized this fall featuring our newsletter stories and press releases where news media can connect with us as well as the members of our CVHEC PIO/Communicators Committee, consisting of the communications professionals handling media relations at each of the 30 campuses.
Our new calendar will keep you up-to-date on CVHEC and other higher education events on our radar. For considerations and modifications to our calendar please email centralvalleyhec@gmail.com.
YCCD Names Dr. Tran President of Columbia College
Congratulations to Dr. Lena H. Tran, a San Jose City College vice president, on her appointment as the next president of Columbia College effective March 7 when she also becomes a member of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Board of Directors.
The Yosemite Community College District Board of Trustees unanimously approved Dr. Tran’s appointment at its Feb. 9 meeting. She succeeds Dr. G.H. Javaheripour, who has served as interim president since January 2021 when Dr. Santanu Bandyopadhyay, Columbia’s former president, was named to the same role at Modesto Junior College in June.
“Dr. Tran has a strong track record of developing strategic partnerships with K-12 schools, universities, and business and industry,” said YCCD Chancellor Henry Yong, citing Tran’s experience working with companies such as Microsoft, LinkedIn, Google, Honda, IDT, Facebook and Samsung.
Dr. Tran earned a Doctorate in Education in Organizational and Leadership Development at the University of San Francisco; a Master of Business Administration in Entrepreneurship and Marketing at Seton Hall University; and a bachelor of science in International Business and Marketing at Montclair State University.
“I am honored and humbled to accept this wonderful appointment, and I’m excited to begin working together with Columbia College and the Sonora community,” said Tran who currently is SJCC vice president of Strategic Partnerships and Workforce Innovations.
“During my service in higher education, I’ve realized that community colleges are accomplishing something extraordinary in America through their positive impact on the lives of the people we serve,” she added. “The opportunity to work with multicultural groups of college students over the last decade has given me a profound appreciation and respect for the benefits that community colleges are bringing to our society.”
Columbia serves about 4,000 students, mostly from Tuolumne and Calaveras counties. In addition to its academic programs, it offers many highly regarded vocational programs, including culinary arts and hospitality as well as forestry and natural resource management.
See the YCCD press release.
CVHEC Board News: Goldsmith Named SCCCD Chancellor
Dr. Carole Goldsmith, who was named the 11th chancellor of the State Center Community College District last month, was confirmed by the SCCCD Board of Trustees Dec. 14 and begins her new position on Jan. 1. She fills the position vacated when Dr. Paul Parnell retired on July 6.
Dr. Carole Goldsmith
Dr. Goldsmith was serving as the president of Fresno City College at the time of her appointment and in that capacity was a member of the CVHEC Board of Directors, which is made up of the presidents and chancellors of its 29-member institutions in the nine-county region from San Joaquin to Kern counties. She will remain on the board now as SCCCD chancellor. Dr. Goldsmith has also previously served as president of West Hills College Coalinga.
Dr. Goldsmith earned a bachelor of arts degree in history at Fresno State, a master of science in educational administration from National University (both CVHEC member institutions) and a doctorate in educational administration from the Joint Doctorate program offered by Fresno State and University of California, Davis.
In addition to Fresno City College , the district’s campuses are Reedley College, Clovis Community College, Madera Community College, Madera Community College at Oakhurst and the Career & Technology Center.
SCCCD Board President Annalisa Perea said, “With more than 20 years of experience in a variety of educational leadership roles along with her knowledge of this district and the community, she is the right choice for this significant position.”
See the SCCCD press release.
West Hills College Coalinga Names Tweed President
Dr. Carla Tweed, a Central Valley native, will lead her alma mater as the 6th president of West Hills College Coalinga effective January 14, 2022 when she also becomes a member of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium board of directors. See the WHCCD press release.
Preston Selected to lead West Hills College Lemoore
Mr. James Preston, former vice president of Educational Services who was serving as interim president of West Hills College Lemoore, was selected earlier this month to serve as the college’s 4th president effective January 1, 2022. See the WHCCD press release.
Thank you Sonia for your service to the CVHEC Board
Congratulations to Sonia Gutierrez-Mendoza, director of UMass Global’s Visalia Campus, (formerly Brandman) on her appointment as assistant vice chancellor for Admission Operations of the independent university. The appointment was effective Nov. 29 when Sonia moved to her new office in the Irvine central office. She participated in her final CVHEC Board meeting during the recent quarterly Zoom call Dec. 2. Gutierrez-Mendoza joined UMass Global in 2009 and the CVHEC board in 2018. She has led multiple university campuses in the Central Valley since 2012 and in 2018-2019 she spearheaded the initiative for a new campus location established in Visalia.
