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© 2025 Leading Community Colleges in California
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Community College League of California President & CEO Larry Galizio talks with California Community College leaders about opportunities and challenges facing the system. Get to know some of California's most influential community college leaders and their take on leadership. Each month Dr. Galizio will interview a new community college leader. Episodes will be posted monthly.
36 Episodes
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In this episode, we celebrate a remarkable milestone—the 25th anniversary of the Community College League of California’s Policy & Procedure Subscription Service. For a quarter of a century, this program has guided and supported California’s community college districts, helping leaders navigate governance, compliance, and evolving educational landscapes. Hosted by Larry Galizio, Ph.D., this special anniversary episode features three distinguished guests who played foundational roles in th...
In this episode of Leading Community Colleges in Calfornia, host Larry Galizio, Ph.D., is joined by Sunita V. Cooke, Ph.D., superintendent/president of MiraCosta College in Oceanside. Dr. Cooke is well-known statewide and nationally for her leadership in workforce development. She recently completed a term as chair of the board for the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) and provides a national perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing today’s institutions. Dr. Cook...
On this episode of Leading Community Colleges in California, host Larry Galizio is joined by Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens (26th Assembly District) whose leadership journey began as a community college student, then as an elected trustee, and now as a leader in the state legislature. He often shares that the opportunity to attend community college shaped his path in life. Prior to joining the Assembly, Ahrens served as a Trustee on the Foothill-De Anza Community College District Board, where ...
On this episode of Leading Community Colleges in California, host Larry Galizio is joined by Jon Fansmith, senior vice president for government relations and national engagement at the American Council on Education (ACE). A nationally recognized voice in the media and a trusted expert among policymakers, he offers critical insights into the shifting federal landscape affecting colleges and universities. In this conversation, Jon shares his national vantage point on pressing federal issues tha...
In this episode of Leading Community Colleges in California, Larry Galizio, Ph.D., is joined by Kristin Clark, Ed.D., retired chancellor; West Hills Community College District and consultant to the League; Jill Stearns, Ph.D., superintendent/president, San Luis Obispo Community College District; and Jennifer Zellet, superintendent/president, Antelope Valley Community College District. Today’s community college CEOs have remarkably complex jobs requiring them to stay ahead of trends. In this p...
In this episode of Leading Community Colleges in California, Larry Galizio, Ph.D., visits with Chabot-Las Positas Community College District Chancellor Ron Gerhard and Yuba College President Tawny Dotson. In April 2025, the State Auditor released an audit report on California's Fifty Percent Law, which limits funding flexibility and restricts colleges from fully investing in critical student support services. The auditor's findings determined that the 50 Percent Law limits districts’ ability ...
On this episode of Leading Community Colleges in California, host Larry Galizio welcomes Ryan Stewart, Ed. L.D., in an insightful conversation about opportunities to seek Medicaid funding to support student health services. Community colleges play a significant role in delivering health services, according to a recent report by Stewart and Sara Goldrick-Rab, Ph.D., Increasing Student Support and Success By Boosting Medicaid Engagement, However, while many California community colleges seek Me...
On Episode 28, Mac Powell, President & CEO of the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, joins host Larry Galizio, Ph.D., to explore the vital role of accreditation in safeguarding educational integrity. Discover how systematic review and objectivity uphold consistency, even amid looming challenges from potential federal policy changes, ensuring the quality and trust essential to the future of community and junior college education. ____________ About our guest: Mac Po...
In Episode 27, host Larry Galizio, Ph.D., visits with Pamila Fisher, co-founder of the Asilomar Leadership Skills Seminar, as the program enters its fourth decade. Dr. Fisher shares a brief history of the seminar's history and growth, and the focus on women's leadership issues as they have changed since 1984. Applications for the 2025 Asilomar Leadership Skills Seminar are accepted through January 2025. Dr. Pamila Fisher founded this seminar in 1984 and since served as its director, succe...
In Episode 26, host Larry Galizio, Ph.D., visits with Rebekah Kalleen, executive director of the Community College Facility Coalition. On November 5, 2024, Californians will have the chance to vote on Proposition 2, the Public Education Facilities Bond Measure. This initiative seeks to issue $10 billion in bonds, with $8.5 billion earmarked for upgrading elementary and secondary educational facilities and $1.5 billion dedicated to community college improvements. Proposition 2 will modernize l...
In Episode 25, Larry Galizio, Ph.D. visits with Trustee Jonathan Abboud from Santa Barbara City College, and Trustee Sonia Lopez from Compton Community College District about what it means to be a Millennial Trustee. They both explore what made them decide to run for Trustee as a young professional and the value age diversity has brought to community college boards as the community of millennial trustees has grown statewide.
In Episode 24, Larry Galizio, Ph.D. visits with Evergreen Valley College Dean of Nursing and Allied Health, S. Lu Crary, and EVC nursing student, Alma Arevalo. They discuss the importance of access to and diversity in nursing academic programs, the expanding and acute need for nurses in California health care, and the impact that SB 895 (Sen. Richard Roth) could have to students and communities. SB 895 presents a pilot opportunity for California's community colleges to offer bachelor's degree...
In Episode 23, Larry Galizio, Ph.D. visits with statewide student leaders Cassandra Flandre-Nguyen, president, Student Senate for California Community Colleges (SSCCC), and Nicole Nguyen, student trustee on the California Community College Trustees (CCCT) Board. They share stories about their personal higher education journeys, insight into issues important issues for community college students, and how their leadership in their organization serves to support 1.9 million students throughout t...
In Episode 22, Larry Galizio, Ph.D. speaks with Keith Buffinton, Ph.D., Executive Director, and Richard K. Miller, Ph.D., Founding Chair of the Coalition for Transformational Education, about the mission of the coalition, how it was founded, and the importance higher education has on student lives and mental health after graduation. Learn more about the Coalition at thecte.org
In Episode 21, Larry Galizio, Ph.D., visits with incoming presidents for the Chief Executive Officers of the California Community Colleges (CEOCCC) Board and California Community Colleges Trustees (CCCT) Board. They discuss their enthusiasm for CCC Chancellor Christian's student-centered initiatives, community colleges' roles in supporting California's green economy, and what influenced their leadership journeys. His guests include: Julianna Barnes, Ed.D., Chancellor, South Orange County Com...
In this episode, League President & CEO Larry Galizio, Ph.D., talks with California Community Colleges Chancellor Sonya Christian, Ph.D. She has more than three decades of experience at all levels of community college leadership and is the first woman named to the permanent role leading the 116-college system. Together, they talk about her family's commitment to education, the importance of equity for students and communities, and dual enrollment opportunities as a seamless gateway to col...
In this episode, Dr. Larry Galizio talks with California community college leaders as they advocate for baccalaureate degree programs for in-demand careers throughout the state. Together, they discuss the importance of higher education for place-bound students and regional economies, and the community partnerships that affirm the need for these industry-specific degrees. His guests include: Constance M. Carroll, Ph.D., President and CEO of the California Community College Baccalaureate Associ...
In this episode, Dr. Galizio speaks with Jennifer Cardone, Executive Director of the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA), the statewide organization that establishes the rules and regulations that administer intercollegiate athletic activities for our nearly 24,000 student-athletes. Cardone discusses her journey as a former college athlete and first-generation college graduate, including her start in Little League baseball! She has led the CCCAA through the unique challe...
In this episode, Dr. Galizio speaks with Dr. Kevin Walthers, Superintendent/President of Allan Hancock College about a wide variety of subjects, including how his education and experience with state policy led to his transition into higher education. A strong advocate for the community college baccalaureate degree, Dr. Walthers shares his advice for aspiring CEOs and his instrumental role in the League’s professional development programming and state and national advocacy. To hear more from D...
In this episode, Dr. Galizio speaks with Barry Snell, Trustee at Santa Monica College, and Member on the California Community College Trustees Board. Trustee Snell is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and business leader with extensive experience in civic engagement for the Santa Monica and Malibu regions of southern California. Snell, originally from New Jersey, shares what brought him to California, his background as a CPA, and his personal connection to Santa Monica College. In our discu...
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