HCCD Extends Interim Superintendent/President to 3 Years

The Hartnell Community College District Governing Board voted Tuesday night, September 15 to extend Dr. Raúl Rodríguez’s term as interim superintendent/president to three years, replacing an original agreement for him to serve through June 2021. Board trustees said Hartnell will continue to benefit from Dr. Rodríguez’s decades of management and leadership experience in the California Community College System while they prepare to choose a new permanent superintendent/president in early 2023, following a national search. “Working with Dr. Rodríguez over the past two months, we have seen in action all the strengths that drew us to him for this crucial role,” said board President Aurelio Salazar Jr. “He is a hands-on, proactive and strategic leader who understands the Salinas Valley and cares deeply about the success of every Hartnell student.” Board Vice President Pat Donohue said a longer leadership transition makes sense as Hartnell prepares to complete facility construction and expansion funded by Measure T bonds while meeting the challenges of maintaining instruction amid COVID-19 and the pandemic’s potential impact on budgeting. “Dr. Rodríguez offers us both a steady guiding hand and a vision for excellence gained from his years leading colleges whose students share many characteristics with our own,” Donohue said. “He will keep us moving steadily ahead during this unprecedented time.” Given the importance of those and other district priorities, Dr. Rodríguez said he feels honored by the board’s confidence in his ability to lead the college during an important period of change. He took over as Hartnell’s chief executive on July 6, replacing Dr. Patricia Hsieh, who had held the position since August 2019 before resigning in July 2020 following a family medical crisis. Previously, Dr. Willard Lewallen served as superintendent/president from 2012 to 2019. “I am extremely pleased to extend my partnership with this outstanding board,” Dr. Rodríguez said. “They have high expectations for student success, workforce development and the enormous contribution Hartnell makes to communities throughout our district. Hartnell is an impressive college, and thanks to our dedicated and talented staff and faculty, I am certain we will maintain that standard of excellence.” Dr. Rodríguez has served as a chief executive officer in the California Community College System since 1995. Before joining Hartnell College, he was interim president at East Los Angeles College from July 2019 until June 2020. Prior to that, he was chancellor of the Rancho Santiago Community College District (RSCCD) from August 2010 until June 2019. As chancellor of RSCCD, one of the largest community college districts in California, he oversaw a district that registers more than 80,000 students a year and is one of the largest employers in the region. Dr. Rodríguez holds a doctorate in Psychology from the University of California, Santa Cruz. He also possesses a Master’s of Arts from Fairfield University in School and Applied Psychology and a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies from Bowling Green (Ohio) State University. An educator who taught psychology at Cabrillo College and the University of California, Santa Cruz, he is also a graduate of the Harvard Institute for Educational Management.