Hartnell College Launches Search for New Superintendent/President

The Hartnell Community College District on Nov. 17 launched a nationwide search for a permanent superintendent/president to be appointed in the spring of 2022 and start work in July of 2022. Members of the district’s Governing Board voted unanimously at their regular meeting on Nov. 16 to approve a position announcement, search timeline and the composition of a search committee that will identify and recommend finalists for their consideration. They will be assisted in the search by Community College Search Services, a California-based firm hired with unanimous board approval on Oct. 19. Interim Superintendent/President Raúl Rodríguez, appointed in July 2020, will continue to serve through June of 2022. The position announcement, posted with other documents and information on the Hartnell College website , highlights Hartnell’s goal of continual innovation to “serve the needs of our region’s diverse and growing population and ensure accessible higher education for all.” The deadline for application is Jan. 14. In an announcement letter on the website, Board President Erica Padilla-Chavez said the district will appoint a chief executive “prepared to uphold, and raise, the standard of excellence that makes Hartnell College one of the most dynamic and innovative community colleges in all of California.” “This person will exemplify our shared commitment to an overarching mission: ensuring the success of our diverse Salinas Valley students, whether they continue on to complete a four-year degree or immediately enter the workforce,” Padilla-Chavez wrote. Composition of the 17-member search committee will be: the Governing Board’s student trustee, a Governing Board member, a representative of the Associated Students of Hartnell College, two representatives of the college’s Academic Senate, one representative of the Hartnell College Faculty Association, three representatives of the classified staff, three representatives of college management personnel and five community members, to comprise representatives of K-12 education, the Hartnell College Foundation, the Salinas Valley workforce sectors of agriculture and nursing/allied health and the Five Cities group of Salinas Valley communities. The timeline, subject to change from unforeseeable circumstances, calls for the search committee to recommend finalists to the Governing Board by mid-February. Following background checks, the board intends to interview finalists and hold a public forum for each finalist in early March. They plan to select a successful candidate in time to complete the hire by mid-April. The Governing Board will provide regular public updates on the search process, which will also be placed on the superintendent/search webpages.