After an exhaustive nationwide search, Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) announced today the selection of four new College Presidents. MCCCD’s new College Presidents will be Dr. Greg Peterson at Chandler-Gilbert Community College, Dr. Teresa Leyba-Ruiz at Glendale Community College, Dr. Richard Haney at Mesa Community College and Dr. Larry Johnson, Jr. at Phoenix College.
“After completing a nationwide search, we are proud to announce the selection of four new College Presidents – they are all outstanding leaders who are committed to innovation, excellence and the communities we serve. When we began this process, MCCCD identified several criteria for these positions, including finding individuals who were recognized innovators in higher education, dedicated to economic and workforce development in Arizona and committed to building a thriving community through student success. We are thrilled that each of these incoming Presidents not only met, but also exceeded the high bar we set for these critical positions,” said Dr. Maria Harper-Marinick, Chancellor of the Maricopa County Community College District.
Led by Chancellor Harper-Marinick, the presidential search process was designed to recruit effective, innovative leaders with the ability to strengthen each local college and engage the community. The Association of Community College Trustees, the only national non-profit organization with expertise serving community colleges and Governing Boards in all phases of community college executive searches, was retained to conduct the search.
As part of this process, there were four distinct search committees; four individual college-based discovery forums for input, a profile customized to identify the local challenges or opportunities; four college websites; four candidate pools; and four college-based forums to introduce the finalists. Discovery forums – which were open to the public and sought staff engagement and input – were held in Phoenix, Mesa, Chandler and Glendale over the past few months.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Maricopa County Community College District Announces Four New College Presidents
Search Committee Selects Outstanding Innovators Committed To Excellence In Education
TEMPE, AZ, April 3, 2018 ̶ After an exhaustive nationwide search, Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) announced today the selection of four new College Presidents. MCCCD’s new College Presidents will be Dr. Greg Peterson at Chandler-Gilbert Community College, Dr. Teresa Leyba-Ruiz at Glendale Community College, Dr. Richard Haney at Mesa Community College and Dr. Larry Johnson, Jr. at Phoenix College.
“After completing a nationwide search, we are proud to announce the selection of four new College Presidents – they are all outstanding leaders who are committed to innovation, excellence and the communities we serve. When we began this process, MCCCD identified several criteria for these positions, including finding individuals who were recognized innovators in higher education, dedicated to economic and workforce development in Arizona and committed to building a thriving community through student success. We are thrilled that each of these incoming Presidents not only met, but also exceeded the high bar we set for these critical positions,” said Dr. Maria Harper-Marinick, Chancellor of the Maricopa County Community College District.
Led by Chancellor Harper-Marinick, the presidential search process was designed to recruit effective, innovative leaders with the ability to strengthen each local college and engage the community. The Association of Community College Trustees, the only national non-profit organization with expertise serving community colleges and Governing Boards in all phases of community college executive searches, was retained to conduct the search.
As part of this process, there were four distinct search committees; four individual college-based discovery forums for input, a profile customized to identify the local challenges or opportunities; four college websites; four candidate pools; and four college-based forums to introduce the finalists. Discovery forums – which were open to the public and sought staff engagement and input – were held in Phoenix, Mesa, Chandler and Glendale over the past few months.
Below are brief profiles of MCCCD’s four incoming College Presidents:
Dr. Greg Peterson
Incoming President, Chandler-Gilbert Community College
For the last ten years, Dr. Peterson has served as the Vice President of Student Services and/or Instruction at three Minority Serving Institutions in California and is currently at Golden West College in Huntington Beach, California, where he oversees all instructional programs for 16,000 students. Prior to this position, Dr. Peterson worked at Long Beach City College, where he oversaw all student services at two comprehensive campuses serving 30,000 students annually. He has served on multiple state committees, is a member of Excelencia in Education’s “Excelencia in Action” network, and was appointed by the Mayor of Long Beach to the City’s My Brother’s Keeper taskforce. He holds a Doctorate in Educational Administration with an emphasis in Community College Leadership from the University of Texas at Austin, a master’s in Postsecondary, Adult and Continuing Education from Portland State University, and a bachelor’s degree in English from Brigham Young University. As a first-generation community college student, Dr. Greg Peterson has a passion and commitment to the community college and its mission of access and success for all students.
Dr. Teresa Leyba-Ruiz
Incoming President, Glendale Community College
Dr. Ruiz has been serving as the Interim President at Glendale Community College (GCC) for the past 18 months. Prior to that, she served as the Vice President of Student Affairs, Associate Vice President for Academic & Student Affairs, and Interim Dean of Instruction at GCC. Prior to coming to GCC, Dr. Ruiz taught mathematics for 16 years at South Mountain Community College, and served as the Division Chair for Mathematics, Science & Engineering. Dr. Ruiz received a Doctorate of Higher and Post-Secondary Education from Arizona State University, a Master of Education from Northern Arizona University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education with a major in mathematics from Arizona State University. Dr. Ruiz is actively involved in the community which includes being recently voted onto the Board for Friendly House, a non-profit community based organization and has served six years on the South Mountain Village Planning Committee.
Dr. Richard Haney
Incoming President, Mesa Community College
Dr. Haney currently serves as the interim president at the College of Lake County (CLC) in Grayslake, Illinois, since May 2017. In 2016, the college received the Charles Kennedy Equity Award from the Association of Community College Trustees for its work in advancing student success and diversity among students, faculty and staff. Prior to becoming the interim president, Dr. Haney served as the college’s Provost and provided leadership for both the Educational Affairs and Student Development divisions. He also served as the Chief Academic Officer. He joined the College of Lake County in 1999 as dean of Business and Industry Services and served as the Assistant Vice President for Educational Affairs and Vice President for Educational Affairs prior to being named Provost. Before going to CLC, he held leadership positions at Parkland College and Southwestern Illinois College. In addition to his administrative experience, Dr. Haney has taught at the high school, community college, and university levels. He received both his master’s and doctorate degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Dr. Larry Johnson, Jr.
Incoming President, Phoenix College
Dr. Johnson serves as the Provost & Chief Academic Officer at St. Louis Community College (STLCC) - Forest Park and the William J. Harrison Education Center. He provides leadership to the Early College Academies, a partnership with the St. Louis Public School District and The School District of University City. Prior to working at STLCC, Dr. Johnson served as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at Broward College-South campus; Division Chair for Arts & Sciences and Developmental Education, Student Concerns Officer, and Instructor at Georgia Piedmont Technical College. He is a member of the Presidents’ Round Table and the National Council on Black American Affairs. Dr. Johnson is currently a member of the American Association of Community Colleges’ Commission on College Readiness. He earned a Doctorate in the Humanities, with an emphasis in English Literature, from Clark Atlanta University, and a Master’s Degree in Humanities, with an emphasis in Medieval to Baroque Studies, from Florida State University. He also earned a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University.
“In addition to welcoming Presidents Peterson, Leyba-Ruiz, Haney and Johnson to MCCCD, I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every committee member who played such a meaningful role throughout this process. The community’s commitment to supporting our mission of student and employee success was evident from day one. Together, we are bringing in the best talent to deliver on the promise of high quality, affordable education for more than 200,000 students at our colleges,” Chancellor Harper-Marinick added.