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Two chosen as finalists to be Phoenix College’s next President
The Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) has selected two finalists for the next President of Phoenix College (PC). The search committee, comprised of college, student, and community representatives, has conducted a thorough screening and preliminary interviews with applicants in order to identify those best suited to lead PC with long-term success.
Public forums with finalists will take place on Tuesday, May 10, 2022, from 10 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. The forums are open to students, employees, and the general public. Each forum allows the audience to ask questions and provide feedback that goes to the Chancellor for further consideration as a part of a comprehensive and inclusive evaluation of each candidate. Participants may also attend the public forums in person at Phoenix College:
Phoenix College - Main Campus
Bulpitt Auditorium - AU Building
1202 West Thomas Road
Phoenix, AZ 85013
In alphabetical order, the finalists are:
Kimberly Britt, Ph.D.
Dr. Kimberly Britt currently serves as the Vice President of Academic Affairs and the Accreditation Liaison Officer at the Maricopa Community Colleges, where she oversees 17 academic departments as well as the academic support services. Dr. Britt has an extensive background focused on building collaboration to create and reinforce support structures across institutional boundaries to insure student success and equity.
Most recently, Dr. Britt has served as the special assistant to the chancellor of the Virginia Community College System and previously served as the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs at Reynolds Community College in Richmond, Virginia for four years. Dr. Britt has experienced first hand the life changing impact of education. She was a foster youth and lived in a group home for abused children. With support and encouragement from foster parents as well as college employees, she earned her bachelor's degree in English from Charleston Southern University. She then went on to achieve her Master's Degree in English from Northwestern State University, and then her Ph.D. in Higher Education from the University of South Carolina. Her experiences in her educational journey have shaped her vision for the possibilities that a strong support network can have in the lives of learners.
Janet L. Ortega, Ph.D.
Dr. Janet Ortega has an extensive career in higher education, serving as a passionate educator in the Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) for the past 31 years. Dr. Ortega has served successfully as the current Vice President of Organizational Effectiveness & Technology for the past 12 years, providing significant administrative leadership at South Mountain Community College. Prior, Dr. Ortega was the Associate Dean of Finance and Business Services at Chandler-Gilbert Community College (CGCC) and had served in director level and above roles at CGCC for more than 19 years.
Dr. Ortega has served in academics as adjunct faculty since 2004, as a student affairs advocate from 1990 to 2010, and in administrative services from 2010 to-date. These experiences have made her a comprehensive, flexible, and adaptable leader with the ability to effectively and efficiently serve students, faculty, staff, and the community with the full understanding of the dynamics and synergy of the MCCCD system and the operations of a comprehensive community college. Dr. Ortega also completed her doctoral internship focused on projects for the Maricopa Center for Learning and Innovation, at Mesa Community College’s Center for Teaching and Learning, and the district’s Curriculum and Transfer Office.