Message from our Chancellor

A Unique Leadership Opportunity
     Is Now Open In California's Central Valley

After 30 years in higher education leadership, Dr. Kristin Clark has announced her retirement effective July 1, 2024. Under her visionary leadership, the District continued its tradition as an innovative leader with a student-centered culture and sustained focus on equitable access and completion for all students.   

The West Hills Community College District offers accessible and innovative learning opportunities to its diverse student body. Renowned for its commitment to academic excellence and student support, the district has achieved remarkable successes and recognition for its student-centered initiatives. Both its colleges have been named the Aspen Top 100 Community Colleges, Best of Fresno in higher education, and Lemoore College has received the Leader College and Leader College of Distinction awards from Achieving the Dream. The West Hills CCD is a leader in Open Educational Resources (OER), with many of its courses offered with zero or low-cost textbooks and Zero-Cost Degrees (ZTC Degrees). 

The next Chancellor will be expected to maintain our momentum and build on the district’s reputation for educational excellence with a commitment to its four strategic priorities (Access, Communication, Community Engagement and Partnerships, and, Student Support and Engagement) and its three commitments (Diversity, Equity, and Achievement, Data Informed Decision Making, and Fiscal Sustainability).  

The West Hills CCD prides itself on being renowned for its can-do spirit. We are committed to our profession, and we care about the communities we serve — many of them small towns that dot the landscape in the Central Valley and are home to the Californians who grow, harvest and ship food to the entire world. Above all, we are focused on creating a culture of inclusivity and assisting students to reach their educational and personal goals, which is reflected by the district’s vision and commitment to “The Relentless Pursuit of Student Success.”

 

We are poised for expansion, including:

  • A new 41,000 square feet structure in Firebaugh—the Firebaugh Center that opened in fall 2022.
  • A new Visual Arts and Applied Science Building under construction in Lemoore.
  • Infrastructure improvements in Coalinga.

 

We are fortunate to have a strong, stable, and experienced Board of Trustees, elected by area, as well as a faculty that is engaged and focused on student success. Three of our current board members have degrees from the West Hills Community College District.

The District operates an active Foundation with more than $11 million in investments under management. The generosity of area donors provides money for scholarships of all kinds, including our popular President’s Scholars Program which pays all tuition costs, membership to the Phi Theta Kappa honor society, and a $200 stipend to use on textbooks, transportation, or living expenses. Each year, nearly 150 of these awards go to seniors who have met academic standards at high schools within our District.

West Hills is a unique district located in Central California serving all of Kings County and the southern region of Fresno County, along with three smaller adjoining counties: Madera, Monterey, and San Benito.

Lemoore College and Coalinga College, along with our Firebaugh Center, serve more than 7,000 students in the central San Joaquin Valley. In addition, we operate an outreach center at Naval Air Station, Lemoore. The District is predominantly rural and economically challenged by location and the educational attainment and economic mobility of its citizens. Our students are diverse and geographically disbursed, and both colleges are designated as Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI).

The ideal candidate for the position will be comfortable living and working in a rural setting. The District Office is near Fresno, the closest urban area, and Visalia, Lemoore, and Hanford. It is 65 miles east of Paso Robles and 85 miles from California’s scenic central coast.

The new Chancellor will inherit a team of qualified administrators, esteemed educators, and committed staff that are innovative and focused on our mission to enhance the lives of the people we serve. We lead the way in developing educational plans, priority registration, and open educational resources.

student and staff

You will know you are an ideal candidate for this position if you:

rodeo student
  • Want to make a difference in the lives of the communities we serve;
  • Are comfortable with a nontraditional organizational hierarchy, flatter than most, in which we all wear many hats;
  • Enjoy interacting with students and faculty;
  • Are approachable and comfortable being addressed by your first name;
  • Willingly examine what you’re doing on a continual basis and are committed to using data to make decisions;
  • Dedicated to equitable access and support to ensure all students are successful;
  • Have used your communication skills— both written and oral—to persuade, inspire and engage people and groups in sometimes uncomfortable conversations;
  • Are Relentless in the Pursuit of Student Success.

Some of our core values we’d expect you to share:

  • We hold in high regard our professional working relationships with faculty, classified staff, students and our communities.
  • We view our diverse community as an asset and encourage diversity in our workforce.
  • We strive to remain in the very strong fiscal condition for which our District is known.
  • We enjoy strong support from within our communities.
  • We are comfortable using technology in performing our daily tasks.
  • We strive for data driven decision-making.
  • We live, eat, and breathe student success.
Students
Apply for Chancellor Position
For additional information, nominations, and confidential inquiries, please contact

Dr. Jim Riggs, Vice President PPL, Inc.
(209) 559-6550 or jriggs@pplpros.com

Benjamin T. Duran, Ed.D, PPL, Inc
(209) 761-0534 or bduran@pplpros.com