Community members are invited to attend a public forum to hear from three finalists for the top leadership position at Gavilan College, according to a press release from the school.
The community college’s current superintendent and president, Steve Kinsella, announced plans to retire in October, a decision that sparked a national search for his replacement.
The finalists are: Dr. James Limbaugh, the interim president of Oxnard College; Dr. Kathleen Rose, the executive vice president and chief instructional officer at Gavilan College; and Dr. Wei Zhou, the vice president of instruction at Cuyamaca College, according to the press release.
The public forums will start at 1 p.m. May 16 in the North South Lounge of Gavilan College, located at 5055 Santa Teresa Blvd., in Gilroy. Board members, students, staff, administrators, faculty and community members selected the finalists.
Each candidate will have 45 minutes to meet with the public. A search consultant will ask the candidates to address “significant topics,” based on input from the audience.
Here is part of the press release from the community college, which explains the background of the candidates and when they will speak:
“Dr. James Limbaugh – 1:00pm
Dr. James M. Limbaugh currently serves as the Interim President of Oxnard College, one of three institutions in the Ventura County Community College District. Prior to this appointment, he held the position of Chancellor of Montana State University-Northern, a public comprehensive university offering associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees.
At Oxnard College, Dr. Limbaugh has provided leadership to local State of California student success initiatives, including the Student Success and Support Program, the Basic Skills Initiative, and the Student Equity Plan. He and his leadership team recently successfully submitted a proposal that resulted in Oxnard College being one of 43 colleges identified to receive a three-year, $1.5 million Basic Skills and Student Outcomes Transformation Program Grant, as administered by the California Community College Chancellor’s Office. He was also successful in securing a $1 million gift from the Oxnard College Foundation to fund the renovation of aging science laboratories. Dr. Limbaugh’s achievements in higher education administration are illustrated by such diverse accomplishments as the successful implementation of the first comprehensive program priority review in the state of Montana, the leadership of the strategic planning/resource allocation process at three different institutions, the direct management of an $18 million auxiliary services operation, and the creation of five discipline-based advising centers. By partnering with the community in the solicitation of donations of labor and material, the renovation of an outdated student dining hall into a full-service food court was achieved in only three months. In recognition of this effort, Dr. Limbaugh was named by the Montana Associated Students as the 2013 “State Student Advocate of the Year.”
Dr. Limbaugh has also been deeply engaged in service to his community, providing volunteer leadership for activities as diverse as youth soccer, historic preservation, Boy Scouts, economic development, and mental health advocacy.
Dr. Limbaugh holds a Ph. D. in Educational Policy and Leadership from the University of Maryland. He and his wife Trish, a professional artist, are the parents of three children who, in turn, have expanded the family to include five grandchildren.
Dr. Kathleen Rose – 2:00pm
Dr. Kathleen Rose has been serving the California Community College system since 2002, with the past 7 years as the Executive Vice President and Chief Instruction Officer at Gavilan College. Prior to coming to Gavilan Dr. Rose was the Vice President of Instruction and the Dean of Fine Arts, Language Arts and Social Sciences at Hartnell College in Salinas. Before returning to service with the community colleges, Dr. Rose was the Associate Dean and Campus Director at Chapman University for twenty years, where she administered undergraduate and graduate programs in Arizona and California at military and community locations. In addition, Dr. Rose has taught as a part time faculty member for the past thirty years at the undergraduate and graduate level in psychology and organizational leadership at a number of colleges and universities.
Dr. Rose has a BA in English and Elementary Education from SUNY Geneseo, a M.Ed in Counseling and Guidance from the University of Arizona and an Ed.D. with a major in Educational Leadership and a minor in Higher Education from the University of Arizona. Dr. Rose also has a National Counselor Certification and has worked as an agency counselor and as a private therapist. She has spoken at national conferences on topics in higher education, particularly leadership development for women and has served on a number of doctoral dissertation committees.
Dr. Rose is originally from Canandaigua, New York and moved to California in 1999. She has two adult children who are married and live in Salinas and Sacramento. She is a proud graduate of Leadership Gilroy, class of 2011 and is active in Gilroy Rotary.
Dr. Wei Zhou – 3:00pm
Dr. Wei Zhou is a passionate community college educator, a creative entrepreneur and an innovative leader. He received Ph.D. from the nation’s oldest and best doctoral program of its kind, the University of Texas at Austin’s Community College Leadership Program, emphasizing student learning and success, equity and diversity, and staff and organizational development. Dr. Zhou currently serves as Vice President of Instruction at Cuyamaca College. Previously he has served as Interim President at the College, Vice President for Academic Affairs at Copper Mountain College, Academic Dean at Evergreen Valley College, as well as a variety of teaching, research and administrative assignments at several two-year and four-year institutions. Throughout his career, he has developed extensive experience in instruction and technology, in-depth knowledge in student services, hands-on approach in budget supervision, bond measure, and facilities management, and collaborative relationships with local business and industry, government and community organizations, K-12 school districts, and higher education institutions.
Committed to achieving a high standard of excellence and innovation in a learning-centered, integrated instructional, student and administrative support services environment, Dr. Zhou has provided leadership in institutional planning and coordination in all college areas with the goal of creating a vision for student, employee, and institutional success. His colleges were ranked among the nation’s top fastest-growing community colleges, achieved the region’s top increase in graduation rates, awarded record-high numbers of degrees and certificates, were invited to the international Tuning project, national Achieving the Dream project, Equity Scorecard project, received the national Innovation of the Year Award, and secured multi- million dollars of federal and state grants, and funds through business and industry partnerships and fundraising activities. Dr. Zhou was invited to serve on review panel and Editorial Board for a number of national organizations such as National Science Foundation, American Educational Research Association, and National Association for Developmental Education, statewide advisory boards on telecommunications and technology, math and science teacher preparation, and nanotechnology, as well as accreditation evaluation teams for community college and baccalaureate degree, and accrediting commission task force on student achievements and learning outcomes. In addition, his contributions were recognized by invitations for presentation at international conferences and through publications and awards.”
