The Southwestern College Superintendent/President Search Committee held first round interviews last Thursday and Friday. The committee members interviewed seven well-qualified candidates, and at the end of the day Friday, they selected three candidates to move forward to the next round of interviews.
The three candidates moving forward to the next round are:
- Dr. Kindred Murillo, Superintendent/President of Lake Tahoe Community College
- Dr. Reagan Romali, President of Harry S. Truman College, Chicago
- Dr. Angelica Suarez, Vice President for Student Affairs, Southwestern College
Brief biographies
Dr. Kindred Murillo has served as Superintendent/President of Lake Tahoe Community College since 2011. In 2014, Murillo guided the college to a successful $55 million bond measure, and she has focused on transparent and accountable budgets and scheduling for student access and success. She has served as the Vice Chancellor of Administrative Services for Contra Costa Community College District and Vice President of Administrative Services for Pasadena Area Community College District and Copper Mountain Community College.
Dr. Reagan Romali has served as President of Harry S. Truman College, part of the City Colleges of Chicago, since 2011. Romali’s focus has been on increasing student graduation and transfer rates and increasing retention. She has also focused on increasing the rate of transition for students in ESL, Adult Basic Education and GED to credit programs. She has served as Vice President of Business Services at Moreno Valley College and Vice President of Administrative Services at Los Angeles City College. She also oversaw the launch of two community college campuses in Qatar for the Houston Community College District.
Dr. Angelica Suarez has served as the Vice President for Student Affairs at Southwestern College since 2009. She has focused on increasing student access and success and oversaw the intentional realignment of support services to provide “just in time” support inside and outside of the classroom. Such initiatives have included the First Year Experience program, new learning communities and the Student Veterans’ Resource Center. At Southwestern College she has served as Acting Superintendent/President, Acting Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dean for the Higher Education Centers in Otay Mesa and San Ysidro and Academic Dean at Wright College, part of the City Colleges of Chicago.
Next Steps
Southwestern College will hold hour-long open forums with each of the candidates on Wednesday, November 30 beginning at 1:15 p.m. in Student Union East. The candidates will also each receive a tour of the campus and meet individually with each constituency group leadership earlier in the day.
Dr. Angelica Suarez – Forum from 1:15 pm to 2:05 pm
Dr. Reagan Romali – Forum from 2:15 pm to 3:05 pm
Dr. Kindred Murillo – Forum from 3:15 pm to 4:05 pm
The forums will be live streamed to allow anybody to watch the forums online. If you would like to ask a potential question for the forum, please submit your questions in writing to SWCPresidentSearch@swccd.edu by close of business Monday, November 28. Due to time constraints, all questions submitted will not be asked. However, all questions will be compiled and reviewed for common themes. There will also be an opportunity to submit questions in writing at each of the forums.
Brief biographies of each of the finalists, along with an evaluation sheet, will be distributed and collected at the end of each forum. Evaluation forms will also be made available to those who will view the forums via live stream. Candidate evaluations can be submitted electronically to SWCPresidentSearch@swccd.edu by close of business Thursday, December 1. The evaluations will be submitted to the Governing Board for review. The Governing Board will conduct final interviews in closed session on Monday, Dec. 5.
Thank you to our ASO representative and Student Trustee, the members of the community, and each constituency group who served on the committee for their thoughtful participation in this important process. Special thanks to Trustee Norma Hernandez for her participation and guidance during this process.
