Chula Vista, CA – The Southwestern Community College District Governing Board unanimously approved Dr. Kindred Murillo as the new Superintendent/President at its meeting Wednesday.
Murillo, who served the last five years as the Superintendent/President of the Lake Tahoe Community College District, will begin at Southwestern College on Jan. 23, 2017.
The District conducted an extensive search over several months, and Dr. Murillo was one of three finalists interviewed on December 5.
“Dr. Murillo has served as the president of a community college in California, so she understands her role in building opportunity for everybody that we serve,” said Governing Board Member Nora E. Vargas, who co-chaired the search committee with Governing Board Member Norma L. Hernandez. “She also has demonstrated experience and success working with some of the same challenges and opportunities we have here at Southwestern College, including stabilizing our accreditation status for the long-term, and capitalizing on our ability to serve a unique, diverse student population through outreach and inclusion.”
Murillo—who is a product of the community college system, graduating from Barstow College with a liberal arts degree—said she was extremely excited to begin her work at Southwestern College.
“This is a great match for myself and the college,” Murillo said. “The college is doing great work serving students, and the students love the college. Southwestern College is well positioned to lead the state in student equity and diversity initiatives that will increase completion and enhance South Bay’s economic vibrancy.”
Murillo brings more than 20 years of experience in California’s community colleges to Southwestern. She has served as a Superintendent/President and a Chief Business Officer. Before her work in community colleges, Murillo worked as a manager with Southern California Edison.
At Lake Tahoe, Murillo led the successful passage of a $55 million bond, diversified and strengthened the college’s revenue and emphasized student equity.
Murillo said her first orders of business were to assist the college in reaffirming its accreditation and to listen.
“I really want to get to know the college, so I will be doing quite a bit of listening, understanding issues from the college, community and board points of view,” Murillo said.
Vargas said this is a time of great hope for the college.
“Southwestern College is an amazing college that has already achieved great things,” Vargas said. “We were looking for an experienced leader who could take all of Southwestern’s potential and carry our students, faculty, staff and administrators to new levels of accomplishment.”
At the meeting, the Board also unanimously approved Murillo’s contract with a term that ends June 30, 2020 with a base salary of $256,235.
Murillo earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Business Administration at Redlands University. She earned a Master’s of Science degree in Organization Development and a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership at Pepperdine University.
