PCC Board Discusses Process for Selecting Next Superintendent/President

The Pasadena City College Board of Trustees was briefed on the process for selecting a new Superintendent/President during a Friday meeting.

PCC’s current Superintendent/President Erika Endrijonas was selected by the Santa Barbara Community College District Board of Trustees as the next Superintendent/President of the college. 

She is expected to officially assume office this August. 

Endrijonas has been the President of PCC since 2019. As Superintendent/President, she is the chief administrative officer of the District and overseer of the PCC administration. 

California Community Colleges Chancellor Emeritus Brice Harris, who gave guidelines as to the selection of the next Superintendent/President told the PCC Board to select someone who is fit for the college.

“Your goal should be to try to find somebody that really fits with what the college needs at this point in its evolution, and I can tell you from experience not only working up and down the state, but research that has been conducted that long-term relationships between stable Boards and stable CEOs lead to very successful colleges over the long haul revolving doors on the president, superintendent, and a lot of turnover and upheaval in the Board leads to not as successful colleges and districts,” said Harris. “So your goal should be to try to make sure you understand exactly what it is you’re looking for in a CEO and that you ultimately end up with that fit.”

Steps that are involved in the process include appointing an ad hoc committee of the Board to coordinate the logistics and the procedures for the search, seeking the input of the campus community and the general community in the process and approving the job description for the Superintendent/President.

Harris said the Board Members may engage the service of a consultant or a search firm to assist with the selection process. They may also use a screening committee composed of 27 individuals that have clear representation not only on campus but in the community. 

Harris said the Board has the authority to interview any candidate that is in the pool.

He advised the Board to announce a vacancy in August of 2023 to start the process.

He also advised the Board to appoint an interim Superintendent/President during the search, adding that the selection process could take between six months and a year to complete, given the necessity of conducting a full and thorough search.

“At some point you will need to identify an interim because it’s going to take probably a minimum of six and probably up to a year.”

By October, the Board can identify a search firm that will help with the process and by November, it can approve the job description for the next Superintendent/President.

“It is very important that these processes once they get started, stay on track and that you hit your deadlines and your dates all along the way because if the process gets bogged down for a variety of reasons and you can lose really good candidates because often very good candidates are sought out by multiple colleges and districts at the same time.” 

Harris said if the Board sticks to the deadline, the new Superintendent/President would probably come on Board sometime between May and July next year. 

At the meeting, the Board provided comments on their desired qualities in an interim chief executive to serve before the permanent selection is made. 

Generally, the Board expressed interest in an interim superintendent/president who would be an active participant in the college and one who had experience with student success metrics, shared governance and working with faculty, bond and facilities issues, and communication and consensus-building.

“We’ve got bond issuances coming up and so forth, so I would be inclined to look for a more active hands-on [interim] versus a laissez faire interim,” said Trustee James Osterling.

“My preference is to find an interim that is going to serve as an acting president and not as a maintainer and also a president. That is because we have bond measures, we have issues dealing with facilities, we have issues dealing with construction action, and of course we always have budget issues,” Trustee Kristine Kwong said.

“I think this college could use somebody that is a really good communicator and listener and has the skill of a diplomat and in speaking with all the different stakeholders, communities, and sense of humor is a plus,” said Trustee Tammy Silver.