Los Medanos College has begun the early stages of fulfilling the permanent role of President, which is currently held by Interim President Pamela Ralston. Yet the search continues as Ralston’s term finishes at the end of the Spring 2023 semester. 

This two-and-a-half-month-long process was kicked off when the Presidential Hiring Committee had its first meeting on March 1, where they discussed the timeline for the president search.

Members of the committee decided by following Board Policy 2057, which states that for presidential hiring, the committee must consist of 14 total representatives from different disciplines within the community college. Representatives are proposed by groups such as Management, both the Classified and Academic Senate, United Faculty, Local One, the Associated Student Body President, the 4CD Governing Board and the College Equal Employment Opportunity Advisory Council.

With the groups mentioned, each gets a certain number of representatives they can propose for the presidential committee, with the Academic Senate providing the highest number at three.

Faculty are volunteered or recommended to be put into the committee, with those recommendations then being forwarded to the Chancellor’s Office.

The first interviews for the position will be conducted all day on April 24-25, and the final interviews on May 11-12. Interim Contra Costa Community College District Chancellor Mojdah Mehdizadeh will debrief with the Presidential Hiring Committee to decide on which interviewee is chosen to be the next LMC president on May 18.

Once that decision is voted on, contract length and compensation level for the president will soon be discussed.

The committee has 12 main characteristics they are looking for in the screening and interviewing process for choosing LMC’s next president. A few qualities the committee wants the future LMC President to have are the ability to see the value in diversity, the courage to guide their students and faculty through difficult times, and the ability to lead both collaboratively and effectively, with the capability to embrace the mission of Los Medanos College.

“The ideal characteristics were developed in collaboration with the college council, so they articulate our collective thoughts,” said Mehdizadeh.

For now, time remains until the future LMC president is hired, but the process is on a steady track.