SACRAMENTO – California Community Colleges Chancellor Brice W. Harris announced his selection of Dr. Denise F. Noldon to serve as interim vice chancellor for student services and special programs at the Chancellor’s Office.

Noldon, currently president of Contra Costa College, will start Jan. 20 pending approval by the Board of Governors.

Noldon will oversee a division responsible for providing statewide leadership and technical assistance for policy and programs that support student access, equity and success such as outreach, admissions, assessment, financial aid and counseling.

In addition, the division administers more than $250 million annually in categorical and grant funds to help colleges support students.

“Dr. Noldon is a highly talented professional who will bring a wealth of experience to the job,” said Harris. “Her work as a community college president gives her unique insight into the challenges facing our students and will allow the Chancellor’s Office to better serve them and college faculty, staff and administrators. I look forward to working with her in the new year.”

The position was recently vacated following the retirement of Linda Michalowski after more than 25 years of service in the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office.

Noldon was selected as Contra Costa College’s 10th permanent president in 2012. Prior to that, she was the vice president of student development and enrollment management at Folsom Lake College, dean of counseling and matriculation at Chabot College and EOP&S/CARE coordinator at Las Positas College.

Noldon earned an undergraduate degree in psychology and a master’s in counseling/student development in higher education at California State University, Long Beach. She obtained her doctorate in college student personnel administration at the University of Maryland at College Park. Noldon also taught at the University of Maryland and California State University, Long Beach.

The California Community Colleges is the largest system of higher education in the nation composed of 72 districts and 112 colleges serving 2.1 million students per year.

For more information about the community colleges, visit http://californiacommunitycolleges.cccco.edu/ , https://www.facebook.com/CACommColleges or https://twitter.com/CalCommColleges .