SACRAMENTO – California Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley has been named President of the Year by Education Dive, a leading education news publisher.

"It's very easy for leaders in higher ed to focus on only their own campuses or systems and not speak up on a national level around issues that really matter. Not only has Chancellor Oakley been a huge advocate for first-generation students and low-income students, he's used his platform to challenge his peers to do the same,” Autumn A. Arnett, editor for Education Dive.

The 2017 Dive Awards recognize the industry’s top disruptors and innovators. These executives, companies, trends and breakthroughs are transforming the industry and shaping the future. Education Dive solicited suggestions for title nominees from its more than 55,000 readers.

“This award is a great honor and a recognition that faculty and staff in our 114 colleges are deeply committed to the proposition that community colleges are the most important forces for social and economic progress for students of all backgrounds,” said Chancellor Oakley.