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- Written by: California Community Colleges
Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Gomez-Heitzeberg and Villavicencio to the board.
“It is an honor to welcome new members Nan Gomez-Heitzeberg and Cirian Villavicencio to our board,” Costa said. “Their impressive backgrounds and extensive knowledge in higher education will be of great service to our students as we continue to implement our new strategic framework, Vision 2030.”
“Gomez-Heitzeberg and Villavicencio have worked directly with our students, and their commitment and insights will help us move our system forward,” Christian said. “Both will undoubtedly use their new roles to continue to be strong leaders and advocates for our students, who remain at the core of everything we do.”
Gomez-Heitzeberg has over 40 years of experience in higher education. She has served in the classroom, as an administrator and currently is a trustee of the Kern Community College District. Her career at the Kern district started as a professor at Porterville College. She spent 30 years as an administrator at Bakersfield College before retiring as vice president of instruction.
Villavicencio is currently an instructor at San Joaquin Delta College where he co-chairs the political science department. He is a member of the Empowering Positive Initiative for Change Learning Community and serves on the Cultural Awareness Program and Student Success and Equity Committee. He previously worked at American River and Folsom Lake colleges and serves on the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs.
The California Community Colleges is the largest system of higher education in the nation, composed of 73 districts and 116 colleges serving nearly 2 million students per year.
California community colleges provide career education and workforce training; guaranteed transfer to four-year universities; and degree and certificate pathways.
As the state’s engine for social and economic mobility, the California Community Colleges supports Vision 2030, a strategic plan designed to serve our students, our communities and our planet.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
To be named to the Dean's List, students must obtain a minimum 3.5 grade point average and carry at least 12 credits.
Wilkes University opens doors for those willing to work hard for what comes next. Through a mix of in-demand undergraduate, master's and terminal degree programs, we encourage our students to explore whatever they find interesting.
With academic expertise, dedicated mentoring and unwavering support, our faculty and staff inspire students to define success on their own terms.
Wilkes gives people the chance to take risks, explore new facets of themselves and create the lives they want. It's the place that Colonels call home.
Learn more at https://www.wilkes.edu/.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
CORVALLIS, Oregon – Yuba College President Tawny Dotson was honored with the 2024 Adult and Higher Education Distinguished Alumni Award from Oregon State University's School of Education.
The award was presented to her at the Charles E. Carpenter Lecture at the OSU Portland Center on Feb. 22.
Each year, the prestigious award recognizes a prominent alumnus who has made distinct and transformative contributions to the field of higher education at the organizational, regional or national level. With lasting impacts in various areas, including leadership and service, they are respected role models for students and alumni.
Clover Park Technical College’s Associate Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness Samantha Dana, a colleague and friend of Dotson, said she couldn’t think of a better recipient of the award.
“I was so pleased to witness Tawny receive the AHE Distinguished Alumni Award,” said Dana. “I've had the pleasure of working for and with her and cannot begin to describe the positive impact she has had on me, both personally and professionally. There truly aren't enough words to describe the lasting mark she has made, and I hope this award serves as a reminder to her of the many lives she has touched.”
Dotson said she is humbled by the recognition and credits the countless people and organizations who have been a part of her journey.
“This recognition of my work by OSU is truly an honor, but it is more a testament to the team that I have an opportunity to work with than it is my own efforts,” said Dotson. “Yuba College and the Yuba-Sutter Community have embraced me, supported our joint goals, and together we are elevating our economy and our community.”
Dotson holds a bachelor of arts from Washington State University, a master of arts from the University of Missouri and her Doctor of Education from OSU in Community College Leadership.
She began her career as an active duty Air Force officer at Beale Air Force Base. After transitioning off active duty, she worked at post-secondary education institutions in Oklahoma, Washington and California.
Demonstrating her commitment to continuous growth, Dotson is a graduate of the Aspen Institute Rising Presidents Fellowship, the University of California Davis’ Wheelhouse Institute and the Community College League of California, or CCLC, Vineyard Symposium.
Dotson serves on CCLC’s CEO Funding Policies Task Force and its CEO Strategic Leadership Program Advisory Committee. She is also a regional CEO representative on the California Community College Athletics Association Board. She has served as the vice chair (2022-23) and chair (2023-24) of accreditation visits for Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges.
Staying active and contributing to the community is important to Dotson. She is a two-time past Rotary Club president, Paul Harris Fellow and a member of the Rotary Club of Marysville, Calif.
In addition she serves on the Yuba-Sutter Economic Development Corporation’s Business Consortium, the California State University Sacramento’s Advisory Board for their Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership, is a board member for the North Central Counties Consortium Workforce Development Board, and an Executive Board Member for the North Central Adult Education Consortium.
Dotson has been the president of Yuba College since 2020 and continues to serve in the California Air National Guard as a Lieutenant Colonel.
“Each day, I have the privilege of using the tools OSU gave me to fulfill my goal of working alongside a remarkable team to lift students at Yuba College to achieve their goals,” she said. “I am grateful to the university for setting me up to succeed so others can excel.”
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
“It is essential that locally elected school boards decide how precious resources are spent to educate our children,” Sen. Dodd said. “They must have the tools to recover from financial setbacks due to declining enrollment and focus their funds where they will have the greatest benefit. My bill will help rebuild strong schools and ensure everyone has access to the best education possible.”
Enrollment in California public schools has declined over the past two decades because of several factors including a declining birth rate and migration from California.
Because school districts receive their funding based on the number of students they educate, the loss of students has serious financial effects, which require local leaders to make difficult budget choices, including the closing of schools.
Compounding financial stress and recovery is the establishment of new charter schools that operate independently from local districts and draw away their public education funds critical to their fiscal health and solvency.
In response, Sen. Dodd introduced Senate Bill 1380, which gives greater authority to local school district boards in considering charter school applications that would negatively impact their financial stability.
The bill would clarify that local school districts can deny applications for new schools where a campus was closed within the last five years due to declining enrollment.
Also, it would require county education boards to deny charter school applications that were previously denied by a local school board.
SB 1380 is co-sponsored by the California School Boards Association and has support from the Napa Valley Unified and Vallejo City Unified school districts.
“SB 1380 will provide school district and county boards of education with better tools to improve the charter authorization process and eliminate redundancy that undermines local control and jeopardizes the integrity of important charter agreements signed in recent years,” said CSBA President Albert Gonzalez. “This legislation protects the long-term fiscal stability of schools and local community input, which is essential for delivering high-quality educational opportunities to students. We applaud Sen. Dodd’s efforts to support our local governing boards, particularly those making difficult decisions to improve services for all students.”
“Protecting the district’s fiscal solvency is my top priority because, without resources, we cannot give our students the quality education they deserve nor support the staff who dedicate themselves to educating them,” said William Spalding, superintendent of Vallejo City Unified School District. “SB 1380 will ensure that the hard work the district has done to recover from bankruptcy will not be compromised. We appreciate Sen. Dodd’s leadership and his commitment to our students.”
“Two-thirds of California’s school districts are getting less funding due to declining enrollment, while operating costs continue to rise,” said Rosanna Mucetti, superintendent of Napa Valley Unified School District. “We’re thankful Sen. Dodd has introduced SB 1380, which will help ensure that adults confidently make fiscal decisions in the best interest of all students.”
Dodd represents the Third Senate District, which includes all or portions of Napa, Solano, Yolo, Sonoma, Contra Costa and Sacramento counties.