Press Release January 24, 2006

San José, CA — Rosa Pérez, Chancellor, San José/Evergreen Community College District announced today the appointment of Dr. Leo Chavez as interim president of San José City College.“ "The appointment of Dr. Leo Chavez indicates how serious our institution is about bringing on local leaders that are visionary and committed to our communities. Dr. Chavez is a long-term resident of San José. His name elicits a response of praise, hope and the belief that we continue to raise the quality of leadership in our District,” says Rosa Pérez, Chancellor, San José Evergreen Community College District.

Chavez replaces Dr. Chui Tsang who has accepted the position of president of Santa Monica College in Southern California and begins at his new post in February.

“I feel a great debt to San José City College,” says Dr. Chavez.“ San José City College gave me many opportunities. If I have been successful in my career, it is because of San José City College. This appointment gives me a chance to pay off my debt.”

Chavez has a long history with San José City College. He began as a faculty member in 1976 teaching United States History, Chicano History and Culture and Ethnic Studies. He then went on to be vice president of San José City College’s Academic Senate and then president. In 1980, he was president of the San José/Evergreen Community College District’s Chapter of California Teacher’s Association. In 1981-1986 he assumed the assistant dean of social sciences and humanities position and from 1986-1989, the dean/vice president of instruction position.

“My tenure at San José City College, from academic senate president through vice president of instruction took place during a tumultuous period in California Community College history,” says Dr Chavez. “My work started with the passage of Proposition 13 which fundamentally altered educational funding and forced community colleges to rethink their mission and structure.”

Chavez left San José City College and became president of West Valley College in Saratoga from 1989-1995. “As president of West Valley College, I was responsible for the operation of the college, working with the city of Saratoga the state of California and other various agencies,” recalls Dr. Chavez. “Here I had the opportunity of working with a team of skilled professional educators and helped reverse a long period of stagnant or declining enrollment by changing the prevailing no growth culture and by eliminating a number of structural problems that were impeding growth.”

In 1995, Dr. Chavez became the chancellor of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District in Los Altos Hills, California. “While at Foothill-De Anza, I led the effort to pass a construction bond measure which was approved by 72 percent of the district’s voters and authorized the district to issue $260,000,000 in bonds with which to rebuild and enlarge both colleges,” says Dr. Chavez.

Upon leaving his post as chancellor of Foothill De Anza Community College District in 2003, Dr. Chavez assumed the role of executive vice-president of Community Foundation Silicon Valley. “The executive vice president reports directly to the president and is the chief operating officer of the Foundation,” says Dr. Chavez.

Dr. Chavez is a member of a variety of community boards that include but are not limited to Joint Venture Silicon Valley, The League for Innovation in the Community College, American Leadership Forum, United Way of Silicon Valley and more. “I have been fortunate in that all my work experience has allowed and demanded a wide variety of community and professional responsibilities,” says Dr. Chavez.