Public Forums Set for Finalists in State Center Community College District Chancellor Search
State Center Community College District (SCCCD) Trustees announced the schedule of the virtual public forums for the finalists in the SCCCD Chancellor Search. Students, faculty, staff, administrators, and the community are invited to meet and learn more about the three finalists during virtual open forums scheduled for Monday, October 25, 2021.
The finalists are Dr. Beatriz Espinoza, Consultant - Laredo Community College, National Science Foundation Grant; Dr. Omid Pourzanjani, Superintendent/President San Joaquin Delta Community College District and Dr. Carole Goldsmith, Fresno City College President.
Each finalist will take part in a one-hour forum, which will be open and broadcast to the public. Attendees will be able to view the forums via Zoom webinar or YouTube Live Stream. The Zoom webinar will be able to accommodate up to 1,000 and no registration is required. Attendees are encouraged to connect to the Zoom webinar as early as possible to get a “seat”. If the Zoom webinar is full, individuals may observe the meeting on YouTube Live Stream.
How to access Zoom the Zoom Webinar
The Chancellor's Finalist Zoom Webinar is open to the public.
There will also be a Chancellor's Finalist YouTube Live Stream.
The forums will also be made available on the District website www.scccd.edu/chancellor.
How to Submit Questions
Candidates will present their vision for the District and answer pre-submitted questions. If time allows, questions from attendees will be addressed. The deadline for those wishing to submit questions in advance to be considered during the public forums is Wednesday, October 20 at 12:00 p.m. by using this link: Question Submission .
Please note that attendees who wish to submit a question for consideration during the live forums must attend the forums via Zoom webinar as the chat and comment feature will be disabled on YouTube Live Stream.
How to Submit Feedback
Please note that attendees who wish to submit a question for consideration during the live forums must attend the forums via Zoom webinar as the chat and comment feature will be disabled on YouTube Live Stream.
Feedback on each candidate will only be collected online using the following link: Chancellor Candidate Feedback. The link will be activated on the day of the forums. Feedback on candidates must be submitted by Tuesday, October 26, 2021, at 4:00 p.m.
The virtual public forum schedule is as follows:
- 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. Dr. Beatriz T. Espinoza
- 2:15 – 3:15 p.m. Dr. Omid Pourzanjani
- 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. Dr. Carole Goldsmith
The Finalists
Dr. Beatriz T. Espinoza
Dr. Beatriz Espinoza has been in higher education for over 30 years. She has served as a researcher, faculty, counselor, administrator, and chief executive officer. Her passion for higher education stems from her background as a migrant farmworker. She learned early on that going to college was the path to a better future. She began her college pathway with the help of the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) Scholarship. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and continued her studies earning the Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Rehabilitation Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Her career transitioned from the university to community college because of her interest to serve more students through its open-door policy. She completed a post-doctorate in community college leadership at the University of Texas at Austin and was a Kellogg Fellow with Minority-Serving Institutions/Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU). That training further developed her knowledge and experiences in community college administration. She entered administration as a director and continued her career path as a dean, vice president, vice-chancellor, and college president. Each expanding her breadth and depth of serving diverse students more equitably.
Over the years Dr. Espinoza has shared her work by authoring professional journal articles, book chapters, and presenting at regional, state, and national conferences on various topics of diversity, equity, and inclusiveness. She has served on numerous boards and committees for economic development, school districts, foundations, non-profit organizations, universities, and civic organizations.
Dr. Espinoza is passionate about community college education. She is committed to ensuring that the benefits of college, both career technical and transfer education, are accessible and successful for all students that seek a better future. She continues to be awed by the ripple effect of student success as it transforms families, communities, regions, and beyond.
Dr. Omid Pourzanjani
Dr. Pourzanjani is an immigrant, an ESL student, and a first-generation college student. He worked to support himself starting at the age of 15 and attributes his ability to move from low income to middle income to his community college CTE certificate and AA degree. Since then, he has served higher education institutions in various positions including Professor, Academic Senate Officer, Department Chair, Instructional Dean, CTE, and Workforce Development Dean, Enrollment Management Dean, Accreditation Liaison Officer, Chief Student Services Officer, Chief Instructional Officer, Vice-Chancellor, and Superintendent President.
He believes his personal experiences help him relate with the students we serve and makes him passionate about and committed to helping them achieve their educational goals. The ideas of equity, diversity, and inclusion are core to his beliefs, and he is passionate about making college education and college life accessible for all students. His success as an educational leader has been founded upon building strong relationships with students, faculty, staff, administrators, board members, community members, and policymakers. Dr. Pourzanjani concurrently worked in various executive leadership positions in the high-tech private industry focusing on innovation, organizational efficiency, and effective budget management.
Dr. Pourzanjani is a graduate of Santa Monica College, holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Computer Science and Engineering from CSU, Long Beach, and a doctorate in Education from UCLA. He is married to his high school sweetheart and together they have two children (and a dog)
Dr. Carole Goldsmith
Dr. Goldsmith has served as President of Fresno City College since August 2016. During her tenure, she has collaborated with faculty and staff in the redesign of the college organizational structure to better foster equity and efficiency. Under her leadership, FCC has accomplished a consecutive 3-year record-breaking graduation rate, comprehensive strategic planning cycle, and has implemented new practices to improve transparency. Dr. Goldsmith guided the college through a successful accreditation review, which resulted in the reaffirmation of accreditation. Recently, she facilitated college and community discussions that culminated in nearly $17M in Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) Program funds for the development of the new West Fresno Campus.
Prior to joining SCCCD, Dr. Goldsmith served as President of West Hills College Coalinga and held the office of Vice-Chancellor of Educational Services and Workforce Development during her 13-year tenure with West Hills Community College District in rural West Fresno County.
Dr. Goldsmith has lived in Fresno County for nearly four decades and earned a bachelor’s degree in history from CSU, Fresno, a master’s degree in educational administration from National University, and a doctorate in higher education leadership from the joint doctorate program at CSU, Fresno, and UC Davis. Dr. Goldsmith has two adult children and lives in Fresno with her fiancé Melissa, a local real estate professional. Dr. Goldsmith enjoys spending time with family, friends, and her dogs.
The SCCCD chancellor is responsible for all operations in a District that includes four colleges, Fresno City College, Reedley College, Clovis Community College, and Madera Community College as well as two centers, Madera Community College at Oakhurst and the Career & Technology Center. This announcement comes after a national search by PPL Inc. which yielded a highly qualified and diverse pool of candidates.
