On May 8, members of the board of trustees of the Peralta Community College District announced current Allan Hancock College President Jose M. Ortiz will be the newly appointed chancellor of their district.
As of July 2, Ortiz will take over for current chancellor Wise E. Allen to lead Berkeley City College, College of Alameda, and Laney and Merritt colleges in Oakland.
Ortiz said it was a tough decision to make, to leave a community he’s been committed to for several years.
“When the Peralta district came to me, the challenge of leading a larger institution and returning to a district I am familiar with, in addition to being closer to family, was an opportunity that I could not pass up,” Ortiz said in a press release.
According to Hancock officials, Ortiz has accomplished a lot during his time here: The college passed a $180 million bond that’s funding improvements to facilities and technology across the college district. In addition, the college secured a host of other prestigious grants and was chosen as one of the top five community colleges in California.
“He has been a tremendous leader and has done an excellent job of representing Allan Hancock College in our community,” Hancock Board of Trustees President Bernard Jones said in the release. “We will miss him, and we wish him well in his new endeavor.”
Prior to arriving at Hancock, Ortiz had vast experience at numerous higher-learning institutions, including Laney College in Oakland, University of Maryland, and the University of Puerto Rico, to name a few.
“I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished together at Allan Hancock College,” Ortiz said in the release. “I leave it knowing that it is a special place with outstanding faculty and staff who are committed to students and their successes.”
There’s been no formal announcement on the process by which Allan Hancock College will hire a new president.
This article appears in May 17-24, 2012.