Three finalists for Southwestern College’s superintendent/president position were introduced to the nearly 100 faculty, students and administrators at a public forum Wednesday held at the campus’s Student Union East.
The finalists: Kindred Murillo, superintended/president of Lake Tahoe Community College; Reagan Romali, president of Harry S. Truman College in Chicago; and SWC’s Angelica Suarez, vice president for student affairs, shared their visions for the only community college in South County.
The candidates, all women, hold doctorate degrees and are top administrators at their respective colleges.
Suarez was welcomed by large cheers from the audience to lead off the forum.
She highlighted her vast experience working at all levels of higher education that include being a classified employee, a faculty member, an instructional aide and she served as an acting vice president and acting superintendent.
She has worked at SWC in her position since 2009 where she is responsible for the leadership of the district’s student support services and programs serving about 20,000 students in five locations.
Suarez said she is the ideal candidate because as an employee of the college she knows the first hand challenges the community college faces.
“I know that there’s pros and cons to being an internal candidate but I think this is certainly a pro knowing Southwestern College,” she said. “I love this place, I believe in this college.”
Romali was the second candidate to speak. The former SWC adjunct professor who taught basic bookkeeping said she applied for the presidency position to give back to the college.
“What interested me in this job is the opportunity to come home,” she said.
She currently is in her sixth year as president of Harry S Truman College in northern Chicago.
Romali said she is the best candidate because SWC faces many challenges in diversity, budgetary issues and, accreditation problems. She said she has been able to conquer these issues at her current college.
“I have a lot of experience healing wounds that come from diversity issues,” she said.
Murillo said she entered into superintendent candidacy because she wants to take SWC to newer heights.
“I applied here because I believe I can be an advocate and a champion and love you,” she said. “And help make this college realize its potential. You have so many great things going on here, I don’t know if you recognize it.”
Murillo is the president of Lake Tahoe Community College where she financially stabilized the college through Measure F and implementing transparent and accountable budgets.
The college is seeking to replace former President Melinda Nish who left in June in a mutual agreement with the governing board so she can pursue a sabbatical and other personal and professional opportunities.
Former Palomar College President Robert Deegan was named interim superintendent in August and will stay on until a permanent is selected.
The governing board will convene on Dec. 5 to conduct final interviews.
