This article was updated to reflect the fact that a candidate for chancellor declined the role.

The San Mateo County Community College District Board of Trustees plans to vote on appointing Skyline College President Melissa Moreno as interim chancellor at a meeting Wednesday, Feb. 22.

The district has been in the process of finding a permanent chancellor and named three finalists in November, a list that did not include Moreno.

Mike Claire has filled the role since 2019 (and took on the role permanently in May 2020), when he stepped in for disgraced chancellor emeritus Ron Galatolo. Galatolo exited the district before being charged with 21 felonies in April for misuse of funds during his leadership of the district.

If appointed, Moreno would begin her interim role on April 1. Claire plans to stay on until June 30 to help Moreno with the transition, according to the email from board President Lisa Petrides. During the transition, Claire's responsibilities will shift from day-to-day management to fully transitioning his institutional knowledge, relationships and projects to Moreno, Petrides said.

"Having served as Skyline College's president since August of 2020, Dr. Moreno brings an extensive record of accomplishment in the world of higher education," Petrides said. "Over a period of 13 plus years serving as a member of adjunct faculty to serving as a college vice president at Santa Barbara City College, Dr. Moreno established herself as a visionary leader tasked with creating opportunities that strengthen a college district's ability to better serve students."

While president of Skyline in San Bruno, she introduced the Peoples College Initiative, which focuses on antiracism and equity in an effort to "disrupt the participatory governance practices to enable the power of the people and uniquely center the voices of faculty, classified professionals, managers and students," she said.

Moreno is a lawyer and earned a juris doctorate from Santa Barbara College of Law. She holds a bachelor's degree from University of California at Santa Barbara.

She worked at Santa Barbara City College for over 13 years, serving in faculty and administrative roles.

Chancellor search process

The district formed a chancellor screening committee made up of trustees, community members, faculty, classified employees, administrators and students. It also hired Community College Search Services to carry out the process.

The finalists for the chancellor position named in November were: Santanu Bandyopadhyay, president at Modesto Junior College in the Yosemite Community College District; Bradley Davis, chancellor of the West Valley-Mission Community College District in Santa Clara; and Rowena M. Tomaneng, president at San José City College in the San José-Evergreen Community College District.

Davis told The Almanac that he was offered the position in January but declined it and is no longer a candidate. The West Valley-Mission Community College District issued a press release on Jan. 19 that Davis would remain with the Santa Clara district.

"I was open to exploring the opportunity because the district is in my hometown, I've been a Foster City resident for 25 years," he said. "In the end I felt the position wasn't the right fit for me."

"Understanding our national reputation in the world of higher education, we will reopen the search process with an open mind, and solely focused on finding the best candidate for our district," board President Petrides wrote in at Feb. 17 email to district staff. "Dr. Moreno is exactly the leader we need at this point to take us forward at this moment in time."

Contract details

The employment agreement the board will review runs from April 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024, or until appointment of a permanent chancellor, whichever occurs first.

Her annual compensation is set for $350,000. The board would retain the right to increase her annual salary during the term of the agreement.

Moreno would receive 225 hours of vacation annually, and can cash out up to 10 days of vacation annually. She would receive one day per month of sick leave, and the same health and welfare benefits, including post-retirement medical benefits, as are generally provided to management personnel of the district, according to the proposed contract.

The board meets on Wednesday, Feb. 22, at 6 p.m. in person, at 3401 CSM Drive in San Mateo, and on Zoom.