Las Positas College's Next President: Meet The 5 Finalists

LIVERMORE, CA — Five final candidates (see below) have been selected for the position of President of Las Positas College in Livermore, now all will participate in a Sept. 25 open forum that the public is encouraged to attend.

During the forum that begins at 9 a.m. and is expected to last until around 2 p.m., there will be a brief introduction of each candidate, followed by a 45-minute question and answer session for each candidate.

Feedback forms will be given to all who attend, and the completed forms will be collected at the end of each forum and given to the Interim Chancellor for review. Video recording of the event will be made available by the following morning.

The Las Positas College President finalists, along with their schedule forum times, are:

1-1:45 p.m.: Dyrell Foster, Ed.D. is the Vice President of Student Services at Moreno Valley College in Moreno Valley, Calif. Previously, he served as an administrator at Rio Hondo College, Mt. San Antonio College, Evergreen Valley College, and San Jose State University. Dr. Foster earned a Doctor of Education from the University of Southern California; a Master of Science in Counseling from California State University, Long Beach; and a Bachelor of Science in Applied Behavioral Science from University of California, Davis.

12-12:45 p.m.: Marsha Gable, Ed.D. is the Vice President of Student Services at Grossmont College in El Cajon, Calif. Previously, she was Dean of Counseling Services at Cuyamaca College in El Cajon. Dr. Gable earned a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership with an emphasis in Community College Leadership from San Diego State University in San Diego, and a Master and Bachelor of Social Sciences and Sociological Practice from California State University, San Marcos, Calif.

11-11:45 a.m.: Don Miller, Ph.D. is Vice President of Instruction at the College of Alameda and Vice President of the California Community Colleges Chief Instructional Officers organization. Previously, he was the Interim Vice President of Academic Services and a Dean of Academic Services for the Division of Arts and Humanities and Dean of Learning Communities at Las Positas College. Dr. Miller earned a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Virginia and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from Brigham Young University, in Provo, Utah.

10-10:45 a.m: Katrina VanderWoude, Ed.D. is the President of Contra Costa College in San Pablo, Calif. Previously, she was Vice President of Academic Affairs at Grossmont College in El Cajon, Calif. Dr. VanderWoude earned a Doctor of Educational Leadership with an emphasis in Higher Education, Organizational Systems and Development and Student Affairs from Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti.

9-9:45 a.m.: Tina Vasconcellos, Ph.D. is the Vice President of Student Services and Accreditation Liaison Officer at the College of Alameda in Alameda. Previously, she was Dean of Academic and Student Affairs at Laney College and Merritt College in Oakland. Dr. Vasconcellos earned a Doctor of Philosophy focused on community college leadership from Colorado State University in Fort Collins, and a Master of Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in multicultural and holistic counseling from John F. Kennedy University in Pleasant Hill.

Roanna Bennie currently serves at Los Positas College interim president. She was appointed last year after then-president Barry A. Russell announced his retirement.

Wednesday's event at Las Positas College will take place at the Mertes Center for the Arts, Building 4000, 3000 Campus Hill Drive.