CoCo Community College District Chancellor Announces Retirement

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA — Contra Costa Community College District chancellor Fred Wood plans to retire March 31, 2020, it was announced Thursday. He joined the district in 2017 and is credited with bringing stability during a time of enrollment challenges and significant changes in the funding formula for California community colleges.

Discussions on how the district's governing board will recruit the next chancellor are expected in upcoming meetings, but the plan is to have someone selected before Wood leaves, according to today's announcement from the district.

“After considerable and thoughtful deliberations, I have decided to retire after a four-decade career in higher education due to increased personal obligations and because I firmly believe the district is ready for new leadership," Wood said in a statement. “Although there is never a perfect time for a leadership transition, the district is in a great place with a very strong financial position, stabilized enrollment, and doing a tremendous job of serving our students and community.”

“We have been extremely fortunate to have Fred’s leadership over the past few years," said Governing Board President Vicki Gordon. “His honesty, integrity, thoughtful leadership, and passion for students were exactly what the district needed during this time. We will miss his leadership and he will be a hard act to follow.”

Wood grew up in Martinez, attended Diablo Valley College as a first-generation college graduate, and credits the community college experience for transforming his life. He said he is grateful for the opportunity to come “back home” and contribute to the district’s legacy of making a difference in the lives of its students.

“What I am most proud of during my tenure is the opportunity to join our governing board, faculty, staff, and community leaders in their work to support our students,” Wood said. “They deserve the recognition for the success of our district and our three excellent colleges.”

Diablo Valley College in San Ramon, Contra Costa College in San Pablo, and Los Medanos College (with locations in Pittsburgh and Brentwood) are all part of the Contra Costa Community College District.