Three finalists for becoming Santa Barbara City College’s next superintendent/president will be the subjects of public forums next week, introducing themselves and answering questions “prepared by internal and external community member suggestions.”
Finalists include Katrina VanderWoude, whose public forum will take place at 1 p.m. Tuesday, March 14; Richard Storti, speaking at 3:15 p.m. Tuesday; and Erika Endrijonas, participating in her public forum at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 15. Each forum will take place at the Garvin Theatre on the college’s west campus, located at 721 Cliff Drive.
Community members can submit questions for the forum here by midnight on Friday, and submit candidate feedback up to five hours after each forum.
Feedback for VanderWoude can be submitted here by 7 p.m. Tuesday, feedback for Storti can be submitted here by 9:15 p.m. Tuesday, and feedback for Endrijonas can be submitted here by 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Each finalist forum will be a 50-minute live event moderated by interim Vice President of Human Resources Deneatrice Lewis.
VanderWoude is the vice chancellor at the Los Angeles Community College District and has over 25 years of leadership experience at community colleges and four-year institutions.
Some of her past roles have included president of Los Angeles Trade-Technical College and vice president of academic affairs at Grossmont College.
“VanderWoude is committed to equity-minded student success and brings that lens and a commitment to anti-racism to all practices and programs,” her biography provided by SBCC says. “[She] additionally believes that fully collaborative partnerships are critical for ensuring social, economic, and political mobility for our most underrepresented and historically marginalized students and communities.”
Storti is the executive vice chancellor of administrative services at San Mateo Community College District, and has previously served as deputy chancellor of West Hills Community College District, assistant superintendent/vice president at Pasadena City College, and vice president at Fullerton College.
“Storti is known for his student-centered leadership approach, financial and strategic planning expertise, ability to build strategic partnerships, and for his collaborative, engaging, inclusive, transparent, and personable style,” his biography says.
Endrijonas has been the superintendent/president at Pasadena City College since January 2019 and has served in several other roles at various colleges, including her role as the career and technical dean at Santa Barbara City College for nine years.
Some of her other past roles include president of Los Angeles Valley College, executive vice president of Oxnard College, assistant dean/director of the university college at Oglethorpe University in Georgia, and as the learner services coordinator at Granite State College in New Hampshire.
All three finalists’ full biographies can be read online here.
Santa Barbara City College announced the three finalists earlier this week after beginning the search for the school’s new leader in December.
The college’s former superintendent/president, Utpal Goswami, resigned in July 2021 after spending about a year and a half in the role.
Following his resignation, Kindred Murillo took over the job on an interim basis until a new superintendent/president could be found.
More information on the SBCC superintendent/president finalist forums and how people can attend in person or watch via livestream is available here.