Another temporary chancellor for Coast colleges
The Coast Community College District announced its second interim chancellor since August, when the last chancellor gave two-days notice before leaving his post.
Richard A. Jones started Monday, replacing Tom K. Harris, who spent the last six months as interim chancellor of the district.
Jones, the former chancellor of the San Bernardino Community College District, has held interim positions throughout the state since retiring from higher education in 1998, according to a district announcement Monday. Jones most recently served as interim president at Columbia College in Sonora, and previously was the interim chancellor at the South Orange County Community College District.
Trustees are expected to approve his six-month contract Wednesday, a district spokeswoman said.
“Dr. Jones has broad experience working with all constituencies as well as administrators and trustees,” board President Lorraine Prinsky said in the statement. “We are confident his experience and expertise will serve the ... district well.”
Jones, a resident of Yucaipa, holds several degrees, including a doctorate in education — with a focus on higher education, management and leadership — from UCLA.
A search for a new chancellor will begin immediately, district spokesman Juan Gutierrez said. The appointment is for six months, Gutierrez explained, because as a retiree, Jones is affected by laws related to pensions.
The district, which enrolls nearly 50,000 students at three colleges, in Fountain Valley, Costa Mesa and Huntington Beach, has been without a permanent chancellor since Andrew Jones resigned Aug. 13 and left the top post two days later.
At the time, Jones said his rapid departure came with mixed emotions, but he declined to give a reason for his resignation. Trustees have said the decision was made without their input, but it was well known among district staff that the chancellor’s relationship with the board had been somewhat tense.
— Staff writer Hannah Fry contributed to this report.