Five Finalists Named for City College of San Francisco Chancellor Search
The chosen candidate will start in July 2025.
Media Contact: Alexandra Céspedes Kent, (510) 413-8445, alexandra@volersa.com
San Francisco, California (March 1, 2025) – City College of San Francisco (CCSF) is excited to announce that it has selected five finalists to interview for its chancellor position. With the assistance of AGB Search, a national search was launched that fielded a highly qualified and diverse pool of candidates.
A screening committee comprised of students, faculty, classified professionals, administrators, board members, and community representatives has recommended the following candidates to the Board of Trustees for consideration:
- Mitch Bailey, MPA., Interim Chancellor, City College of San Francisco
- Rudy Besikof, Ed.D., President of Laney College in Oakland
- Carlos Cortez, Ph.D., former Chancellor of the San Diego Community College District
- Kimberlee Messina, Ed.D., President, Spokane Falls Community College
- Henry Yong, Ed.D., Ed.S., Chancellor, Yosemite Community College District
Finalists will participate in campus visits during the Week on March 10 – 14 which will include interviews with the Board of Trustees, forums with various stakeholder groups which will be open to the public and will offer a Zoom option. The forums will allow the finalists to introduce themselves, share their vision and priorities, and respond to questions gathered from the campus community. The forums will be facilitated by students, faculty, classified professionals, and administrators. Additional information about the search process can be found on the Chancellor Search webpage.
The public and members of the college community are invited to attend any of the forums and provide feedback on the finalists during this time. An electronic feedback survey will be available until 11:59 pm on the fifth day following each campus visit.
The Chancellor is responsible for all operations in the district with a nearly $300 million annual budget. The Chancellor oversees the Ocean Campus, Mission Center, John Adams Center, Evans Center, Downtown Center, and Chinatown/North Beach center; assures that the District is administered in accordance with policies adopted by the Board of Trustees and state and federal regulations; and maintains a close working relationship with the community, K-12 and local higher-education systems, as well as local, state and federal officials.
About the Finalists for CCSF Chancellor
- Mr. Bailey is Interim Chancellor at City College of San Francisco. He earned an associate’s degree from Sinclair Community College, a bachelor’s degree from Capital University, and a master’s degree in Public Administration from Wright State University.
- Dr. Besikof is President of Laney College in Oakland. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder, a master’s degree from the University of Colorado, Denver and a Doctor of Education from the University of California Los Angeles.
- Dr. Cortez was the former Chancellor of the San Diego Community College District. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University, a master’s degree from New York University, and a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Southern California.
- Dr. Messina is the President of Spokane Falls Community College, Spokane, Washington. She earned a bachelor’s degree from CSU Sacramento, a master’s degree from CSU Sacramento and a Doctor of Education degree from University of California, Davis.
- Dr. Yong is the Chancellor of Yosemite Community College District. He has an earned bachelor’s degree, master’s degree and Ed.S. in Educational Administration and Leadership (emphasis on Curriculum and Instruction) from Loma Linda University. He also earned a Doctor of Educational Administration and Leadership from La Sierra University.
About CCSF: Bringing instruction opportunities since 1935, City College of San Francisco is an urban community college serving tens-of-thousands of students annually at six locations throughout San Francisco. The College offers an affordable opportunity to earn associate degrees, prepare for transfer, pursue career and technical education, and personal development and enrichment. Visit https://www.ccsf.edu
Learn more about Free City: Visit https://www.ccsf.edu/paying-college/free-city
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