Denise Whittaker Interim President

Denise Whittaker, who retired as president of San Bernardino Valley College in 2007, became Orange Coast College’s Interim President on July 1.

Her 30-year career with California’s community colleges includes serving as Vice President at both Oxnard College in Oxnard and El Camino College in Torrance, where she worked with student support services, budget planning and human resources.

Whittaker is known nationally as a progressive leader and has been an advisory board member to the National Center for Community and Educational Partnerships. She is also an educational consultant to the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission and Fairmont State University.

Under her leadership, the San Bernardino Valley College successfully provided transfer and degree programs to 14,000 students each semester. She led SBVC during a major reconstruction project and reductions in state funding.

As vice president for grants and contracts at Fairmont State College in Fairmont, West Virginia, Whittaker wrote and received one of the largest GEAR-UP grants in the nation for a program encompassing nine counties, 29 middle schools and 18 high schools.

“Ms. Whittaker has a great deal of experience in a multi-college district both as an administrator and a faculty member,” said Coast Community College District Board President Jim Moreno. “She brings with her an excellent reputation and proven success as a leader.”

Whittaker received a Master’s degree in counseling from California State University, Los Angeles, a Bachelor’s in elementary education from Southern Illinois University, and an Associate of Science degree from Belleville Junior College in Illinois. She also completed 90 units in a doctoral program at UCLA.

Rich Pagel Vice President, Administrative Services

Melinda Nish Vice President, Instruction

Jess Craig Vice President, Student Services

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