IVC trustees have a chance to make history
The Imperial Valley College Board of Trustees could make history in the upcoming weeks, depending upon the decision it makes regarding the new president and superintendent.
On its decades-long history, the college has had talented people presiding over one of our finest higher-education institutions.
With roots dated back to almost a century ago, the college became a reality in 1952 and on a limited basis. Eventually, a request was submitted in July 1959 to the state Department of Education to create a junior college in our area. The Imperial County Superintendent of Schools set the date for an election, and on October of that year voters overwhelmingly supported the establishment of Imperial Valley Junior College.
Since then, eight men have presided over the Imperial Community College District — Milo Johnson, Terrel Spencer, Dan Angel, John A. DePaoli, Gilbert Domínguez, Paul Pai, Ed Gould and our departing President Victor Jaime, who retires after 38 years of service.
After the superintendent announced his retirement months ago, board members launched a recruiting effort to select Jaime’s successor. And just days ago, IVC announced the five finalists for the job.
Four fine gentlemen — all outsiders — and the college’s vice president of Student Services and acting vice president of Academic Services, Dr. Martha Garcia, were formally introduced to the community Tuesday in a public forum held on campus.
According to her resume, García developed and coordinated a multi-million-dollar initiative that has allowed aspiring law-enforcement officers to take Level One courses of the Peace Officer Standards and Training. She also has developed several programs focusing on serving —like her — minority and underrepresented students.
The Brawley resident has secured more than $14 million in grants since 2000 while creating numerous career technical education programs with a comprehensive student service approach.
Garcia earned a Doctorate of Education in educational leadership and possesses a master’s degree in educational counseling and a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. Her credentials, expertise and talent could lead to Garcia becoming the first female superintendent and president of Imperial Valley College and, at the same time, the first Latina to lead our college.
Moreover her off-campus activities have made a difference in our community. Especially today, given the immigration issues nationwide, García has shown her dedication to protecting and defending some of our most vulnerable people as a founding member of Justice for Our Neighbors, an organization that educates and defends immigrants. She has also participated in other education-related non-profit organizations.
García also has actively been involved in politics. For some years she has been a high-ranking official within the Imperial County Central Democratic Committee. For some, particularly Republicans, this might seem as a disqualifier, but it actually must be considered as a sign of courage and care for others.
The other candidates have impressive resumes. And all of them seem to be well-prepared for the job. But there’s something they lack unrelated to gender compared to Garcia — the local factor. As a Valley resident, García knows exactly what students’ needs are, as well as the concerns of parents, property owners, teachers, employees and the college community as a whole.
For board members, the decision made in the next days or weeks will define our college’s future.
If selected to the post, Garcia, as a Latina, would have an opportunity to show what our women are able to do. I have a gut feeling she would perform superbly.