New CEOs
Eric Bishop is the new superintendent/president of Ohlone Community College in Fremont, California. He previously served at Chaffey College in Rancho Cucamonga, California, as associate superintendent of student services and legislative engagement. During his time at Chaffey since 2007, Bishop held other positions, including dean of the Fontana Campus, interim dean of physical education and athletics, director of student discipline and grievance, and vice president of student services. He also serves on the state-wide Chief Student Services Officers Association Executive Board, representing the 12 colleges in the Inland Empire. Prior to Chaffey, Bishop was associate dean of academic support and retention at the University of La Verne where he taught journalism and mass media studies full time for seven years.
Among Bishop’s accomplishments at Chaffey was fostering an institutionalized college-going culture through the I’ve Begun My Path to College program — a partnership and pathway between the college and the surrounding K-12 school districts — that encourages their youngest residents to consider going to college.
“This is a complex and challenging time in higher education given the impact of the pandemic and the following economic fallout, but there are also very positive shifts happening in our world with the unveiling of the injustices our African-American community and the Black Lives Matter movement forcing people to see what people of color have had to face,” Bishop said in a press release. “It’s an opportunity for open dialogue, to learn from one another as one human race, and to use education as a tool to lift ignorance.”
Sean Hancock has been named the next president of Cerro Coso Community College in Ridgefield, California, effective the end of September. He most recently was vice chancellor for student and institutional success at the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District in El Cajon, California. Prior to that, Hancock was vice president of instruction and student services at Palo Verde College, vice president of instruction at California Community Colleges, and Modesto Campus director at San Joaquin Valley College.
“Dr. Hancock brings extensive experience in higher education administration, instruction, and student learning support services that will ensure Cerro Coso Community College’s continued emphasis on improved student outcomes, building on the outstanding leadership of his predecessor, President Jill Board,” said Kern Community College District Chancellor Thomas Burke. “Additionally, Dr. Hancock will have a keen focus on navigating through the current COVID-19 crisis with a long-term vision for transitioning to a more stable environment in the future.”
New title
Richard Rhodes has a new title: chancellor of the Austin Community College (ACC) District in Texas. The district’s board of directors last week officially changed the title of president/CEO to ACC chancellor. The title better aligns the district with similar multi-campus community college institutions nationwide, according to the board, which added that the change does not affect the compensation, role or duties of the position. Rhodes, who became president of ACC in 2011, also serves on the American Association of Community Colleges board of directors.
Appointment
Brooke Bognanni is now dean of writing, literacy and languages at Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) in Maryland. Bognanni, who has been at CCBC for 20 years, was most recently the department chair of English.
