Presidential Candidate Forums
The Board of Trustees has announced that four finalists are being considered for the Superintendent-President position. Finalists are invited to visit the college to meet with shared governance groups and participate in open public forums providing the opportunity for employees, students, and Pasadena community members to meet the candidates and hear their views.
Open forums will be held on Wednesday, April 10, 2024, in the Westerbeck Recital Hall
located in the Center of Arts (CA) Building. The forums will be livestreamed and available
on YouTube.
The Board of Trustees encourages participation in this important process and values
input in selecting the next Superintendent-President.
SCHEDULE
Public Forums – Wednesday, April 10, 2024, Westerbeck Recital Hall
- 10:00: Jose A. Gomez, Ph.D.
- 11:00: Lena Tran, Ed.D.
- 11:55: Thuy Thi Nguyen, J.D.
- 12:50: Carlos O. Cortez, Ph.D.
- 1:45 – 3:30 p.m. Campus Reception, Westerbeck Recital Hall Patio
PROVIDE YOUR FEEDBACK
Submit your feedback for each candidates via personalized links below. These surveys will close 4/11/2024 at 11:00 pm PDT.
Carlos Osvaldo Cortez
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/OsvaldoCortez
José A. Gómez
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PCCJoseAGomez
Thuy Thi Nguyen
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ThuyThiNguyen
Lena H. Tran
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LenaHTran
Meet the Candidates
Prior to his appointment as PCC’s interim superintendent/president, José A. Gómez served as executive vice president, provost (the university’s chief academic officer), and chief operating officer at California State University, Los Angeles. At Cal State LA, Dr. Gómez was instrumental in strategic efforts to enhance student success, elevate fundraising, and deepen engagement with the region through partnerships with government and industry. Dr. Gómez led major initiatives to expand opportunities for students at Cal State LA, including Cal State LA’s downtown campus; the Prison Graduation Initiative, California’s first bachelor’s degree program taught in state prison; and Cal State LA BioSpace, a regional incubator promoting inclusive entrepreneurship. He also established a partnership with the Los Angeles Football Club to renovate the university’s stadium field and construct a professional soccer training and operations facility on campus. As an educator, Dr. Gómez has taught courses at Chaffey College, Mt. San Antonio College, Cal State LA, and USC. He previously served as higher education adviser to the president pro tem of the California Senate, executive director of the California Educational Facilities Authority, and held senior positions in the California Department of Justice and the State Treasurer’s Office. Dr. Gómez is a Pasadena resident, and his experience as a first-generation college student, raised in the San Gabriel Valley, has inspired his three-decade career in education and government. He received Cal Poly Pomona’s Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2019.