Superintendent/President Search Announcement (Progress Report #1)
September 1, 2026
DATE: September 1, 2026
TO: Chaffey College Community
FROM: Gary Ovitt, President, Chaffey College Governing Board
RE: Superintendent/President Search Announcement (Progress Report #1)
As many of you are aware, our longtime Superintendent/President, Dr. Henry Shannon, has announced his retirement, effective December 31, 2026. Dr. Shannon’s extraordinary leadership and contributions over nearly two decades have helped shape Chaffey College into the institution it is today. He has helped to craft a legacy that will benefit our students and communities for many years to come.
As we honor Dr. Shannon’s remarkable service, we must also look ahead to our next chapter. On behalf of the Chaffey College Governing Board, I am pleased to announce that we have begun the search to identify the next superintendent/president of Chaffey College.
The Governing Board is committed to conducting an equitable, inclusive, transparent, and comprehensive national search designed to attract an exceptional and diverse pool of candidates from throughout California and across the nation. We recognize the significance of this decision and are committed to a thoughtful process that provides meaningful opportunities for participation from our College community.
The Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) has been selected to assist us with the presidential search process. ACCT will facilitate the development of the Presidential Profile, conduct extensive recruitment of highly competitive candidates, and will work closely with the Presidential Search Committee and the Governing Board throughout the process.
ACCT has conducted over 750 community college executive searches nationwide and brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to our process. ACCT’s mission is to strengthen community college governance through education and advocacy.
Pamila Fisher, Ed.D. will serve as our ACCT search consultant and will assist the College throughout this important process. Many of you know Dr. Fisher. She is very familiar with Chaffey College, having facilitated workshops for the President’s Cabinet, the Executive Team, and with the Governing Board during our annual retreats for several years. Dr. Fisher has conducted national presidential searches throughout the ACCT since 2006. Her bio is located at: Pamila Fisher, Ed.D. – ACCT Searches. Locally, Eva Ramirez will serve as the District search liaisons, working with Dr. Fisher and the Governing Board to manage the logistics of the process.
President Profile Development: Survey
An early and important step in the presidential search process is the development of the Presidential Profile. This profile will identify the leadership qualities, characteristics, experience, and qualifications we seek in Chaffey College’s next superintendent/president, as well as the opportunities and challenges our next leader will be expected to address.
The Governing Board invites and strongly encourages all members of the Chaffey College community to participate in a survey to inform the development of this profile. We want your input and hope you will complete the survey. Your comments will be confidential and will be sent directly to ACCT.
The survey is available here NOW:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NR7MBRR
Please submit your survey feedback no later than 5:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) on September 10, 2026.
The Presidential Search Committee
The Presidential Search Committee will be appointed by the Governing Board and composed of representatives from the College’s constituent groups. The leadership of those groups will be consulted regarding nominations for those respective representatives.
The charge to the Search Committee will be to review the confidential applications, select and interview semifinalist candidates, and identify three to four final candidates to be forwarded to the Governing Board for further consideration.
Because protecting candidate confidentiality is essential to attracting a strong applicant pool and maintaining the integrity of the search, all Search Committee activity and candidate information MUST remain confidential!
Recruitment
Our recruitment efforts will involve an open and thorough national search, seeking qualified candidates from all regions of the country. ACCT specializes in one-to-one recruitment of community college leaders. The position will also be advertised nationally through the Chronicle of Higher Education and other major higher education publications and recruitment platforms.
Final Candidates and Open Forums
Final candidates will participate in open forums at Chaffey College. All employees, students, and community members will be invited to attend the open forums. Following each individual forum, attendees can provide feedback electronically that will be shared with the Governing Board.
We anticipate holding the finalist forums in early April 2027. Dates, times and location will be provided once confirmed.
ACCT will conduct comprehensive background and reference checks on the finalists. The Governing Board will interview each finalist and make the final decision in selecting Chaffey College’s next superintendent/president.
Presidential Search Webpage
To ensure open communication throughout this process, a Presidential Search Webpage will be developed for the Chaffey website. It will include information on all aspects of the search, including the profile, the timeline, the process for applying, the Search Committee membership, and progress reports. The Presidential Search Webpage will be developed in the coming weeks, and the College community will be advised when it launches. Please visit it when available and encourage other interested persons to do the same.
Going Forward
The Governing Board is committed to being as transparent as possible until confidentiality is required. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to reach out to our ACCT Consultant, Dr. Fisher. She also welcomes nominations of persons you believe would be strong candidates. If you would like to recommend someone, please email her a brief statement of why you recommend the individual and provide the personal contact information. Dr. Fisher will contact the prospective candidate directly and will not disclose the name of the person making the recommendation.
Questions, suggestions, and nominations may be directed to:
- Pamila Fisher, Ed.D., ACCT Consultant, at pamilajfisher@gmail.com or (406) 570-0516 (mobile).
We will continue to keep the Chaffey community informed as the search progresses. Thank you in advance for participating in the survey and for attending the open forums next spring.
Selecting Chaffey’s next superintendent/president is one of the Governing Board’s most important responsibilities. We look forward to engaging our College community in a thoughtful process to identify a leader who will help guide the institution into our next chapter.
Thank you for your participation, your commitment to Chaffey College, and for all you do each day in support of our students.
