Omar Javier Torres Named De Anza College President
Veteran educator committed to promoting economic and social mobility for students
Los Altos Hills, CA —Foothill-De Anza Community College District Chancellor Lee Lambert has announced plans to recommend Dr. Omar Javier Torres as De Anza College’s fifth president since the college’s founding in 1967. Torres will start in his new role Jan. 3 pending governing board approval at the Dec. 16, 2024, Board of Trustees meeting.
“The feedback I received following Omar’s visit to the college and the recommendations from his current and past colleagues were overwhelmingly positive,” Chancellor Lambert said in a message to district employees. “Like you, I was impressed by his passion and enthusiasm as well as his commitment to equity and student success.”
Torres brings more than two decades of California community college experience to his new position, including nine years in part-time and full-time faculty positions and 14 years in progressively responsible administrative roles.
“It is humbling to have been selected to join the Foothill-De Anza Community College District as the next president of De Anza College,” said Dr. Torres. “I am grateful to Chancellor Lambert for his pioneering leadership and confidence. It is a privilege to serve alongside the college’s dedicated and talented students, faculty, staff and community supporters to maintain its rich tradition of academic excellence and equitable student support. I look forward to assisting with the creation of new educational experiences that inspire 21st century innovation and promote economic and social mobility for our students.”
In his current role as assistant superintendent/vice president of instruction at College of the Canyons in Southern California, which serves more than 25,000 students per year, he has overseen the initiation of new career technical education and apprenticeship programs and a significant expansion of dual enrollment and noncredit courses and partnerships. He has also worked to boost supplemental funding, securing grants for apprenticeships, zero cost textbooks, and culturally responsive pedagogy as well as a $1 million state appropriation to fund a training lab and simulation equipment for the college’s health professions programs.
Torres also serves in statewide roles as president of the California Community Colleges Chief Instructional Officers Association and as a member of the CCC Curriculum Committee, Consultation Council, and the Community College League of California’s Advisory Committee on Legislation. Regionally, he serves on the boards of the Valley Industry Association of the Santa Clarita Valley and the Gateway SCV Consortium.
Prior to assuming his vice president role in 2020, Torres served three years as College of the Canyons’ associate vice president of instruction. Previously held positions include instructional dean of the School of Mathematics, Sciences & Health Professions at College of the Canyons, vice president of academic affairs at Santa Ana College, department chairperson and tenured professor of chemistry at Moorpark College, and adjunct faculty member at Los Angeles City College.
Lambert said in his message to employees, “In his application for the position, Torres wrote, ‘De Anza College is an extraordinary institution full of hope and promise.’ I could not agree more and am confident that under Omar’s leadership, that hope and promise will be fully realized.”
Torres takes over leadership from Christina Espinosa-Pieb, De Anza’s interim president since March 1, 2024. Espinosa-Pieb has worked at the college for more than 40 years and as vice president of instruction since 2008. This is her second stint as interim president, having stepped into the role during another leadership transition from July 2018 through June 2020.
Following a nationwide search, a committee made up of members of the community, faculty, administrators, staff, and students recommended Torres as one of four finalists for the position.
Torres holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Texas A&M University, a master’s degree in chemistry from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a doctoral degree in organizational leadership from the University of La Verne.
His salary will be $311,713.64 per year, and his contract will run through June of 2026.
About Foothill-De Anza Community College District
Foothill-De Anza Community College District, which includes Foothill College in LosAltos Hills and De Anza College in Cupertino, is one of the largest community college districts in California, serving approximately 50,000 students per year. Since 1957, the publicly supported and locally governed district with a mission of student success and educational excellence has offered degree and certificate programs that prepare students for university transfer and careers that meet regional workforce needs. For more information, visit www.fhda.edu.
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Posted Dec. 3, 2024