On April 12, Angélica Garcia announced that she will be leaving the position she has held since 2020 as president of Berkeley City College (BCC) to begin a new role as the president/superintendent of Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC).

Garcia made the announcement in a letter sent to the BCC community, where she reflected on her time at the college and the impact that BCC students have had on the community. She also spoke about the choice to take on the new position at SRJC. 

“While I am honored and look forward to taking on the challenges of my next role, I would like to share that this was a difficult decision to make,” Garcia explained.

Garcia also recounted improvements that were made to BCC during her tenure as president of the college. 

“We grew in enrollment, retention, persistence, and transfer rates. We secured the future of Berkeley City College by reaffirming our accreditation and set the framework for the next five years by drafting Berkeley City College’s Educational Master Plan.”

The Citizen reached out to Mark Johnson, Peralta Community College District’s PCCD’s Executive Director of Marketing, Communications, and Public Relations for a comment from the district.  

Johnson gave a personal statement addressed to Garcia. 

“Congratulations Angélica! We will certainly miss you here at the Peralta Colleges. Felicidades, eres familia!” Johnson wrote. 

With a successful background in educational leadership, focusing on student access and success, Garcia is also co-founder and Vice President of the California Community Colleges Organización de Latinx Empowerment, Guidance, Advocacy for Success (CCCOLEGAS), that supports latinx students.

SRJC’s website touted an extensive national search for the role, and in a statement Board President Dorothy Battenfeld expressed her thoughts on Garcia’s selection.

“We would like to thank everyone who participated in our open forums and provided input during the search. I would also like to thank all members of the Presidential Search Advisory Committee for their exceptional work and effort. We are excited to welcome Dr. Garcia to the Santa Rosa Junior College community and look forward to working with her,” Battenfeld said.

The search began after current SRJC president/superintendent Frank Chong announced his retirement in October. Garcia will start her new role on July 1, 2023.

In an email to The Citizen, Johnson said that “while succession planning has begun, no additional details are available at this time.”