Orange Coast hires interim president

Orange Coast College has lured a former dean out of retirement to

become interim president while the search for a permanent leader

continues.

Gene Farrell, 65, served as vice chancellor of business affairs for

the Coast Community College District for a dozen years until his

retirement two years ago.

A nationwide search for a new OCC president was launched this spring.

But after reviewing applications, the presidential search committee

decided to end the search and readvertise the position during the 2002-03

academic year. Farrell will serve as acting president until a new college

president is selected.

Farrell replaces Margaret Gratton, who retired this summer after

serving six years at the helm of OCC.

“This is going to be fun. I’m looking forward to it,” Farrell said in

a press release. “I love Orange Coast College. It’s a campus that has

always moved ahead and, though we face a difficult budget year this year,

we’ll come out of it just fine.”