College district gets new leader
Marisa O’Neil
Coast Community College District board of trustees on Wednesday night
named one of its college presidents as the district’s next chancellor
and voted to increase the position’s salary.
Kenneth Yglesias, president of Golden West College in Huntington
Beach, will take over when William Vega retires in June. Yglesias has
served as the college’s president since 1996 and worked for the
district since 1985.
“This is the best thing that could have happened,” trustee George
Brown said after the 5-0 vote. “I’m very pleased and thrilled we have
[Yglesias].”
Trustees also voted in favor of a raise for the chancellor’s
position as well as the vice chancellor and president positions in
the districts. The twin votes, both 4 to 1, will increase the
chancellor’s salary from $186,608 to $190,000, plus $10,000 for
travel and mileage expenses.
Salaries for vice chancellors and college presidents will go from
the current range of $129,631 to $131,805 up to $145,000 to $160,000.
Kristina Bruning, president of the faculty union, called the
raises appalling in the face of tight budgets that have forced the
colleges to cut the number of classes offered to students. She said
that the amount of money the district would spend on the raises could
add 28 classes and 840 students in the first year they take effect.
“To line the pockets of senior administrators is abhorrent,” she
said before the vote.
Trustee Jerry Patterson, the sole vote against the pay raises,
said that he could not support the amount proposed.
“I don’t doubt we need to work on getting everyone’s salary up,
but I don’t think you do it overnight,” he said. “You haven’t done it
overnight for anybody else.”
The increased salaries are necessary to attract quality candidates
to the positions, trustee Paul Berger countered. He said the pay is
“not even competitive” with similar positions at community college
and other school districts.
The district will need to fill some vice chancellor positions this
year, Berger said, as well as find a new president for Orange Coast
College when Gene Farrell retires next year. They will also have to
replace Yglesias at Golden West College when he moves to the
district.
Yglesias graduated from the University of South Florida and
received his doctorate from the University of Southern California in
1977.
He has worked as an educator for the past 35 years at schools
including El Camino College and Pepperdine University and was an
adjunct faculty member at California State University, Long Beach,
and National University. Before going to Golden West, he worked as
administrative director of educational services for the district.
“I’m elated,” Yglesias said of his new position. “I’ve worked [at
the district] before for a number of years. It’s kind of like coming
back home.”
* MARISA O’NEIL covers education. She may be reached at (949)
574-4268 or by e-mail at marisa.oneil@latimes.com.
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