College district gets new leader

Marisa O’Neil

Coast Community College District board of trustees 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.”