Rio Hondo College Newspaper

El Paisano

Rio Hondo College Newspaper

El Paisano

Rio Hondo College Newspaper

El Paisano

Trustees appoint Dreyfuss as president

by Steven Ward

The Rio Hondo Board of Trustees unanimously named Teresa Dreyfuss as the new President/Superintendent of the college Wednesday night, changing her status from interim to permanent.

Dreyfuss, who has worked at the college since 1987 and has been the interim president since July 1, 2012 after Ted Martinez Jr. retired from the position, also served as chief financial officer, controller, business manager and senior accountant during her time at the college. She earned an MBA from the University of La Verne and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Chinese Culture. Beyond that Dreyfuss has worked as a part-time instructor at both Rio Hondo and Los Angeles City College, teaching accounting and business classes for 10 years; as well as occupying the position of director of business at Riverside Community College District. She has also served on several boards including the Chancellor’s Office Facility Task Force and Chief Business Officials California Community College.

Previous incumbent Dr. Ted Martinez Jr. was the President/Superintendent of Rio Hondo for five years before he announced his resignation and retirement in the summer of last year. It was then that Dreyfuss was announced as the active interim for the college.

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When elections for candidacy began for Rio Hondo’s new President/Superintendent, there were close to 25 prospective applicants. That number was eliminated until only six finalists remained two weeks ago. Of those finalists was Mt. San Antonio College Board of Trustees President and Political Science faculty member Manuel Baca and Dreyfuss. The remaining four were Linda Gates Black, vice chancellor for student services at Tarrant County College in Texas; Barbara Blanchard, vice president of academic affairs at Grossmont College; Rajen Vurdien, president at Fullerton College; and Kevin Walthers, president of Las Positas College.

After a one-hour public forum given by each candidate, Dreyfuss, Vurdien, and Walthers remained to be chosen by the Board of Trustees.

Walthers, a previous vice chancellor for West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, West Virginia Community and Technical College System, withdrew his candidacy after accepting a presidency at Hancock College.

Vurdien was previously a vice president for instruction at Saddleback College.

            Board President Madeline Shapiro said at the meeting that a contract between the college and Dreyfuss still needed to be negotiated. However, Dreyfuss has already made her aims clear to the college and board. When asked at her public forum what her plans and goals are if named the 14th President/Superintendent of Rio Hondo College, Dreyfuss stated, “there are so many things to do,” but at the top of that list lies achieving accreditation for the college.

 

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