Fresno City College president is making history with new job. Here’s how
Fresno City College President Dr. Robert Pimentel is returning to his roots at West Hills Community College District, becoming its first Latino chancellor in its 90 year history.
“I worked there for 18 years prior to coming to Fresno, I finished my tenure there as a dean of instruction, I know the community very well, I’ve lived my entire life out there,” said Pimentel in an interview with The Fresno Bee.
“I’m excited to see what the future holds, but I’m really sad to leave Fresno City College,” he said. “We have great people working at Fresno City College to make a difference in the community and have the best possible impact on the students, I hope the next president will keep working with the faculty and staff to move the mission of the college forward.”
Pimentel’s last day at FCC is July 31. He assumes his new position on the first day of August, succeeding Dr. Kristin Clark upon her retirement, wrote the WHCCD statement.
WHCCD covers nearly 3,500 square miles with colleges in Lemoore and Coalinga, the Firebaugh Center, plus several child development centers and district facilities. In the academic year of 2022-23, it served more then 9,500 students, nearly 70% Hispanic, according to its website.
Pimentel is the first Latino chancellor in WHCCD’s more than 90 years. The other two finalists were Dr. Santanu Bandyopadhyay, whose last assignment was the interim president of Woodland Community College, and Dr. Carla Tweed, president of Coalinga College.
“This is such a privilege, I wish it would have had one before me,” said Pimentel. “The community is 75% Latino out here, I hope that I could live up to that expectation.”
Local Latino community leaders said it’s important for a diverse student body to see colleges and district leaders that reflect their community.
“It’s very powerful to have role models that they can look up to and be successful,” said Eliseo Gamiño, president of the Central Valley Leadership Round Table. “We are very proud to see that changes and having diverse leaders in key positions.”
“I look forward to see that he empowered and engaged students in Huron and other rural communities that are majority-Latino to pursue a higher education and having West Hills colleges as a bridge,” said Rey León, the mayor for the city of Huron.
Leon has long been advocating for the West Hills to consider appointing individuals that better reflect the Latino community. In a letter to the West Hills’ trustees in 2021, when Clark was named the chancellor, he said the appointment showed the “Lack of seriousness on the District board’s behalf,” and the absence of qualified Latino candidates for the position was a “false premise and an offensive one to our community.”
For FCC, it will conduct a nationwide search to fill the position permanently, according to a statement from State Center Community College District, which oversees Fresno, Clovis, Reedley and Madera community colleges.
The SCCCD’s Chancellor Dr. Carole Goldsmith will name the interim, said district spokesperson Jill Wagner. The chancellor will select the candidates for the permanent president position and present the finalists to the SCCCD board of trustees for ratification.
“We conduct national searches for all of our top positions,” said Wagner.
The district doesn’t have timelines for appointing an interim, and the national search since Pimentel’s announcement was just made on Monday, Wagner added.
Pimentel has been working at Fresno City College for six years, first as the vice president of educational services and institutional effectiveness. He was president for the last two years.
During his tenure, Pimentel brought back over 3,000 full-time equivalent student enrollment to Fresno City College, making it back to pre-pandemic levels. He led the “Men of color” Initiative to retain and attract minority groups, especially African American students, to higher education. Other highlights include opening up new campuses, a First Responder Center equipped with the newest equipment to train policemen, firemen, and emergency medical technicians, and doubling the capacity of the Child Development Center, which offers childcare services for students, faculty, staff and community members.
