Student Services Leadership Transitions Update
Dear Gavilan College Community,
I am writing to share that Dean Diego Espinoza has decided to transition from his role at Gavilan College, with his last day on campus set for July 15. Diego has accepted a position in his previous district, a decision that allows him to return to familiar roots but is undoubtedly a bittersweet departure for our familia.
During his time with us, Diego has truly "left it all on the court," advocating fiercely for our students and ensuring their voices remained at the center of our decision-making. His 110% commitment to student success, collaborative spirit, and deep care for our community have left a lasting impact on our campus culture. We are incredibly grateful for his leadership and the dedication he brought to work every single day.
As we look toward vibrant and successful summer and fall semesters, we are fully prepared to maintain our good momentum. To ensure our operations continue to run smoothly and our services remain high-quality, we have put a transition plan in place:
- Dean Carina Cisneros, on a temporary basis, will bring her extensive expertise to provide leadership and administrative support for our Counseling Department.
- Supervisor Ryan Shook will step up to manage the operational activities for the Welcome Center, Student Life, the Transfer and Career Center, and our active grants.
Additionally, I am thrilled to share that we have identified a highly experienced student services professional to serve as our interim Vice President of Student Services from July through Spring 2027. We are currently finalizing the standard reference and background checks, and plan to bring this recommendation to the Board of Trustees for approval at our July meeting. We will make a formal announcement as soon as we've finalized the reference processes.
With this temporary structure in place, we are well-positioned for the upcoming academic year. Looking ahead, we will launch our formal recruitment processes, with the goal of hiring our permanent Dean of Counseling and Student Success this fall, followed by the search for our permanent Vice President of Student Services in the spring.
Please join me in expressing our deepest gratitude to Diego for his outstanding service, and in thanking Carina and Ryan for their leadership and commitment to our community during this new chapter.
Warmly,
Dr. Pedro Avila
Superintendent/President
5055 Santa Teresa Boulevard | Gilroy, CA 95020
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