Jorge Escobar named Interim Vice Chancellor SJECCD

February 25, 2019 2 Comments

We are excited to announce that Cultura Ambassador, Collaborator & Education Champion Jorge Escobar has been named Interim Vice chancellor at San José Evergreen Community College District!

Jorge has a long career and a vast amount of experience in the education industry which has permitted him to sit on the board at The Foundation for Hispanic Education among many of his accomplishments!

San José – Evergreen CCD Fills Key Leadership Roles

(San Jose, Calif.) —San José – Evergreen Community College District (SJECCD) recently welcomed new leaders to two key roles within the District's administration, appointing Jorge L. Escobar interim vice chancellor of administrative services and Dr. Beatriz Chaidez associate vice chancellor of human resources.

"These are very important leadership positions within our District and will help move our District forward. Following our robust search process, Jorge and Beatriz were the clear top candidates for their respective positions," said Dr. Byron D. Clift Breland, SJECCD chancellor. "We are very fortunate to be adding two people with extraordinary skills and experiences and visionary leadership to our District."

Prior to his appointment as interim vice chancellor, Escobar took on the role of acting president at San José City College (SJCC) where he had previously served as vice president of administrative services since 2014. Before joining SJCC, Escobar held various leadership positions with Princeton University, Laureate International Universities, the National Hispanic University and Merrill Lynch. He has extensive experience in strategic planning, business reengineering, fiscal management, business development, technology implementation, online education, and oversight of construction projects.

During his tenure at SJCC, the college opened an extension site in Milpitas, a welding lab, and a physical education building and gymnasium, among other projects, all of which were built under Escobar's leadership. His educational background includes a Master of Science in education from Walden University, Bachelor of Science in business administration-finance from Rider University, Bachelor of Science in business administration management from Thomas Edison State College, and an Associate of Applied Science in business administration and accounting from County College of Morris.

"I take this opportunity as a way of exercising all my experience and knowledge with the ultimate intention of making our colleges the top choice for higher education in Silicon Valley," Escobar said.

Dr. Chaidez has spent more than 20 years in education, a career which began as a classroom teacher and saw her most recently serving as assistant superintendent for human resources with Salinas City Elementary School District (SCESD). She has held numerous positions within education, including director of pupil personnel services and special education—also with SCESD—assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction with Sacramento City Unified School District and superintendent/principal with Raisin City School District. Dr. Chaidez has extensive experience with worker's compensation, classification and compensation of job descriptions, employment law, labor negotiations, California Educational Code, and Title 5, all of which will inform the work she does for SJECCD. She has also served as an executive board member for both the Association of California School Administrators and the California Association of Latino Superintendents and Administrators.

"I'm very pleased to be joining San José – Evergreen Community College District. My personal values align closely with the District's mission and values and I look forward to using my skills and experience to help advance our mission and serve our students and community," Dr. Chaidez said. "I understand and appreciate the vital role that community colleges play in our educational system, particularly for many individuals from traditionally underrepresented groups."

Chaidez holds a doctorate in educational leadership from University of California, Davis; a Master of Arts in educational administration from Fresno Pacific University; and a Bachelor of Arts in liberal studies from California State University, Fresno.

"Both Jorge and Beatriz have shown unwavering commitment to our District's core values of Opportunity, Equity, and Social Justice throughout their careers," Dr. Clift Breland said. "I look forward to working closely with both of them as members of our Executive Cabinet."

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About San José – Evergreen Community College District

Located in vibrant downtown San José in the heart of Silicon Valley, the San José – Evergreen Community College District (SJECCD) encompasses more than 300 square miles, including a large portion of the City of San José and all of the City of Milpitas. The District includes the areas served by Milpitas and San José Unified School Districts, together with East Side Union High School District. SJECCD is comprised of: Evergreen Valley College, established in 1975; San José City College, the first community college in Santa Clara County, established in 1921; the Community College Center for Economic Mobility (previously known as the Workforce Institute), established in 1988, and the San José – Evergreen Community College Extension at Milpitas, established in 2016. For more information, visit www.sjeccd.edu.