For Immediate Release: May 19, 2004
Media Contact: Kristen Habbestad,
NORWALK, CA – May 19, 2004 – Following an intensive nationwide search, the Cerritos College Presidential Search Committee has named three finalists for the position of president. The search committee, which was comprised of faculty, staff, students and administrators, recommended the candidates to the Cerritos College Board of Trustees following an extensive recruitment, paper screening and interview process.
The finalists, in alphabetical order, are Rita M. Cepeda, Noelia Vela and Audrey Yamagata-Noji. Biographical information follows.
Cepeda currently serves as President at Santa Ana Community College. She joined the college in 1999 after a year-long interim presidency at Mission College in the West Valley Mission Colleges District. Cepeda also served as Vice Chancellor of Curriculum and Instructional Resources, as Dean of Education Standards and Evaluation, and as Specialist of Academic Planning and Evaluation -- all within the California State Chancellor’s Office, where she served for a total of 18 years (1980-1998). Cepeda also served on the National Community College Leaders Advisory Committee to the United States Department of Education. Cepeda holds a doctorate in education from the University of Southern California, a master’s degree in community clinical psychology from California State University Long Beach and a bachelor’s degree in communication disorders from CSULB.
Vela has served since 1997 as President at Pima Community College’s downtown campus in Tucson, Arizona. Prior to her work at PCC, she was President at Evergreen Valley College in San Jose, California. Vela also served as Dean of Student Services at Cuyamaca College in El Cajon and Vice President, Student Services at Irvine Valley College. Vela has also served in administrative positions at Grossmount College in El Cajon and Palomar College in San Marcos. Vela served two terms as Board Member of the Association of California Community College Administrators. Vela holds a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of San Diego and a master’s degree in counselor education from Illinois State University. Vela also holds a dual bachelor’s degree in Spanish and business education from ISU.
Yamagata-Noji is Vice President of Student Services at Mt. San Antonio College. Prior to joining Mt. SAC in 1996, Yamagata-Noji served as Dean of Student Development and Assistant Dean of Student Services for Santa Ana College. While at Santa Ana College, Yamagata-Noji taught psychology at an extension campus for the University of California. Yamagata-Noji also held administrative positions at Saddleback College and was a faculty member at Long Beach City College. Since 1984, Yamagata-Noji has served as an instructor/facilitator for Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics, Inc. She is currently Vice President of the Board of Education for the Santa Ana Unified School District. Yamagata-Noji holds a doctorate in education from Claremont Graduate University and a master’s degree in counseling from California State University, Long Beach. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from CSULB.
The candidates will visit the campus on Thursday, May 20 to meet faculty and staff and to participate in public forums. The public forums will be held in the Cerritos College Teleconference Center:
10 – 11 a.m. (Cepeda)
1 – 2 p.m. (Yamagata-Noji)
2 – 3 p.m. (Vela)
For nearly 50 years, Cerritos College has served as a comprehensive community college for southeastern Los Angeles County communities including Artesia, Bellflower, Cerritos, Downey, Hawaiian Gardens, Lakewood, La Mirada and Norwalk. The college offers degrees and certificates in more than 180 areas of study in nine divisions. Annually, more than 1,200 students successfully complete their course of studies, and enrollment currently surpasses 24,000 students. Visit Cerritos College online at www.cerritos.edu.
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