By Patricia A. Rasmussen, Ed.D.

President of the Citrus Community College District Board of Trustees

After nearly 13 years of dedicated service, Geraldine M. Perri, Ph.D., is retiring from Citrus College. Dr. Perri is only the seventh superintendent/president to lead the institution during its 106-year history, and she has the distinction of being the first female superintendent/president. The college is now embarking on the search for her replacement, and the six-month recruitment process is both inclusive and complex.

After the Citrus Community College District Board of Trustees learned of Dr. Perri’s decision to retire, it reviewed proposals from various search firms to assist in finding viable superintendent/president candidates. Working with a consultant helps the board to ensure that the process is fair and equitable, and that recruitment is far-reaching.

The search firm started gathering data almost immediately about the qualities the college community and the community-at-large wanted to see in the new superintendent/president. All college constituent groups were surveyed, as well as the board and various members of those communities that Citrus College serves. The search firm gathered information and shared it with the board. It also began writing a job description and brochure information for the recruitment process.

Next, a search committee was formed, consisting of faculty, classified staff, managers, and community and Citrus College Foundation members. These individuals committed their time to receiving training on cultural competency, implicit bias and confidentiality, and they were also instructed on the procedure for screening applicants.

The search firm then began advertising the position statewide and nationally, and it worked with the search committee to develop interview questions. Candidates applied online during COVID-19, and the committee selected those candidates they wanted to interview. Meanwhile, the board determined its questions for the finalists and worked with the search firm to receive training in cultural sensitivity and labor laws.

After the search committee completes its interviews, it will select finalists, who will then be introduced to the college community in a series of online forums. Community members may access the virtual forums to also view the finalists. Forums will take place online from May 25-27. Visit www.citruscollege.edu/presidentialsearch for the link to these forums in mid-May.

The college community will again be given the opportunity to provide input to the board about the finalists before the board interviews candidates and selects the new superintendent/president. At that point, the process will have taken nearly six months, but it will have also involved all college constituent groups in selecting the next leader for Citrus College.