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June 25, 2009
Dr. Marshall E. (Mark) Drummond, Chancellor of the Los Angeles Community College District, has taken a leave of absence from his position.
The leave, which began June 24, is expected to be for an extended period. To respect Dr. Drummond's privacy, no further details about his leave will be provided by the District at this time.
In Dr. Drummond’s absence, Deputy Chancellor Adriana D. Barrera will serve as Acting Chancellor. Dr. Barrera will handle all of Dr. Drummond’s official duties as the chief executive of the nation’s largest community college district.
Dr. Drummond, 67, a technology executive-turned-education leader, returned to the LACCD in July, 2007 to serve as chancellor for the second time. Overall, he has guided the LACCD for seven years.
He first headed the nine-college LACCD as chancellor from 1999 to 2004. After that he became chancellor of the California Community Colleges, where he worked on behalf of the state’s 72 college districts, until returning to the LACCD two years ago.
Earlier in his career, Dr. Drummond was president of Eastern Washington University for nearly 10 years. He is a native of Northern California, and holds a bachelor of science degree in management and economics from San Jose State University, an MBA from San Jose State University, and a Doctorate of Education from the University of San Francisco.
Dr. Barrera, 58, was appointed deputy chancellor of the LACCD in September, 2005. Since then she has overseen most of the LACCD’s headquarters operations, while assisting Chancellor Drummond in a variety of other areas.
Before becoming deputy chancellor, Dr. Barrera for five years was president of Los Angeles Mission College, an LACCD college in the San Fernando Valley. Under her leadership, the number of Mission College students transferring to four-year universities rose 25%. The number of degrees and diplomas awarded by the college increased by a similar amount.
Previously, Dr. Barrera was president of El Paso Community College. A native of Benavides, Texas, Dr. Barrera earned a PhD in psychology from Texas Tech University.
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