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June 13, 2005

Members of the college community and the public will be able to meet, question and hear presentations from the finalists for the position of President of Los Angeles City College, on Monday, June 27, 2005 from 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. and Tuesday, June 28, 2005 from 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. at Los Angeles City College’s Camino Theater. Each candidate will have 50 minutes to speak and answer questions.

Guests will have an opportunity to record their comments for review by the Los Angeles Community College Board of Trustees, who will make the final selection.

The forums will be moderated by Dr. Audre Levy, President of Los Angeles Southwest College and chair of the LACC President Search Committee; this committee of representatives of various campus constituencies and community groups selected the four finalists. The candidate presentations will be in the following order:

Monday, June 27:
3:00 p.m. Merrill Eastcott
3:50 p.m. Break
4:00 p.m. Kathryn Jeffery
4:50 pm. Conclusion

Tuesday, June 28:
3:00 p.m. Henry Zimon
3:50 p.m. Break
4:00 p.m. Steve Maradian
4:50 pm. Conclusion

Merrill Eastcott is currently acting Vice President of Administration at City, on leave from his regular position as Dean of Academic Affairs. He worked at El Camino College as faculty coordinator for the department of mathematics, and served a six-month internship there as Vice President of Student and Community Advancement, as well as campus administrator for the El Camino – CSUDH Alliance for Minority Participation. Prior to this he served in the US Air Force as base commander at Misawa Air Base, Japan, after service as Director of Plans, 5th Air Force Headquarters, Japan; Senior Air Force planner at the Pentagon, Commander of an Air Force advanced flight school, and course director in mathematics at the US Air Force Academy.

Kathryn Jeffery is currently Chief Campus Administrator for the West Charleston campus of the Community College of Southern Nevada, Las Vegas. Prior to that she served there as Interim Dean, Arts and Letters. Before that she was Vice President of Instruction and Student Services at Columbia College, Sonora, in the Yosemite CCD. This was after service as Dean of Student Services and Coordinator of Faculty and Staff Diversity in the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, and Coordinator of EOPS at Sacramento City College.

Henry Zimon served as president of Albright College in Pennsylvania, after working at the Pentagon as Senior Strategic Planner for the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He was a post-doctoral fellow at Harvard University JFK School of Government, served as special assistant to the US State Department Delegation to Negotiation on Conventional Forces in Europe, and in the US Army served as Battalion Commander in Germany, Strategic Planner at the Pentagon, Consultant for the National Security Council, and Secretary of the General Staff 32d Army Defense Command in Germany. Prior to that he held various positions in the US Army including a faculty position at West Point.

Steve Maradian served as director of federal relations for the University System of Georgia, after service as President of Middle Georgia College, Executive Director of the Regional Maritime Technology Center of the University of New Orleans, President of Lamar College (Orange, TX) and President of Belmont Technical College (Ohio). Prior to that he was Chief Instructional Officer/ Associate VP for Academic Affairs at Hillsborough Community College (Florida), after various dean and director positions at Lakeland Community College (Ohio), Patrick Henry Community College (Virginia), and North Shore Community College (Massachusetts).

The Board of Trustees authorized the Interim Chancellor, Peter Landsberger, to conduct the search with his staff, and has also employed Community College Search Services, based in Ventura, CA, to assist in the process. CCSS provides executive search services to many community college districts in the state. Advertising was done in the Chronicle of Higher Education, Black Issues in Higher Education, Hispanic Outlook, Asian Week, Academic Careers Online, and the California Community Colleges State Diversity Registry, as well as the District’s own website. The District also sent a recruitment letter and brochure in a nationwide mailing to all community colleges in the United States.