News Release

All Campuses

Semi-Finalists For President of Cerro Coso College Announced

May 7, 2007

Kern Community College District Chancellor Sandra Serrano and the Cerro Coso Community College Presidential Search Committee have released the names of four semi-finalists for Cerro Coso College president. They are: Mr. Elmer Bugg, Executive Director and CEO, Regional Training Institute, Contra Costa Community College; Dr. Sunita Cooke, Associate Vice Chancellor, Workforce Development, North Harris Montgomery Community College District; Dr. Debra Daniels, Vice President for Academics and Student Services, Polk Community College District; and Dr. Mary Retterer, Interim President, Cerro Coso Community College.

Each candidate has been invited to the Cerro Coso Campus for an open forum, campus tour, and Chancellor Interview on Tuesday, May 15. The forum schedule is as follows:

     Dr. Debra Daniels – 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.
     Mr. Elmer Bugg – 2:45 to 3:45 p.m.
     Dr. Sunita Cooke – 4:00 to 5:00 p.m.
     Dr. Mary Retterer – 5:15 to 6:15 p.m.

The forums will be held in the Learning Resource Center Building, Room 604 on the Ridgecrest, Indian Wells Valley Campus.

Brief Biographies on each semi-finalist:

Mr. Elmer A. Bugg, Jr. has more than 20 years of leadership experience in program development and leading change management initiatives. His tenure at Santa Monica College included serving as a Professor in Management Studies, President of Santa Monica College's Academic Senate, and a member of the Executive Committee of the Academic Senate for the California Community Colleges. He has over 10 years of administrative experience. As the Assistant Dean for the SMC's Office of Workforce and Economic Development, he served as a community liaison in the development of partnerships and linkages with business, industry, government, labor, education, etc. Most recently, he served as Executive Director and CEO of the Contra Costa Community College District's Regional Training Institute. The award winning training and development programs Elmer has led have been featured in several newspapers and trade magazines. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration & Economics and a Master's Degree in Organizational Management from Antioch University. Currently he is completing his Doctor of Philosophy in Education & Human Resource Studies, with a specialization in Community College Leadership, at Colorado State University. He serves on the Board of Directors of the East Bay Leadership Foundation and is a Trustee of the California Shakespeare Theater in Contra Costa County. View extended bio >>

Dr. Sunita Cooke currently serves as Associate Vice Chancellor of Workforce Development in the North Harris Montgomery Community College District (NHMCCD) in suburban Houston, Texas. She has worked at Montgomery College since 1995 following her postdoctoral training at MD Anderson Cancer Center. She has taught biology, microbiology and biotechnology at Universities and Community Colleges for over 13 years. In her role as faculty member, she founded the Montgomery College Honors Program and was awarded a Teaching with Excellence Award in 1999. She has served as a director, dean and is currently in a vice-president level position in the system office. She spearheaded an effort to obtain a $1.6 million grant from the Texas Workforce Commission to support 12 local businesses with skill upgrades for 850 employees within the manufacturing industry and to create 650 jobs within the area. She has served on a variety of boards at the local, regional, state and national levels. She was recently named to serve a three year term on the International Chair Academy's Practitioner's Board. She has served as a mentor to emerging higher education leaders, taught in community development institutes and graduate programs. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from The American University in Washington, D.C. in which she graduated magna cum laude, and she hold a Ph. D. in Biology from Georgetown University. View extended bio >>

Dr. Debra S. Daniels has served in higher education for twenty nine years with over nine years as a higher education administrative leader. She is currently the Vice President for Academic and Student Services for Polk Community College (PCC) in Winter Haven, Florida. She has served in this position since 2003. Prior to working at PCC she was the Vice President for Instruction at Kellogg Community College in Michigan from 2001 to 2003, Vice President for Academics and Student Services at Parkland College in Illinois from 2000-2001, Associate Campus Director for Instruction at New Mexico State University at Alamogordo from 1998-2000. While at NMSU-A she served 13 concurrent months as the Interim Campus Director. She served from 1981-1997 as Program Director of Dental Assisting and a faculty member at Illinois Central College and three years as a faculty member at Delta College in Michigan. She holds an Associate of Applied Science degree in Dental Assisting from Delta College, a Bachelor of Science degree in Allied Health Teacher Education from Ferris State University, a Master of Education degree from the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign, and a Doctorate in Education specializing in Community College Leadership. She is active in the community and currently serves on the board for the Winter Haven YMCA and is a member of the Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce, Cypress Gardens Rotary Club, Polk Vision, Winter Haven Leadership and the Workforce Economic Council. She also serves on two Florida Department of Education statewide committees. Additionally, she is an accreditation consultant evaluator for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. View extended bio >>

Dr. Mary E. Retterer is the interim president of Cerro Coso Community College, located in Ridgecrest. Her professional career includes experience in community college systems in California, Arizona, and Minnesota. She has led urban colleges, community and technical colleges, and colleges with satellite centers in rural areas. She has experience with serving the educational needs of the military and working with David-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson. As the Superintendent/President of Shasta-Tehama-Trinity Joint Community College District from June 2004 to June 2006, she instituted the first New Faculty Learning Academy, Safe Halloween, and a streamlined strategic planning process. She was President of Pima Community College's East Campus in Tucson, from 1998 to 2004. She started inter-collegiate athletics at the campus, oversaw growth of the Public Safety Institute, and brought Veterinary Technician program to the campus. Enrollment grew 30% during her tenure. She began her administrative career in a variety of positions that were part of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System, including President of Ridgewater College in Willmar and Hutchison. She has served as Interim Regional President of the Arrowhead Community College Region and Interim President Minneapolis Community College, as well as dean at Rainy River Community College in International Falls, Minnesota. She has many years of teaching experience, including teaching business & accounting in the San Bernardino Community College District from 1981-1993; the University of Texas at Austin in 1992; and California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, 1980-81. She spent ten years in business and industry before coming to higher education. She earned an Associate of Arts Degree from Crafton Hills College; a Bachelors of Arts Degree in Administration, with a concentration in accounting, and a Masters of Business Administration, with a concentration in accounting from the California State University, San Bernardino; and a Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Administration, Community College Leadership Program, from the University of Texas at Austin. She is also a certified trainer for Development Dimensions International (DDI). View extended bio >>

Community members are encouraged to attend each of these forums, which will additionally be made available through Cerro Coso's Interactive Television System at the Kern River Valley Campus, and the Eastern Sierra College Center in Mammoth and Bishop.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Joann Handeland, Director of Public Information (760) 384-6230