News Release

All Campuses

Dr. James Fay Accepts Vice-President Position at Cerro Coso Community College

January 25, 2008

Dr. James Fay
Vice President of Academic Affairs

Cerro Coso Community College is pleased to welcome Dr. James Fay as the new Vice-President of Academic Affairs. "Cerro Coso is very pleased to have Dr. Fay join our team. Jim is a visionary, possesses high skills in technology, and has a strong background in distance education leadership. His experience with the California State University system will assist us in bringing upper division courses to the Cerro Coso campuses," stated Cerro Coso President, Dr. Mary Retterer.

Fay was born and raised in New York City, moving to California in 1970. He has an undergraduate degree from Georgetown University. After serving as an army intelligence officer in Germany, Fay earned a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Michigan and a J.D. from University of California Hastings College of the Law.

He has been a professor, department chair, and dean at California State University, East Bay. He went on to become the founding dean at Harcourt Higher Education, in Boston, the first online college in New England, and subsequently served as academic vice president at the wholly online Ellis College, in Illinois.

During his years at Cal State, Fay developed, researched, and edited seven editions of the California Almanac. He worked in the California Governor's Office and ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 1996.

His goals at Cerro Coso are to work with President Retterer, the faculty, and staff to improve the student retention rate, expand the college's online programs, develop new energy, technology, and training programs to serve the region's cutting-edge technology sector, and raise funds to support these new initiatives.

Fay's wife, Stephanie, is a book editor. They have two grown sons, Eric and Alex, and three granddaughters, Veronica, Victoria, and Natalia.

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