(Santa Ana, CA) – Following an extensive national search, the Rancho Santiago Community College District (RSCCD) Board of Trustees has named Marvin Martinez its district Chancellor. The announcement was made at the Board of Trustees’ regularly scheduled board meeting on May 28, 2019. Martinez will succeed Dr. Raul Rodriguez, who announced his retirement in late 2018 after serving over three decades in community colleges, including nine years at RSCCD. The new Chancellor will take office on July 1, 2019.
"Given his 30 years of community college experience which includes the last 10 years as President of East Los Angeles College and President of Los Angeles Harbor College, as well as his recent successful term as 2018-2019 Board President of the Chief Executive Officers for California Community Colleges, we are confident that Mr. Martinez possesses the broad community college leadership experience and vision to take RSCCD to the next level,” stated Phillip E. Yarbrough, President, RSCCD Board of Trustees.
Mr. Marvin Martinez
Under Martinez’s most recent post as President of East Los Angeles College, the college was ranked No. 6 in the nation and No. 1 in California for community college degrees and certificates granted to Hispanic students in 2017, according to Hispanic Outlook on Education magazine. Prior to serving East Los Angeles College, Mr. Martinez served as President of Los Angeles Harbor College, where he was responsible for $444 million in bond construction, balancing the college budget in his first year as President, and making significant gains in student success.
A native of El Salvador, Martinez immigrated to Brooklyn, New York, and later moved to Long Beach, California, where he graduated from Long Beach Wilson High. He holds a Master of Arts in Urban Planning and a Bachelor of Arts in English from UCLA.
“I am pleased by the Board of Trustees’ decision,” stated RSCCD Chancellor Raul Rodriguez. “Mr. Martinez’s authentic approach to leadership, his proven track record of achieving institutional goals, and his advocacy for community support of the institution will serve our diverse student population, our valued employees and the District’s communities very well.”
As Chancellor, Martinez will lead the Rancho Santiago Community College District, which includes Santa Ana College and Santiago Canyon College. The district serves more than 52,000 students annually in a district with a population of more than 700,000 residents in the communities of Anaheim Hills, Orange, Santa Ana, Villa Park, and portions of Anaheim, Costa Mesa, Irvine, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove and Tustin.
In addition to the colleges, Martinez will also maintain oversight of the district’s Centennial and Orange Continuing Education Centers, the Digital Media Center, the Orange County Regional Fire Training Center, the Orange County Sheriff’s Regional Training Academy, and the district operations center.
“I am honored and humbled to serve as the new Chancellor of the Rancho Santiago Community College District,” said Mr. Martinez. “It is an opportunity of a lifetime to serve the students and work with the faculty and staff of a dynamic District that is a leader in transforming lives and helping all achieve their dreams.”
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About Rancho Santiago Community College District
Santa Ana College and Santiago Canyon College are public community colleges of the Rancho Santiago Community College District, which serves the residents of Anaheim Hills, Orange, Santa Ana, Villa Park, and portions of Anaheim, Costa Mesa, Irvine, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, and Tustin. Both colleges provide education for academic transfer and careers, courses for personal and professional development, and customized training for business and industry.
