(Santa Ana, CA)— Rancho Santiago Community College District announces the appointment of Veronica I. Oforlea, Ed.D., CHES, as associate dean, disabled student programs and services, at Santa Ana College. In this role, Oforlea is responsible for the supervision and administration of all programs and services provided through Disabled Student Programs and Services (DSPS) including the Health, Wellness and Psychological Services Center (Health Center). Her responsibilities include supervising all functions and activities that serve the instructional and student services needs of student with disabilities to ensure that the college is in compliance with applicable state and federal laws, regulations, and guidelines. She is responsible for overseeing the personnel assigned to DSPS and the Health Center, maintaining regulatory compliance, delivering those programs and services, and administration of the budgets.
With 11 years of higher education experience and five years of pre-K-12 and higher education teaching experience, Oforlea offers an abundance of experience, as a program administrator, diversity and inclusion advocate, resource manager, college instructor, special education teacher, conflict mediator, patient representative, and social service practitioner.
Since 2011, she served as director of Disabled Students Program and Services, Student Health Services and CalWORKS at Merced College (MC). In that role, she administered three student support programs serving over 10,000 students at two campus sites and oversaw a $3.2 million budget. From 2008-2011, she directed the MC CalWORKS program, which served over 550 students. Earlier, she served as director of the MC Foster and Kinship Education Care Program providing child development courses to prospective and active foster parents. Oforlea has also taught human development at Merced College and taught special education for the Fayetteville Office of Education in Fayette, Georgia, and at the Metropolitan State Mental Health Hospital in Norwalk.
Oforlea earned a B.A. in human development from California State University, San Bernardino and an M.S. in health professions education with an emphasis in health and human services from Western University of Health Services, Pomona. She obtained an Ed. D. in educational leadership at California State University, Stanislaus in Turlock. In addition, she has completed leadership training with the National Association of African American Affairs, Leadership Development Institute; the Community College League of California; and the Association for California Community College Administrators. She has also widely presented at higher education and public services conferences. She is a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) approved by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc.
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.
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