The Board of Trustees for the San Mateo County Community College District announced that Skyline College President Dr. Melissa Moreno has been selected to serve as interim Chancellor at the end of current interim Chancellor Michael Claire’s term.

Moreno was unanimously approved by the board on Wednesday, February 22nd.

Claire announced his intention to retire last year, leaving a vacancy that created a months-long search and yielded three finalists. However, the search committee decided to continue before finally landing on Dr. Moreno.

When asked about her vision for the District, which serves Skyline College, College of San Mateo, and Canada College, Dr. Moreno said, “I plan to work with the board to continue removing barriers for our disproportionately impacted students to enable their success. I am also accountable for improving transparency and communication about our work as stewards of the public trust and to ensure continuity of operations as we ready ourselves for the future.”

“I am excited to embark on this immense responsibility as Interim Chancellor of the San Mateo County Community College District and to support the success of all three colleges in our County,” Moreno added.

“In so many ways, it is a dawning of new day for our District. We have emerged from the pandemic with a renewed awareness of the challenges our students face – from food and housing insecurities to technological and transportation barriers.”

This also means Skyline College will seek a new President to fill Dr. Moreno’s position.

“As a college district, we are fortunate to be able to select an administrator of Dr. Moreno’s experience from within our own college district community,” Board of Trustees President Lisa Petrides said in an email to District employees. “It is yet another example as to why the San Mateo County Community College District is considered one of the best in the nation,” she added.

Dr. Moreno will officially begin serving as interim Chancellor on April 1st.

In related news, the vacancy for Board of Trustees area 3 has been filled by Wayne Lee. That position was left vacant with the election of Maurice Goodman to Millbrae City Council.