Friday, April 14, 2023 – The White House announced Berkeley City College President Dr. Angélica Garcia will be serving alongside educators, philanthropists, and nationally recognized artists, including Lady Gaga, George Clooney, and Kerry Washington, on the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities (PCAH).
The PCAH was founded in 1982 by Executive Order to advise the President on cultural policy. In her role as a committee member, Dr. Garcia will contribute to advising the President and the heads of U.S. cultural agencies on policy, philanthropic and private sector engagement, and other efforts to enhance federal support for the arts, humanities, and museum and library services.
“I am deeply honored to be included among brilliant, global-minded, and champions of the arts, humanities, museums, and libraries,” said Dr. Garcia. “Community colleges across this country are anchors of democracy that often serve as the cultural centers of diverse communities, in many cases being the only spaces where the arts, humanities and libraries are accessible. I am humbled by this appointment and am eager to be both learner and teacher on the committee.”
About Dr. Garcia: Dr. Angélica Garcia is an educational leader who is passionate about issues of access, equity, and student success in higher education. Garcia serves as the President of Berkeley City College, which is recognized as a Hispanic Serving Institution and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution, both proud symbols of being the community’s college. Unapologetically, she believes community colleges provide liberatory education experiences that disrupt the status quo, especially for historically minoritized communities. She is a Co-Founder and Board Member of COLEGAS, a statewide organization focused on the advocacy and development of Latinx professionals in California Community Colleges, and has a proven record of equity-minded leadership. Garcia serves on the Puente Project Advisory Board, the national LGTBQ Leaders in Higher Education Board, and previously on the Board of Directors for Higher Education Resource Services.
Appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly, she served as the Vice Chair for the StudentCentered Funding Formula Oversight Committee, charged with reviewing legislation, data, and its impact on the California Community Colleges. She has been a fellow with the Aspen Presidential Institute, the National Community College Hispanic Council, and the UC Davis Wheelhouse Institute, all of which are leadership programs focused on equitable student outcomes. Garcia is a proud second-generation Latina and first-generation college graduate, who earned a Doctorate in Educational Leadership at San Francisco State University, a Master’s in Social Work at San Diego State University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal and Civic Studies at Saint Mary’s College of California.
Dr. Garcia has been appointed to be the Superintendent/President of Santa Rosa Junior College, effective July 1, 2023.
