Dear Peralta District Community,

 

I’m excited to provide an update on the leadership changes announced at the end of February.

 

On July 1, we welcomed Greg Nelson as our new Chief Operating Officer and Abdul Pridgen as our new Interim Executive Director of Public Safety. Both have hit the ground running, bringing with them a wealth of experience and a fresh perspective. I appreciate the college presidents and their leadership teams facilitating our campus visits last week. Thank you to everyone who greeted us, helped with tours, and extended genuine goodwill. I’m incredibly proud of our colleges and the district service center, and it was a pleasure to share that pride with Greg and Abdul.

 

While not everyone has had the chance to meet them in person yet, rest assured that they’ll be highly visible and accessible. I wanted to ensure you get an introduction, so I’m pleased to share a short interview I did with them at the end of their first day. Special thanks to Joe Sullivan, Cecy Vásquez, Mark Johnson, and Abdul and Greg for humoring my request! I hope you enjoy it!

 

 

We’re excited to welcome Melanie Dixon as the new President of the College of Alameda on July 15. We’ll host a meet-and-greet with President Dixon on Tuesday, July 15, at 1:30 pm in the atrium of the H Building. The College of Alameda team will provide more information shortly.

 

I also want to update you on the Vice Chancellor of Human Resources search. I extend my gratitude to everyone involved in the process, including the screening committee and everyone who gave me your valuable feedback. Despite interviewing strong candidates, the Vice Chancellor of Human Resources role is so crucial that I have decided to continue the search to fill it permanently. 

 

In the interim, I’m pleased to announce that Andrea Epps has graciously agreed to step into the role of Interim Vice Chancellor beginning in August, pending board approval. Andrea is an accomplished attorney and employee relations leader with over two decades of experience in California educational institutions. She started as a teacher in Inglewood Unified School District and later became an experienced attorney, earning a Juris Doctor from the University of California Law, San Francisco (formerly Hastings College of Law). During law school, Andrea was a legal intern in our District’s General Counsel Office and has since held various significant positions, including interim general counsel and deputy general counsel in the Oakland Unified School District.

 

With her extensive background and her current role as Director of Employee Relations & Diversity Programs, Andrea is well-prepared for this interim role. Additionally, Dr. Ron McKinley has agreed to continue serving until Andrea’s appointment and will support her onboarding and key projects this fall. I’m grateful to Ron for his extended service and to Dr. Pam Luster, who will step down as Acting President of COA when Melaine starts but will stay on to ensure a smooth transition.

 

Over the past four months, we have made significant progress in filling these critical leadership roles with talented and dedicated individuals. With Melanie, Greg, and Abdul joining our leadership team and Andrea stepping into her new role, Peralta’s future is bright! Thank goodness we got some new shades while visiting BCC!

 

 

I want to express my sincere gratitude to all one of you for your support and commitment during this transition.

 

In community,

Tammeil

 

Dr. Tammeil Gilkerson

Chancellor

Peralta Community College District