On May 25th, former Peralta Community College District Chancellor, Dr. Donald H. Godbold, passed away. He was 95 years old.

Dr. Godbold, a veteran of the Korean War, originally joined Peralta in 1973 as the President of Merritt College. In 1977, he became Vice Chancellor of Educational Services, and he served as Chancellor from 1980 to 1988.

He was a leader and a groundbreaker. He was the first African American Chancellor here in the Peralta Community College District, which also made him the first Black Chancellor in a multi-college district in the state of California. He was the founder of the Peralta Association of African American Affairs (PAAAA) and a co-founder of the National Council on Black American Affairs. 

Following his career at Peralta, he became the Executive Director of the Oakland-based nonprofit, Alameda County Youth Development, Inc., a position he held for another 10 years. He opened doors for careers in education for men of color and has positively influenced thousands of lives with his mentoring and leadership.  

A memorial service was held for Dr. Godbold on June 11th.

We also learned that Belinda VanBuhler, a former student and employee at College of Alameda over the past 26 years, has passed away. Belinda first joined COA as a student in 1998 and soon began working in DSPS (now called Student Accessibility Services). After earning her associate's degree at COA in 2003, Belinda was hired as an hourly Instructional Aide. For the past 10-plus years she has served as the SAS Support Services Specialist – supporting students and faculty across the campus. Belinda was a friendly, outgoing, and caring person, and she loved the beach, especially down in Pacific Grove. She was always ready for a conversation in the parking lot, a warm smile, or a needed hug.

Finally, our beloved colleague Earvin Robinson has also recently passed away. She was a longtime Peralta employee working in the finance department. She retired in 2021.  Many thanks to Shuntel Nathaniel for sharing the information below from Earvin's family:

Viewing for Earvin will be July 2, from 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm at Colonial Chapel, 2626 High St., Oakland, CA

Services for Earvin will be on July 3, at 11:00 am at Center Street Missionary Baptist Church. 940 Center St. W., Oakland, CA.

Please feel free to wear red which is Earvin's favorite color.

Our condolences to the family, loved ones, and many friends and colleagues of our recently departed.