Session 2: Friday, Nov. 7, 2025
9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Fireside Room
Agenda
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 8:45 – 9 a.m. | Breakfast |
| 9 – 9:45 a.m. | Welcome and Strategic Planning Engagement |
| 9:45 a.m. – noon | CEO Panel with Q&A
|
| noon – 1 p.m. | Lunch and Networking with Guest Presenters |
| 1 – 1:45 p.m. | Solution Team Projects and Assignments |
| 1:45 – 2 p.m. | Summary and Closing Thoughts |
Documents and Links
- Dr. Seher Awan Biography
- Dr. Beatriz Chaidez Biography
- Mojdeh Mehdizadeh Biography
- Charles Sasaki Biography
- Dr. Jennifer Taylor-Mendoza Biography
- Solution Team Projects Selected
Homework Assignment:
- Our next Leadership Academy Session #3 will allow you to hear from staff representing
the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO) Government Relations
Division and the Community College League of California (CCLC). In preparation for
this session, please review the following:
About Dr. Seher Awan
President, Mission College
Dr. Seher Awan is a passionate educator, administrator, and social justice advocate
who serves as the President of Mission College. As a first-generation community college
graduate herself, she began her career as an hourly staff member at College of the
Canyons, later earning a contract classified position in EOPS/CARE & CalWORKs. There,
she fell in love with the transformational change that occurs through the community
college system, serving some of the most disadvantaged and underrepresented populations.
She continued to build on her passion for helping others during her tenures at San Jose City College, Valencia College in Orlando, Florida, San Diego City College, and Los Angeles Southwest College.
In 2014, Dr. Awan was hired as Vice President of Administrative Services for San Diego City College. With her career beginning in student services, she brought a unique approach to finance and administrative services. At San Diego City College, she guided the College through new processes, participatory governance, and integrated a student success approach toward operations.
In 2018, Dr. Awan became the youngest California Community College president at the age of 32, joining the Los Angeles Southwest College (LASC) team with enthusiasm, energy, and a strong focus on student-centered care. She has since led the college through extensive organizational change and fiscal recovery, established new community partnerships, and secured additional resources every year of her tenure—all while keeping students at the center of her decision-making. In 2022, Dr. Awan became the president of Mission College, where she continues to serve.
She has served as a Wheelhouse Fellow (2019) and is a current Aspen Institute New Presidents Fellow. With more than sixteen years of experience in higher education, Dr. Awan’s leadership maintains a strategic focus on equity and social justice, empowering the most underserved communities through education.
Dr. Awan has earned a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership (Ed.D.) from Pepperdine University, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from California State University, Northridge, a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from California State University, Northridge, and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.
About Dr. Beatriz Chaidez
Chancellor, San José - Evergreen Community College District
With a career that began as a classroom teacher, Dr. Beatriz Chaidez has spent more
than 25 years in education. Currently chancellor of San José – Evergreen Community
College District (SJECCD), Dr. Chaidez previously held the roles of interim chancellor,
vice chancellor of human resources, and associate vice chancellor of human resources,
also with SJECCD.
Prior to joining SJECCD, which she did in early 2019, Dr. Chaidez held various roles in K-12 administration, including serving as assistant superintendent for human resources with Salinas City Elementary School District (SCESD). She has also been director of pupil personnel services and special education—also with SCESD—assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction with Sacramento City Unified School District and superintendent/principal with Raisin City School District.
Dr. Chaidez has extensive experience with labor relations and negotiations, employment law, worker's compensation, California Education Code, and building dual and concurrent enrollment partnerships between colleges and K-12 school districts. She has also served as an executive board member for both the Association of California School Administrators and the California Association of Latino Superintendents and Administrators.
Dr. Chaidez holds a doctorate in educational leadership from University of California, Davis; a Master of Arts in educational administration from Fresno Pacific University; and a Bachelor of Arts in liberal studies from California State University, Fresno.
In addition to her administrative experience, Dr. Chaidez has experience as an adjunct faculty member at San José State University, where she has taught a seminar course on administration in educational settings.
About Mojdeh Mehdizadeh
Chancellor, Contra Costa Community College District
Mojdeh Mehdizadeh serves as the 10th Chancellor for the Contra Costa Community College
District (4CD), where she is responsible for assessing, planning, organizing, and
evaluating the resources, programs, and services of 4CD to meet the educational needs
of the students and the community. In her former role as Executive Vice Chancellor,
Education and Technology, she led efforts across the colleges (Contra Costa, Diablo
Valley, and Los Medanos) in educational programs, student services, workforce and
economic development, information technology, international education, distance education,
research and planning, and grants. Mojdeh has also served as President of Contra Costa
College. In her early tenure, she taught Speech Communications as an adjunct faculty
member at Diablo Valley College.
Mojdeh completed her undergraduate general education requirements at Diablo Valley College, where she developed her understanding and appreciation of the importance of the community college system in developing students for meaningful roles in their careers and the community. Mojdeh is a passionate leader in assuring excellent and affordable post-secondary education for all students, regardless of their social and economic situation, and is laser focused on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging for everyone community colleges serve. She has been and continues to be very active in state, federal, and other organizations aimed at enhancing equitable public educational systems throughout California. Her participation and advocacy in this area extends to serving locally on the Board of the Richmond Promise, and in shaping the statewide directions in support of student access and success with the California Community Colleges. She currently serves as one of the Chief Executive Officers of the California Community Colleges and was recently appointed to the Chief Executive Officers of the California Community Colleges Fraud Prevention Taskforce.
Mojdeh holds a Master of Arts degree in Organizational and Intercultural Communications from California State University East Bay and a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Information Systems from San Francisco State University.
About Charles Sasaki
President/Superintendent, Ohlone College
President/Superintendent Charles Sasaki began his tenure at Ohlone College as the
first Asian American president in 2023. With 30 years of experience in higher education,
he has held several leadership roles, including Associate Vice President of Student
Affairs at Hawaii Pacific University, Dean of Arts & Science at Kapiolani Community
College, and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at Windward Community College in
Hawaii.
A leader in the national community of Minority Serving Institutions, Sasaki is frequently called upon to speak about the creation of socially just learning environments for Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving and Hispanic-serving institutions.
He is a three-time U.S. Fulbright Scholar, has served as Pew Charitable Trusts National Learning Communities Fellow, and was the lead volunteer trainer for the Gates Millennium Scholars Program. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the National Council for Workforce Education, an affiliated council of the American Association of Community Colleges.
President Sasaki has a bachelor’s degree in history with a minor in Spanish language and linguistics from University of California-Riverside and a master’s in comparative culture from UC Irvine.
Born and raised in California, President Sasaki spent a bulk of his career in Hawaii. He is pleased to be back in California where he is close to his family once again.
About Dr. Jennifer Taylor-Mendoza
President, West Valley College
Dr. Jennifer Taylor-Mendoza proudly serves as the 13th president of West Valley College,
breaking barriers as the first African American educator to lead the college. A visionary
and trailblazer in Bay Area education, she previously brings over twelve years of
transformative leadership within the San Mateo County Community College District.
Her distinguished career includes her recent role as the President of the College of San Mateo, Vice President of Instruction at Skyline College in San Bruno, founding Dean of Academic Support and Learning Technologies at College of San Mateo (CSM), and as the Director of the Learning Center at CSM. Her unwavering commitment to academic excellence and equity continues to inspire and shape the future of higher education.
With more than twenty-five years of dedicated experience in both instruction and student services, primarily within the California community college system, Dr. Taylor-Mendoza has served as a classified professional, tenured faculty leader, director, dean, vice president, and now president. She draws inspiration from the brilliance, resilience, and boundless potential of community college students. Committed to leading with a fierce dedication to social justice and liberation, President Taylor-Mendoza embraces the collective responsibility to confront and dismantle the enduring legacy of racism.
She coined the term “obligation gap” to highlight institutional responsibility and co-authored Minding the Obligation Gap in Community Colleges: Theory and Practice in Achieving Educational Equity. President Taylor-Mendoza is also an Aspen Institute Presidential Fellow and American Leadership Forum, Silicon Valley Senior Fellow.
A proud, distinguished El Camino College alumna, President Taylor-Mendoza holds a B.A. in Psychology, California State University, Los Angeles, an M.S. in Counseling, California State University, Northridge, and a Ph.D. in Education, Claremont Graduate University.