San José-Evergreen Community College District is pleased to announce the finalists in its search for the new San José City College President.
On behalf of the Board of Trustees, we hope that you will take time to read about each finalist's experience in education and leadership.
Good luck to all the finalists.
- Bio - Dr. Marilyn Flores
Dr. Marilyn Flores is a distinguished educational leader, administrator, and advocate with more than twenty-five years of exemplary service within California’s Community College system. She is widely recognized for her transparent and accountable leadership, grounded in the principles of access, equity, student success, and community engagement.
From 2022 to 2025, Dr. Flores served as Superintendent/President of Río Hondo College, where she successfully advanced institutional growth and student achievement during the post-pandemic period. Under her leadership, the College established its first campus police department and secured a $442 million bond to strengthen educational infrastructure and resources. Her tenure was further marked by expanding community partnerships and philanthropic initiatives designed to enhance student opportunity and equity.
Previously, Dr. Flores served as Interim President of Santa Ana College, Vice President of Academic Affairs at Santiago Canyon College, and a Wheelhouse Fellow from UC Davis. Her prior experience includes having served as both Chief Instructional Officer and Accreditation Liaison Officer. Her administrative experience includes instruction and deanships at Santiago Canyon College and Las Positas College, and earlier leadership roles at Riverside City College.
Dr. Flores’s extensive expertise encompasses academic and student services oversight, fiscal management, program development, and institutional planning. A first-generation college graduate and second-language learner, she has been honored as Educator of the Year by the Inland Empire Hispanic Image Awards and received the Hispanic Border Leadership Institute Doctoral Fellowship.
Dr. Flores earned her Ph.D. in Institutional Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of California, Riverside, and holds degrees from UCLA and UC Riverside.
- Bio - Dr. Marie Harris
A visionary and compassionate leader, Dr. Marie Harris has dedicated her career to advancing equity, innovation, and student success in California’s community colleges. As a first-generation community college graduate, she brings a deeply personal understanding of the transformative power of education and leads with empathy, integrity, and purpose.
Dr. Harris currently serves as the inaugural Vice President of Learning and Student Success at Madera Community College, where she led the institution’s historic transformation from center to fully accredited college, California’s 116th, through collaborative planning, inclusive governance, and a steadfast commitment to access and excellence.
A lifelong champion of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, she has led professional learning initiatives on antiracism and inclusive pedagogy, chaired Equity and Guided Pathways Committees, and launched the Women in Leadership Equity Cohort to empower emerging leaders and advance organizational culture. Her leadership integrates instruction and student services to remove systemic barriers, foster belonging, and expand opportunity for all students.
Previously, as Dean of Instruction for Athletics and STEM at Reedley College, Dr. Harris guided faculty and staff in developing innovative academic programs, expanding dual enrollment, and securing more than $13 million in external grants to strengthen workforce and community partnerships.
A respected statewide leader, she serves on the California Community College Athletic Association Board and the Madera County Workforce Development Board. Dr. Harris holds a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership, a Master’s in Business Administration, a Bachelor’s in Communications, and an Associate’s in Liberal Studies.
Dr. Harris leads with empathy, integrity, and courage guided by the belief that equitable education transforms lives and communities.
- Bio - Dr. Tia Robinson-Cooper
Dr. Tia Robinson-Cooper is a visionary, equity-minded, and student-centered higher education leader with more than two decades of executive experience as Chancellor, President, and Provost across community college systems in Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota, and California.
A passionate advocate for the transformative mission of community colleges, Dr. Robinson-Cooper leads with authenticity, collaboration, and purpose. Her servant-leadership philosophy—grounded in the belief that “if it’s good for students, it’s the right thing to do”—has guided transformative results across the institutions she has served. Under her leadership, colleges have reversed enrollment declines by up to 18%, strengthened retention and completion rates, and closed equity gaps for historically marginalized and first-generation students. She has championed reforms that expanded dual enrollment, enhanced academic and student support services, and embedded culturally responsive and inclusive teaching practices across the curriculum.
Dr. Robinson-Cooper is also a proven convener of cross-sector partnerships that connect education, workforce, and economic opportunity. She has successfully aligned academic programs with regional labor-market needs through collaborations in healthcare, advanced manufacturing, public safety, and education—creating pathways that lead to high-wage, high-demand careers. Her inclusive leadership style fosters trust, shared governance, and a collective commitment to excellence, equity, and community impact.
Dr. Robinson-Cooper holds an Ed.D. in Counseling and Adult Higher Education from Northern Illinois University, an MBA and M.S. in Organizational Leadership from National Louis University, a B.S. in Speech-Language Pathology from Northern Illinois University, and an A.S. in Business Administration from Kishwaukee College.
- Bio - Dr. María Villagómez
Dr. María L. Villagómez is an accomplished higher education executive and equity-minded leader whose career embodies San José City College’s mission to transform lives through inclusive excellence, innovation, and opportunity. A first-generation Latina and award-winning educator and administrator, she brings an educator’s insight to every leadership role and is recognized for advancing institutional effectiveness, academic innovation, and student success through collaboration, transparency, and strategic vision.
With more than thirty years dedicated to educational equity and student achievement, Dr. Villagómez has served as a tenured faculty member and faculty leader, championing shared governance through executive roles in the Faculty Association and Academic Senate.
As Assistant Superintendent/Vice President of Academic Affairs at Santa Barbara City College, she leads initiatives in strategic enrollment management, curriculum innovation, academic planning, and dual enrollment, efforts that have expanded equitable student access, persistence, and completion. Her leadership emphasizes fiscal stewardship, aligning data-driven decision-making with student impact to demonstrate that equity and efficiency can advance together.
Previously, as Senior Dean and Dean of Instruction and Academic Support at Napa Valley College, she led faculty development, instructional innovation, and student-centered program growth. A 2025 Aspen Rising Presidents Fellow and Latina of Influence Award recipient, Dr. Villagómez is known for cultivating cultures of accountability, empowerment, and collaboration.
Beyond academia, she founded a language and cultural consulting firm partnering with NBC Universal and Moonbug Entertainment to elevate authentic Hispanic representation in media.
In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, a college educator, and their son.