COD president Dr. Martha Garcia selected as new president at Mt. San Antonio College

College of the Desert President Dr. Martha Garcia has been selected as the new president of Mt. San Antonio College. The college in a news release announced the selection on Friday afternoon.  Garcia will be the first President of color for the college as well as the first female president in 50 years.  

Garcia says she is ecstatic at the opportunity and is looking forward to working at Mt. SAC, with a keen focus on serving students. She affirms the responsibility, “that’s why I do what I do.”

Mt. SAC’s Board of Trustees president Gary Chow welcomed Dr. Garcia onto the team as the tenth president and believes “Dr. Garcia has demonstrated she is committed to the transformative power of higher education.”

Chow includes in his statement that Dr. Garcia will lead with a specific focus on providing inclusive, and student-focused leadership at the college. As president, she will be serving as the chief executive officer for the largest single-district college in California.

Bringing in Dr. Garcia was a decision that included the input and feedback from students, faculty, staff, and the community of Mt. SAC. She will replace Dr. Bill Scroggins, retiring in June after serving the college for 12 years.

Dr. Garcia is currently College of the Desert’s president since August 2021. She has served in many boards and task forces of various organizations in education. Some of those organizations include the California Association of Latino Community College trustees and Administrators, Community College League of California Affordability, Food & Housing Access Taskforce, among others.

We have reached out to College of the Desert for a statement and have not heard back.