Val Martinez Garcia Selected From 73 Applicants

PALM DESERT — After serving as Acting Interim Superintendent/President of College of the Desert since December, Val Garcia Martinez has been selected on a 3-2 vote to fill the permanent position.

Trustees Joel Kinnamon, Rubén AríAztlán Pérez and Mary Jane Sanchez-Fulton voted for Garcia Martinez; Trustees Ron Oden and Mark Meyer voted against Martinez Garcia,

His contract will be considered and finalized at the board meeting on Friday.

He is the college’s fourth president/superintendent in five years and the ninth in the school’s history.

“In Mr. Val Martinez Garcia, we have a leader who deeply understands both the challenges and opportunities facing College of the Desert,” Kinnamon, Chair of the College of the Desert Board of Trustees, said in a statement. ” His collaborative approach and commitment to educational excellence will help us build on our strengths and address the evolving needs of our students and community.

The selection follows a comprehensive recruitment process conducted in partnership with AGB Search, LLC, a national firm specializing in higher education leadership searches. The college received 73 qualified applications from across the country, from which four finalists were selected to advance to public forums and final interviews.

Martinez Garcia brings over two decades of leadership in higher education to his role. At College of the Desert, he has served as both Vice President of Instruction and Vice President of Student Services, overseeing programs and services for more than 14,000 students. His accomplishments include expanding the dual enrollment program and leading the development of the Educational Strategic Master Plan.

He has contributed to major facilities projects including the Indio Campus Expansion and Palm Springs Campus Design. Martinez Garcia currently serves as Regional Representative for the Chief Student Services Officers Association. Martinez Garcia holds an M.S. in School Counseling and a B.S. in Sociology from the University of La Verne and is pursuing an Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership.

He was one of four finalists for the job. All finalists participated in a public forum earlier this month where each made a case for becoming the next leader of the community college.

The finalists included college leaders from Spokane Falls Community College, Río Hondo College, COD, and Clovis Community College. Each finalist delivered a 10-minute introduction followed by a 30-minute Q&A session with pre-selected questions submitted online.

The Board of Trustees convened in closed session shortly after 5:30 p.m. until nearly 8:30 p.m. to discuss the appointment.

The presidential search was relaunched in January after it was abruptly halted in December due to a reported confidentiality breach.