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Presidential Search
Presidential Search
CCCS is committed to a thorough and inclusive search process
The Colorado Community College System (CCCS) has announced a nationwide search for the next Community College of Denver (CCD) President – a successor to Dr. Marielena DeSanctis who was appointed CCCS Chancellor on October 1, 2025. CCCS is committed to a thorough and inclusive search process, which will identify the best leader for CCD from a deep and diverse pool of candidates.
Seeking a deep and diverse pool of candidates
The process will identify the best leader for CCD
The Chancellor has appointed a representative search advisory committee to guide the search process, with assistance from CCCS Chief Human Resources Officer, Christina Cecil, and AGB Search, a firm specializing in higher education searches. AGB Search will be represented by Managing Principal and CEO, Dr. Rod McDavis, Principal, Dr. Laura Woodworth-Ney, and Executive Search Associate, Dalene White.
To fully define the qualifications and characteristics needed in the next president, CCD faculty, students, staff, alumni, and other stakeholders are asked to provide input. That input will be gathered through stakeholder conversations and a feedback survey linked below.
With the information gleaned from stakeholder conversations and shared through the survey below a position profile will be created to serve as a guiding document during the recruitment and assessment process. AGB Search will begin recruitment efforts late fall, developing a candidate pool for the search advisory committee to review, interview and assess in early 2026.
The strongest candidates in that pool will be invited to meet with a larger group of campus constituencies in late spring. It is the Chancellor’s expectation to announce the next CCD President late April or early May.
We know you are excited about this process and what is to come. The CCD community can stay informed about the progress of this search through this webpage where appropriate details will be shared publicly. Please understand it is important for us to adhere to a process where our candidates can rely on the discretion of those involved in the search process and our guarantee of confidentiality.
Stakeholder Conversations
Several virtual stakeholder conversations will be conducted in November for faculty, staff, students and interested parties to further explore the priorities of the CCD community in selecting the next CCD President. Below is a list of scheduled stakeholder conversations with the intended audience identified.
| Stakeholder Group | Date and Time | Meeting Link | Meeting Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| CCD Staff | Friday, November 14, 2025 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM | Zoom Meeting Link | Meeting ID: 875 6365 4920 Passcode: 444526 |
| CCD Faculty/ Instructors | Friday, November 14, 2025 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM | Zoom Meeting Link | Meeting ID: 867 1015 3115 Passcode: 348182 |
| Open to All | Tuesday, November 18, 2025 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM | Zoom Meeting Link | Meeting ID: 851 7858 7290 Passcode: 906806 |
| Open to All | Wednesday, November 19, 2025 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM | Zoom Meeting Link | Meeting ID: 878 5367 9914 Passcode: 942721 |
Those unable to attend a virtual meeting are invited to share their thoughts through the feedback survey:
Search Advisory Committee
CCCS Chancellor DeSanctis has appointed a search advisory committee to guide the selection process and make recommendations for a group of finalists to visit the CCD campus and meet with a larger group of stakeholders. Selecting committee members is a thoughtful, deliberative process, and includes representatives from all aspects of the CCCS and CCD community – colleagues who will bring a variety of relevant professional, cultural and personal experiences to the table.
Search Advisory Committee Members:
- Kissa Boukary-Saido Human Resources Recruiter, CCD
- Tina Garcia Vice President of Student Services, CCD
- Adam Glick Faculty, CCD
- Dr. Barry Hubbard Dean, CCD
- Jenna Duke Student
- Dr. Mary Beth Susman Chair, CCD Advisory Council
- Yolanda Ortega SBCCOE Board Member
- Dr. Landon Pirius President, Red Rocks Community College
- Patrick Warwick-Diaz Associate General Counsel, CCCS
FAQ's
The State Board for Community Colleges and Occupational Education (Board) has delegated to the CCCS Chancellor the personnel authority to manage the selection and employment of the College Presidents. The Chancellor will make the final selection of the next CCD President in consideration of the feedback gathered throughout the selection process.
The search advisory committee has been charged with assisting in the development of the position profile. They will consider potential candidates and review applications against the Chancellor approved position profile. The search advisory committee will conduct initial interviews with semi-finalist candidates and make recommendations of a group of finalists for the Chancellor’s consideration.
The position profile is developed with the search advisory committee and consultant and inclusive of feedback obtained in stakeholder conversations and the CCD President feedback survey. The final position profile is approved by the Chancellor.
The search advisory committee will work to recommend an initial group of semi-finalist candidates for interview. Following initial interviews, the search advisory committee will provide recommendations to the Chancellor of a group of finalist candidates. The finalists identified by the Chancellor will be invited to the CCD campus for further stakeholder engagements.
The names of candidates will only be known by the search firm, search advisory committee, and Chancellor until finalists have been identified. Finalists’ information will be made public prior to their visit to campus.
The CCD community is invited to participate in available stakeholder conversations in November or complete the CCD President feedback survey. The feedback will be used to shape the CCD President position profile. Once the Chancellor has announced finalists for the position, the CCD community will be invited to meet with the finalists in a series of campus forums. Opportunities to provide feedback on the finalists will be made available and the feedback will be shared with the Chancellor.