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By David Morris
By David Morris
Riverside City College President Daniel Castro is being considered for the superintendent-presidency at Long Beach City College.
He is one of five finalists being considered for the position that will become vacant in January. LBCC President E. Jan Kehoe is retiring after 10 years at one of California’s largest community colleges.
The final interviews with LBCC’s Board of Trustees will be Nov. 11 and its decision will follow soon after that.
The announcement came during a Board of Trustee candidate forum in the cafeteria on Oct. 18 by candidate Janet Green.
Incumbent Trustee candidate Jose Medina didn’t know about Castro’s opportunity to move to LBCC. According to him the RCCD Board of Trustees was not informed.
Castro said that he was not required to inform the Board yet because nothing is final.
“Until you get a contract there is nothing to report,” Castro said.
Medina is not surprised to hear the news; he said that Castro is a great leader and president and that other colleges would want him.
According to Castro he has headhunters (people who search out candidates nationwide) presenting job opportunities to him every year.
Castro was contacted around two months ago and asked to apply for the position.
He has gone through one interview by a 21-person committee in Long Beach that was composed of faculty, students and community members.
Castro came to RCC from Los Angeles Trade Tech College in 2005 and was selected from an assortment of three candidates by the Board of Trustees.
According to Castro, LBCC offers him the opportunity to take its ample space, funds and already large vocational programs and run with it.
Castro said that RCC is at a different stage of development, not just one college but try three branching out and the accreditation has slowed things down.
“At RCC it’s not easy to get things going,” Castro said.
When asked why he would consider leaving RCC for LBCC he was confident.
“I need to ask myself where can I best use my talents,” Castro said.
With the possibility that a new chancellor and a new president will need to be hired in the next coming months, Board of Trustee members are split in their thoughts.
“(He) was kept on a short leash by (Chancellor) Rotella,” Trustee Grace Slocum said.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. I would hate to see him go,” Medina said.