A young Randy Bryant never thought a career in education was for him, but after nearly 25 years at De Anza College, he is retiring as Vice President of Workforce Development and Economic Advancement.
Born and raised in South San Jose, Bryant attended Oak Grove High School but dropped out.
“Me and education never really got along,” Bryant said. “I was always gonna be a mechanic, so I never thought I’d need it.”
Bryant joined the Air Force Reserve after a few years as a mechanic in 1981 at age 22. He worked as an aircraft mechanic. In the Air Force, Bryant was able to work on various jets such as C-141 Starlifters, C-5 Galaxies and KC-10 Extenders.
Thanks to this, he earned his associate’s degree in aircraft systems maintenance technology at Community College of the Air Force in Montgomery, Alabama.
As he progressed, he became a maintenance crew chief.
He reached the highest non-officer rank in the U.S. Armed Forces, retiring as a Chief Master Sergeant (E-9) in 2011.
Only 1.5% of all enlisted service members can hold that rank. This earned him the nickname “Chief” among his colleagues at De Anza.
“Once a chief, you’re always a chief,” Bryant said.
His Reservist status allowed him to pursue a career outside of the military. He owned mechanic shops in San Jose from 1982 to approximately 1995 before becoming a part-time auto tech instructor at Evergreen Valley College.
“It’s a tradition,” Bryant said. “Journeymen teaching the apprentices.”
Bryant joined Snap-on Tools in 1999, where he helped design automotive diagnostic tools.
“Mechanics are always looking for new ways to better their lives,” Bryant said. “I saw the (Snap-on Tools) position required an associate’s degree. I had one, so I applied.”
There, he formed a close friendship with Dave Capitolo and Pete Vernazza as they worked on projects such as the Vantage test meter and a coil-on plug adapter. By the time they were done, they had three worldwide patents.
Vernazza would join De Anza in 1998, where he is currently a full-time Auto Tech day program instructor, and recruited Bryant and Capitolo in 2001 and 2003 respectively.
“From 2003 until 2014, we were the three amigos,” Vernazza said. “We were inseparable in this department.”
As a full-time instructor in the day program, Bryant created an environment designed for his students to thrive.
Lowie Escalona began as Bryant’s student in 2005 before becoming a full-time Auto Tech evening program instructor at De Anza in the early 2020s.
“I’ve never in my whole life had a class up until that point where we said, ‘Guess what guys, we’re going to have some barbecue for the end of the quarter. Let’s hang out for a while, eat and then continue with class,” Escalona said.
Bryant took pride in watching students like Escalona grow in their careers.
“Seeing timid high school grads becoming the young men and women we see in the workforce, that’s really rewarding,” Bryant said.
He would help past and current students achieve that, even after he left the department.
“When I first started getting hired as full-time faculty, he was always pushing me to do better,” Escalona said. “He was talking about meeting up, doing retirement talk, and planning out my whole (career) …. It shows you that he’s not just there to do the job, it’s the people he cares about.”
Bryant kept up his own education too. In 2010 he earned a master’s degree in education from Eastern New Mexico University.
Bryant became chair of the Auto Tech Department around 2010, replacing retiring department chair Michael Brandt. Vernazza said Bryant had “huge shoes to fill.”
As department chair, Bryant used his military experience to streamline operations. He held weekly department meetings with a clear agenda.
“He was what I consider a servant leader and would do a lot of things to help faculty,” Capitolo said. “I think we’ve carried on that tradition even today.”
Bryant’s leadership style had an impact on people.
“He will tell you the truth,” Vernazza said. “It may be what you like, it may be what you don’t like, but he’s extremely objective, fair and that’s what made him a great department chair.”
Capitolo and Vernazza were not surprised when he was promoted to Dean of Career Technical Education and Workforce Development in 2019. Capitolo would take Bryant’s place as the Auto Tech department chair.
The division’s main role is to identify skillsets required by companies to get students hired.
This academic year, the division secured a scholarship from Bay Area metal superstars, Metallica for students training to be computer numerical control machinists and electric vehicle technicians. The connection started when Bryant met a vice president from Metallica Scholars at a conference.
“I think it’s great that a group of people would actually be that focused on career technical education and the success of all students,” Bryant said. “They’re a very generous band and not many do that that I’m aware of.”
Bryant’s “servant” leadership style has continued to make a difference for his staff. He keeps them up-to-date about professional conferences and ensures everyone understands each other’s roles.
“I’ve never worked in an office where a supervisor is so thoroughly understanding and is moving pieces accordingly,” CTE executive assistant Brittany Rubio said. “He knows what everyone’s strong suits are and he is trying to elevate that.”
Former De Anza president Omar Torres changed the CTE dean position to a vice presidential role as did Foothill, resulting in Bryant’s promotion in 2025.
“He will definitely leave a void on this campus in terms of leadership,” Vernazza said. “Could we find somebody to replace him? Absolutely. Will they do a great job? Yes, but I think (his leadership) will be the one thing we as a school miss about him.”
Bryant hopes current and future students will adapt and persevere in their careers as he has.
“If you put your mind to it, you can do anything,” Bryant said. “I didn’t graduate high school. I was a mechanic and now I’m a vice president. You just need to use the tools given to you.”
