The district’s Board of Trustees announced the hiring of Lee Lambert as its new chancellor on May 23 in a press release.

“I am honored to have been selected by the Board of Trustees to be the next chancellor,” Lambert said.

Lambert has worked as the chancellor for Pima Community College in Tucson, Arizona since 2013. 

Lambert begins in his new position on Aug. 1, replacing Chancellor Judy C. Miner, who is retiring after 35 years of service in the district. Miner endorsed Lambert in the press release and said that he will be the leader the school district needs moving forward. 

“I am so grateful to know that I am leaving Foothill-De Anza in good hands,” Miner said. “Students, employees and community members will find in him a champion who leads with head and heart.” 

The district’s board is expected to approve Lambert’s contract during its  meeting on June 12. His contract will run through June 2024 with a salary of $448,047 per year.

His past experiences in executive positions in higher education include being a special assistant for civil rights and legal affairs to the president at Evergreen State College and the president of Shoreline Community College in Washington for eight years.

Additionally, Lambert holds a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts from Evergreen State College and a juris doctor from Seattle University. 

“Lee Lambert is a transformative leader with an impressive record of accomplishments,” Board of Trustees President Patrick Ahrens said about Lambert in the press release. “We are confident that he is the right person to build on Foothill-De Anza’s legacy of educational excellence and are excited to have him lead our exceptional team into a new era of equity and innovation.”