The four finalists of De Anza College’s presidential search held a series of open forums from Nov. 12 through Nov. 15, sharing their expertise and plans for the college.

The candidates are Sobia Khan, provost at Valencia College’s East and Lake Nona campuses; Tia Robinson-Cooper, chancellor at Ivy Tech; Omar Torres, assistant superintendent and vice president at College of the Canyons; and Kimberlee S. Messina, president of Spokane Falls Community College.

Khan, who led historic enrollment numbers at Valencia, spoke of collaboration with other faculty.

“None of it is my brainchild,” Khan said, “but I can help navigate us to get us to our goals.”

Khan also brought up her experience working with a majority Hispanic population in San Antonio as a point in her favor, pointing to De Anza’s own diverse student body.

“De Anza’s exceptional,” Khan said. “I want to be a part of excellence. I also think I can serve the community here; I can represent the students, faculty and community.”

Robinson-Cooper expressed a desire to support underrepresented students, stemming from her background as a low-income student from the inner city.

“I was drawn to De Anza just around the commitment to equity,” Robinson-Cooper said. “Around the fact that there’s actionable commitments that really demonstrate the support and the commitment to serving students, and removing barriers, particularly historical barriers, that prevent our students from being successful.”

Robinson-Cooper also touched on rebuilding Ivy Tech’s previously poor reputation, as well as increasing enrollment and retention.

“We had identified that there was a population of students we were not serving,” Robinson-Cooper said. “We offered a program 100% in Spanish.”

Torres spoke of pride in his extensive experience in the California Community Colleges, starting as an adjunct chemistry professor at Los Angeles City College.

“I really believe in the power of relationships,” Torres said. “Part of my work will entail listening to our constituents, learning about the needs of our students, learning about your aspirations, your goals.”

Torres added that College of the Canyons has been expanding its non-credit programs and recently opened a new advanced technology center, hoping to serve a greater variety of students. He also called De Anza a “model” for community engagement.

“(College of the Canyons has) been recognized just this year with the 2024 Carnegie Classification for Community Engagement Award, and it stems from the inspiration that was created here at De Anza College,” Torres said.

Messina, who previously worked at Foothill College, said that she wants to be an advocate for De Anza while collaborating with its sister school.

“I think we could make great strides together in terms of student success and student equity in a very collaborative environment,” Messina said.

Messina also implemented a participatory government system at Spokane Falls, and helped start a “guided pathways” program at the school — similar to the one at De Anza.

Messina praised De Anza’s commitment to diversity and equity as well, and mentioned a desire to view enrollment as people rather than numbers.

“I think the efforts that De Anza has already been working on, and the things that we can do together to increase retention, would increase enrollment and help to grow,” Messina said.

As of Nov. 27, Chancellor Lee Lambert has announced Omar Torres as his selection for college president.