Chancellor picks Fresno City College’s next president. Who she chose and what’s next
State Center Community College Chancellor Carole Goldsmith has chosen Robert Pimentel to become president of Fresno City College.
Goldsmith will recommend Pimentel to the board of trustees at its next meeting on Tuesday, where the board can appoint him. Pimentel is currently the vice president of Educational Services & Institutional Effectiveness at the college.
Pimentel is a first-generation college student and native of California’s Central Valley who started his college career at West Hills Coalinga and went through Fresno State and CSU Bakersfield.
Before beginning his work at Fresno City College in 2018, he worked in leadership positions at West Hills for 11 years.
As president, he will earn $227,007 a year, according to a copy of his draft contract. Goldsmith was at $248,177 a year before she was appointed chancellor. Pimentel will start the position on July 1, replacing interim president Marlon Hall.
In a letter to employees on Thursday, Goldsmith announced her recommendation of Pimentel.
“Dr. Pimentel has a wealth of experience and I am looking forward to working with him in his new role,” she wrote. “He has been involved in a number of statewide initiatives and is known across the state for his work in Workforce Development, Enrollment Management and Academic Research expertise.”
Pimentel said he was “honored to be selected to lead California’s First Community College and one of the most equity-minded institutions in the Central Valley.”
Goldsmith said the district received 20 qualified applicants, and a selection committee of five administrators, two classified professionals, two faculty members, one student, and a community member screened them. Nine were interviewed, and four were put forth to speak at a public forum and for final interviews.
Goldsmith said Pimentel “enjoys tremendous support on the campus and in the District.”
“He has demonstrated his commitment to a culture of anti-racism, where respect and inquiry are valued, and he has worked to foster student success as well as improve the economic, social and cultural development of our students,” she wrote.