College of the Desert aims to start search for permanent superintendent this summer

The search for a permanent superintendent/president at College of the Desert is imminent — once the board of trustees hires a headhunting firm, a step they aim to finalize by this summer. Qualified firms are invited to submit proposals by May 3.

COD has been under the leadership of an interim superintendent/president since July 2023, with a tenure limit of two years in that capacity.

When did the last superintendent leave?

Martha Garcia, who served as superintendent/president for two years, resigned at the end of June 2023 to become the next president and chief executive officer of Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut. She previously spent 22 years at Imperial Valley College, including three as superintendent/president.

More: As Martha Garcia nears end at COD, trustees say she ‘weathered storm’ during brief tenure

Who is the interim superintendent?

In July 2023, Laura Hope assumed the interim superintendent/president role at COD. Previously, she served as the associate superintendent of instruction and institutional effectiveness at Chaffey College in Rancho Cucamonga. She also has experience as the executive vice chancellor for educational services at the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office, which oversees curricula and initiatives at the state level.

As an alumna of Chaffey College and a longtime Chaffey employee, Hope spent nearly two decades as a faculty member before transitioning into administration.

The COD board had unanimously approved Hope's contract agreement for a base salary of $355,000, plus a salary increase after one year of 4% or that which is granted to management staff, whichever figure is higher. During the term of the one-year agreement, she receives a $1,000 per month housing stipend.

More: College of the Desert names new interim leader from Inland Empire's Chaffey College

Hope immediately embarked on a listening tour in late August, spanning the fall semester, throughout the Coachella Valley, with the aim of emphasizing transparency and collaboration between the community and COD.

The superintendent leads not only the college's main campus in Palm Desert, but the campuses in Indio, Thermal and Palm Springs. A COD spokesperson confirmed that Hope intends to apply to the "competitive search" for the permanent superintendent/president position.

More: 5 things to know about College of the Desert's new child development center in Indio

What is the next step to finding a permanent superintendent?

COD's general counsel, Jacob Knapp, presented an update at Friday's board of trustees meeting regarding the search process on behalf of the office of human resources. In February, the board authorized human resources to solicit requests for proposals for hiring a headhunting firm to oversee the college's search for a permanent superintendent/president. At the time, Hope said the recruitment process could take seven to 10 months.

"That RFP is on the street, as we speak," Knapp said. "Once we have those responses, we'll be evaluating them and the board will have an opportunity to interview folks from those search firms and see presentations from them."

Requests for proposals are due by 3 p.m. on May 3. Knapp said they anticipate they will have a search firm in place and under contract by June. A detailed recruitment process and timeline for COD's permanent superintendent/president should be available soon after that.

"It doesn't mean that we're dissatisfied with the work of the interim," Trustee Ron Oden said in February. "This is something we decided to do when we hired the interim, so we're just following up on what we said we would do for the permanent recruitment."

Previous reporting from Jonathan Horwitz was used in this report. Jennifer Cortez covers education in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at jennifer.cortez@desertsun.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: College of the Desert to start superintendent search in June