In a release this morning (July 18), the California Community Colleges Board of Governors announced that it had unanimously selected Oakley as its new Chancellor. Board President Geoffrey Baum states in the release: "Eloy Ortiz Oakley is an innovative and tested leader who understands how to operate successfully in a large, complex system of public higher education. In Oakley we see a change agent -- someone whose relentless focus on student success will help more students obtain certificates and degrees or transfer to four-year institutions on time. As a member of the UC Board of Regents and with his close ties with California State University, he is well positioned to foster greater collaboration that will benefit all students."

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The CA Community Colleges consists of 72 districts and 113 colleges with roughly 2.1 million students per year. "Community colleges supply workforce training, basic skills education in English and math, and prepare students for transfer to four-year institutions. The Chancellor's Office provides leadership, advocacy and support under the direction of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges," says CCC release text.

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CCC's release doesn't mention incoming-Chancellor Oakley's new salary, so (of course) we asked. [11:42 a.m. update] Community Colleges Vice Chancellor for Communications and Marketing, Paul Feist, tells LBREPORT.com via email: "Compensation is $280K per year base salary, with $15K longevity for each of the first four years (portion of longevity pay would have to be repaid if he leaves before four years). Standard state benefits package, plus state issued car, which has been issued to previous chancellors. Previous chancellor was paid $213K annually." Mr. Feist adds that the State benefits package amounts to about $48,000 and the state's Dept. of General Service will issue a vehicle from its pool [immediate benefit value unavailable.]

Accordingly, by our unofficial rough reckoning, incoming CCC Chancellor Oakley's salary (pay + benefits) will be at least $328,000 annually to start (and we haven't included the state issued car.)

In August 2015, LBCC's Board of Trustees voted 4-1 (Zia dissenting) to approve a 2% raise for Oakley, bringing his total LBCC annual salary to $326,979 effective Jan. 2016. Oakley indicated at the time that after taxes on the raise, he would donate the remainder to the non-profit LBCC College Foundation (which raises money for scholarship, grants and other campus measures.)

The 2% raise came after it became known that Oakley had been talking with the Coastline Community College District (Costa Mesa) about possibly becoming chancellor over its three campuses (Coastline Community College, Golden West College and Orange Coast College). Oakley's talks took place during a period in which he'd voiced dissatisfaction with LBCC Board of Trustees functioning, That came after LBCC Trustee Sunny Zia, elected in 2014, pressed for greater transparency and public disclosure of LBCC administration agendized items and spending matters, including items that other LBCC Trustees had mainly accepted without major questioning.

In recent LBCC elections, an LBCC Trustee (appointed by the Board's majority over Zia's dissent to fill a vacancy on LBCC's five-member Board of Trustees) was voted out by the public despite an election endorsement by Oakley (and Mayor Robert Garcia)...and a new Trustee, Vivian Malauulu, was elected and recently took office. [end update]

The CCC release cites Oakley's role in helping "form the nationally recognized Long Beach College Promise, which engages high school administrators and teachers to work with college faculty and staff to create structured pathways for students to follow as they progress from one educational institution to the next. Long Beach College Promise students are guaranteed a tuition-free year at Long Beach City College and preferred admission status to California State University, Long Beach after completing transfer requirements. The Long Beach College Promise has inspired similar programs across the country. America's College Promise, an initiative introduced by President Barack Obama in 2015, was modeled in part on the Long Beach College Promise."

In an email to LBCC campus colleges, Oakley writes in pertinent part:

[Oakley email to LBCC colleagues]...I will take all that I learned in my years at LBCC and use the experience to help our 113 colleges better serve our students and work with our state and national leaders to raise awareness of the importance of the work that our colleges do.

Most importantly, I want to thank you. To our faculty, thank you for maintaining high quality instruction and serving as critical elements to our students’ success. To our staff, thank you for ensuring the safety and security of our campus and serving as strong models of servant leadership in all that you do. To our management team, thank you for accepting the charge to be innovative, strategic, and student-centered leaders. Together we have come a long way for our students and for our community.

I look forward to seeing you all at College Day, and to continuing our work together into the future. Thank you for allowing me to serve as your superintendent-president, and keep up the great work.

Thanks, and Go Vikings!

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CCC's release quotes Oakley as saying: