Following Yosemite Community Colleges District Chancellor Joan Smith’s retirement announcement in February, the District has narrowed down its search for her replacement to three candidates.

These three candidates — William Dunn, Sandra Mayo and Donald Wallace — will be the focus of two upcoming forums, both of which will be open to the public.

Dunn has served as the Chief Business Officer of Coast Community College District in Costa Mesa since 2010. He is also currently a lecturer of Ed.D. Community College Leadership at California State University, Fullerton, where he earned a Ed.D. in Community College Educational Leadership in 2015.

Mayo is the former president of Moreno Valley College, where she headed the campus for four years. She earned a Ed.D. from the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education in Los Angeles in 2005.

Wallace has served as the Superintendent/President of Palo Verde Community College District in Blythe, California since 2013. He earned a Ph.D. in Education/Community College Leadership from Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon in 2006.

During each open forum, candidates will be given an opportunity to discuss their preparation for the position, their education and leadership philosophy, and respond to questions from those in attendance.

Smith was unanimously selected as the YCCD Chancellor in February 2011. She was the seventh YCCD top administrator since MJC and Columbia College merged to form the District in 1998.

Prior to Smith’s time as Chancellor at YCCD, she served as Columbia College President from 2007 to 2010 and Interim Chancellor from 2010 to 2011. She will remain at her post through January.

The first candidate forum is scheduled to begin at 11:10 a.m. Wednesday in the Performing Arts Center on the East Campus of Modesto Junior College The second candidate forum will begin at 10 a.m. Thursday in the Dogwood Forum of Columbia College.