The Yosemite Community College District is moving forward with its second chance at finding a new Chancellor.

The YCCD Chancellor Search Committee has narrowed the field of candidates to four finalists – Dr. Larry G. Buckley, Dr. David L. Rule, Dr. Walt Tribley and Henry Chiong Vui Yong — who will be available to the public during upcoming open forums.

The successful candidate will replace the Interim Chancellor Jane Harmon, who will remain at her post through June. Harmon had led the District since January 2017, following the retirement of Chancellor Emeritus Joan Smith.

This will be the District’s second round of Chancellor finalists. The District reopened the position for Chancellor in October 2016, shortly after two public candidate forums focusing on the three finalists at the time: William Dunn, Sandra Mayo and Donald Wallace. While the reasoning behind the decision to abandon all three finalists is unknown, the Board expressed “much appreciation and gratitude to the screening committee and finalists who attended the forums and were interviewed.”

Open forums for the new round of finalists are scheduled for April 24 and 26 at Columbia College and Modesto Junior College locations. Each finalist will be given an opportunity to discuss their preparation for the position, their education and leadership philosophy, and respond to questions from the forum attendees. Attendees will be given the opportunity to complete a comment card that will be given to the Yosemite Community College Board of Trustees. The forums will be open to the public.

Candidate information:

·         - Buckley has a bachelor of arts, master’s degree and Ph.D. in History from the University of Hawaii -Manoa. He is currently the Interim Vice President of Educational Services at West Hills College Coalinga. From 2013-2016, he served as president of Canada College in Redwood City. Before that he served one year as interim president at San Bernardino Valley College.

·         - Rule has a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology and Statistics from the University of Albany. He also has an associate’s degree in Performing Arts – Music from Schenectady County Community College, a bachelor of science degree in Music Education from College of St. Rose and a master’s degree in Educational Psychology from College of St. Rose. He is currently the Vice President of Education Vertical at Kodak Winning Fotos in Bellevue, Washington. He was President of Bellevue College from 2013 to 2016, President of the Portland Community College’s Rock Creek Campus from 2008 to 2012 and President of Muskegon Community College in Muskegon, Michigan from 2005 to 2008.

·         - Tribley has a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Biophysics from Washington State University. He also has a bachelor of science degree in both Biology and Education and a master’s degree in Biology, all from the University of Idaho. He is currently the Superintendent/President of Monterey Peninsula College. Previously, he was Vice President of Instruction at Wenatchee Valley College in Wenatchee, Washington from 2010 to 2012 and Dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Wenatchee Valley College from 2008 to 2010.

·         - Chiong Vui Yong is working on his Ed.D. in Educational Administration and Leadership at La Sierra University in Riverside. He has a master’s degree and Ed.S. in Educational Administration and Leadership from Loma Linda University and a bachelor of arts degree in History from Loma Linda University. He is currently President and Chief Executive Officer of Evergreen Valley College in San Jose, California. Previously, he served as Vice President of Instruction at Taft College from 2005 to 2011.