De Anza College Leadership Transition
Feb. 29, 2024
Dear Colleagues:
This afternoon, De Anza College President Lloyd Holmes announced his plans to resign after nearly four years with the district. I want to wish Lloyd all the
best in the future and thank him for successfully guiding De Anza through a global
pandemic while building on the college’s reputation and partnerships, reaching major
planning milestones, and initiating new programs that will continue to benefit students
for many years to come. Lloyd and the talented team at De Anza accomplished much to
be proud of during a time of incredible change in higher education.
Next Steps
While I realize this announcement may come as a surprise, I want to assure you that I am committed to making the college’s leadership transition as seamless as possible. It is important that we maintain focus on our students and our mission.
To that end, I have asked Vice President of Instruction Christina Espinosa-Pieb to step into the role of acting president, and she has graciously agreed. I am confident that she will provide the stability and leadership we need to help the college navigate this change and continue to move forward.
As many of you know, Christina served as interim president of De Anza from July 2018 through June 2020. She has been the college’s vice president of instruction since 2008, and in her more than 40 years at De Anza, has worked in a variety of roles, including community volunteer, student employee, administrative assistant, lead affirmative action representative, coordinator of Disability Support Programs and Services, and dean of academic services. Her broad knowledge of all aspects of the college and demonstrated dedication to the success of our students will undoubtedly help to ensure a smooth transition.
We will begin planning for a nationwide search for De Anza’s next president right away. You can expect to hear details on the recruitment process and search timeline in the next few weeks.
A town hall has been scheduled at De Anza College tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. in Hinson Campus Center Conference Rooms A and B* to answer any questions you have about next steps. Thank you for understanding the need for us to move quickly to fill this key position with as little disruption as possible. I look forward to working with everyone at De Anza to continue the college’s success.
Sincerely,
Lee D. Lambert, J.D.
Chancellor
[* The meeting location and format were subsequently changed to online via Zoom.]