Ventura County Community College District chancellor to retire next year
Greg Gillespie, the chancellor of the Ventura County Community College District, will retire at the end of the 2021-22 school year, the district announced Aug. 17.
Gillespie has been with the district for eight years, first as campus president at Ventura College and the last four as district chancellor. In that position, he is the district’s chief administrator and reports directly to the Board of Trustees.
The Ventura County Community College District is the tri-county region’s largest community college district, with a total of around 35,000 students at colleges in Moorpark, Ventura and Oxnard. In addition to preparing students for four-year universities, the district is an important player in workforce development and career education, with its colleges offering classes and certificates in agriculture, manufacturing and other topics.
“I have appreciated the opportunity to work in the VCCCD community over the past eight years. We have experienced quite a journey together,” Gillespie said in the news release announcing his retirement.
He pointed to accomplishments including new programs for diversity, equity and inclusion; building a culture that encourages equity and social justice; and steering the campuses through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gillespie has worked more than 25 years in the community college sector and has been a faculty member or administrator at colleges Arizona, Washington state and California. He started his career as an agricultural researcher in the public and private sectors.
The district will soon start the search process for a new chancellor, and Gillespie plans to work closely with the board on a leadership transition.
