The Californer - Inaugural Cohort of Leadership Program Celebrated Across Ventura County Community College District

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Twenty-one faculty, staff and administrators across the district completed the program designed to strengthen leadership at every level

CAMARILLO, Calif. - Californer -- The inaugural cohort of The Leadership Collaborative at CCVC (Community Colleges of Ventura County) celebrated the completion of the seven-month leadership development program designed to cultivate thoughtful, values-driven leaders and strengthen collaboration across the district and the communities it serves.

Grounded in the belief that leadership exists at every level of an organization, The Leadership Collaborative brings together Ventura County Community College District (VCCCD) employees from diverse roles and disciplines to develop the human-centered leadership skills needed to foster meaningful relationships, navigate complexity and change and strengthen the vitality of our communities. Selected through a competitive application process, the cohort included members of the faculty, classified professionals, supervisors, directors and deans representing all three colleges and the District Administrative Center.

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"I am incredibly proud of the commitment these employees have made to their own growth and to strengthening our District," said Rick MacLennan, chancellor of the VCCCD. "Their willingness to learn alongside one another exemplifies the collaborative spirit that makes our colleges and communities stronger."

Participants engaged in monthly sessions, peer partnerships, job shadow experiences, assessments, coaching and professional development planning. Topics explored throughout the program included effective communication, emotional intelligence, conflict navigation, collaboration for impact and leading through change. Session facilitators and panelists included District leaders, community partners and representatives from the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office.

"The Leadership Collaborative has been a welcome and highly valuable experience in bringing together folks across different disciplines who have a shared goal of learning about themselves and growing together in leadership and servingness," said Yesenia Ruvalcaba, student support technician with Oxnard College's EOPS/CARE program. "I'm looking forward to further implementing what I have learned to my professional and personal relationships with growing confidence."

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Members of the inaugural cohort were recognized by the VCCCD Board of Trustees at its May meeting. Graduates of the 2025–26 cohort include

Kelly Barton, District Administrative Center
Ruth Bennington, Moorpark College
Robert Cabral, Moorpark College
Susan Carrasco, M.S., Oxnard College
Melanie Csellak, Moorpark College
Nicholas deBos-Haigler, Oxnard College
Shyan Diaz-Brown, Moorpark College
Allison Frazier, District Administrative Center
Ty Gardner, Ventura College
Jennifer Garner, Ventura College
Dr. Elizabeth Gillis, Moorpark College
Coach Traycie Kephart, Moorpark College
Ann Marie Machamer, Oxnard College
Dr. José A. Maldonado, Oxnard College
Ali Olson-Pacheco, Ventura College
Sharon Oxford, Ventura College
Amanda Picard, Ventura College
Dina Pielaet, Moorpark College
Shirley Ruiz, Moorpark College
Yesenia Ruvalcaba, Oxnard College
William Slason, Ventura College

Visit https://www.vcccd.edu/TheLeadershipCollaborative to learn more about The Leadership Collaborative at CCVC.