Izumi Elected Chair of Foundation for Calif. Community Colleges

Foundation for California Community Colleges CEO Keetha Mills and past chair Patricia Sullivan hand the gavel to new chair Lance Izumi.

SACRAMENTO — Lance Izumi was elected in June as chair of the Board of Directors of the Foundation for California Community Colleges, one of the largest operating foundations in higher education.

Two members of the California Community College Board of Governors, Arnoldo Avalos and Manuel Baca, were appointed to a four-year term on the foundation board, which also selected Baca as vice chair and James Sargen as secretary/treasurer.

Avalos, founder and chief executive officer of the Avalos Foundation and former global compensation manager at Facebook, and Baca, political science professor at Rio Hondo College and past president of the California Community College Board of Governors, each bring significant experience in the education, philanthropic, governance, and finance arenas. They join existing board members Izumi, Sargen, Patricia Sullivan, Dan Noell, Isabel Barreras, Mario Camara, and Alice Perez.

“The foundation is uniquely positioned to bring together civic and community leaders, philanthropists, and administrators to advance issues critical to better serve the 2.1 million students enrolled in California Community Colleges,” said Izumi. “I look forward to working with my colleagues to facilitate collaboration, accelerate innovation, and increase resources available to the California Community Colleges.”

As the official nonprofit foundation to the California Community Colleges’ Board of Governors and Chancellor’s Office, the foundation oversees programs and services that benefit California’s 112 community colleges. Activities include supporting colleges and districts across a number of initiatives, managing grants and contracts on behalf of the system, and overseeing the California Community Colleges Scholarship Endowment, which provides permanent scholarship support to thousands of students each year.

Foundation programs are designed to benefit students, colleges, college foundations, and the system as a whole, helping to improve higher education opportunities throughout the state. Since its inception, the foundation has contributed more than $3.3 million to the California Community College system, and has provided over $250 million in direct grants, support, and cost savings to colleges.

Incorporated in 1998, the foundation is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit corporation and receives no direct state or public support.

Izumi is a Koret senior fellow; senior director of education studies at the Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy; co-executive producer of a highly praised film documentary; author and co-author of several critically acclaimed books; and the author of numerous major Pacific Research Institute studies.

In 2008, he served as an online contributor for The New York Times on the presidential race and education issues. Izumi has also served as a member of the professional development working group of the California Legislature’s joint committee to develop a master plan for education and as chief speechwriter for Gov. George Deukmejian. Izumi served as a member of the California Community Colleges Board of Governors from 2004 to 2015, and served two terms as president from 2008 to 2009.

An alumnus of Gardena High School, he holds a juris doctorate from the University of Southern California School of Law, a Master of Arts degree from UC Davis and a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and history from the UCLA.