September 11, 2024
Contact: Melissa Villarin
Office: 916-327-5365
Office E-mail: MVillarin@CCCCO.edu
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Today, the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office announced Rowena M. Tomaneng has been selected to serve as deputy chancellor.
Working with Chancellor Sonya Christian, Tomaneng will be responsible for moving forward the goals of Vision 2030, the system’s strategic plan, which calls for action with equity. Tomaneng will also help foster policies and practices that support student success and college effectiveness in the California Community Colleges.
Tomaneng has nearly 30 years of experience in higher education. And her expertise in diversity, equity and inclusion, and high impact practices that lead to student equity, student success and civic engagement, will play a key role in her new responsibilities.
“We are pleased to welcome Dr. Rowena M. Tomaneng to the Chancellor’s Office. She has dedicated her career to forging pathways of success, elevating the voices of first-generation and low-income students, and championing equitable access to higher education. I have experienced Dr. Tomaneng’s drive and commitment firsthand and seen her advance equity-centered initiatives. I’m looking forward to working with her to advance transformative change within our system and make a lasting impact for our students and future learners,” said California Community Colleges Chancellor Sonya Christian.”
Currently, Tomaneng serves as the president of San Jose City College, a position she has held since 2020. Tomaneng began her higher education journey as a student at a community college.
“I am delighted to work alongside Chancellor Christian, a true champion for our community college students, in furthering a bold agenda with Vision 2030. Together, we will drive the three goals of Vision 2030 – equity in access, equity in support and equity in success,” said Rowena M. Tomaneng, incoming deputy chancellor, California Community Colleges. “As one who knows from personal experience about the transformational power of California community colleges, I look forward to being able to work for our colleges on a statewide level. The equity commitment of the Chancellor’s Office is also what drew me to this position, and the opportunity through that commitment to increase the success of all our students and inspire the next generation of leaders and changemakers.””
During her time at San Jose City College, Tomaneng worked to develop innovative partnerships that provided academic and career education pathways for the college’s diverse student populations. She also secured several Hispanic-Serving Institution federal grants to increase Latinx student success. Prior to serving as the president of San Jose City College, Tomaneng was the president of Berkeley City College where she helped implement academic pathways designed to increase access to higher education for low-income, first-generation to college African American/Black, Latinx and Southeast Asian students. Tomaneng has also served in multiple administrative roles at De Anza College, including associate vice president of instruction and dean of Language Arts. She also served as a faculty director and for 12 years as a faculty member.
In 2019, Tomaneng was honored as California Assembly District 15 Woman of the Year by Assembly Member Buffy Wicks in recognition for her service to the Berkeley-Oakland community. She serves on numerous statewide and national boards including American Association of Community Colleges and Asian Pacific Americans in Higher Education. She has written and contributed to a variety of publications and is frequently invited to speak statewide and nationally.
Tomaneng earned her bachelor's degree in English from the University of California, Irvine followed by a master’s degree in English from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a doctoral degree in International and Multicultural Education, Human Rights Concentration from the University of San Francisco.
The California Community Colleges is the largest system of higher education in the nation, composed of 73 districts and 116 colleges serving 2 million students per year. California community colleges provide career education and workforce training; guaranteed transfer to four-year universities; and degree and certificate pathways. As the state’s engine for social and economic mobility, the California Community Colleges supports the Vision 2030, a strategic plan designed to improve student success, our communities and our planet. For more information, please visit the California Community Colleges website or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X (Formerly Twitter).
###
