What They're Saying about the New California Community Colleges Chancellor Dr. Sonya Christian

"Congratulations on being named the chancellor of California Community Colleges. Trailblazing leaders like you, who are devoted to the progress and success of the next generation, make us more optimistic than ever about America's future. We wish you the best in the years ahead and look forward to seeing all that you accomplish."

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"Dr. Sonya Christian is one of our nation’s most dynamic college leaders, with a demonstrated record of collaboration and results in the Central Valley,” said Governor Newsom. “She understands what is needed to deliver on record levels of higher education investment to make real improvements to the lived reality of our students. I look forward to continuing to partner with Dr. Christian to ensure our community colleges are engines of equity and opportunity.”

"I am thrilled that Dr. Sonya Christian has been named the 11th Chancellor of the California Community Colleges system and the first woman to be appointed to the position. Dr. Christian has an outstanding track record of bold collaborative leadership, and I know she is the right person to lead our 116 community colleges at this pivotal time. I look forward to working with Dr. Christian to prioritize student success with equity for all our 1.8M community college students.”

"It was my honor to join Kern Community College District Chancellor Sonya Christian in October 2022 in Bakersfield for the Community Economic Mobility Pre-Summit she organized with her team. We talked about utilizing state partnerships for energy and education to empower disinvested communities. I look forward to continuing to partner with Chancellor Christian in her new role as state Chancellor for the California Community Colleges to support investments in clean energy, workforce development and student housing.”

“Over the years, many initiatives to support our students have been led by Sonya Christian. It is that same dedication that has propelled the district to be one of the most successful in California and across the country. As the newly appointed Chancellor of the entire community college system of California, I know Sonya will continue to make Kern County proud in her new role. I wish her the best of luck in her efforts to increase community college enrollment statewide and congratulate her on this next chapter of her career.”

"I’m delighted that Dr. Sonya Christian, a distinguished academic leader and a champion for California students, has been named the next chancellor of the California Community Colleges system. For decades, our institutions have collaborated to help students prepare academically, to smooth the transfer path to a four-year institution, and to ensure that students thrive throughout their educational journeys. I am proud that a third of UC undergraduates come from community colleges and that the University of California enrolls more community college students than any institution of its caliber in the nation. I look forward to forging an even stronger partnership as Dr. Christian assumes her role and to advocating together for California’s world-class public higher education system. Congratulations to Dr. Christian and to the California Community Colleges Board of Governors for this outstanding choice.”

"Dr. Christian is an equity-centered leader who understands that increasing access to education and workforce development transforms lives, families, communities, and the state. She is an innovator with a long and impressive track record of expanding opportunities for California’s students. I invite and welcome Dr. Sonya’s partnership in collaboratively advancing our shared goals for student success.”

"Chancellor Sonya Christian is a dynamic, engaging, and inspiring leader who will help millions of Californians achieve their dreams through our California community colleges.”

"Sonya is a driven leader who is always looking to build the capacity of community colleges to uplift disinvested communities. Her leadership was essential in Kern County’s application for the Community Economic Resilience Fund, which brought together labor unions, community-based organizations and economic development groups under a single application to build an infrastructure for creating carbon-neutral jobs in California’s renewable energy capital.”

"The Community College League of California congratulates Chancellor-Select Sonya Christian and the Board of Governors for choosing a CEO with experience serving a locally-elected board of trustees and someone who has demonstrated the importance of local and regionally-focused collaboration in advancing the missions of our extraordinarily diverse community colleges.”

Dr. Christian leads with a student-first agenda and has spent much of her career at institutions that predominantly serve communities of color, many first-generation students, and those facing outsized financial barriers. I’m thrilled for Dr. Christian to take the helm of the system, which is a vitally important engine of socio-economic mobility for so many.”

"We are confident Dr. Christian’s long history of service to our colleges and reputation for equity will help guide our system along the Governor’s California Community College Roadmap. We must also thank the Board of Governors for including students in this process. The chancellor is the most prominent leader in the system and it’s important that students have a voice in this monumental decision.”

"The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges wishes to extend our warmest welcome and congratulations to Sonya Christian, incoming Chancellor of the California Community Colleges as she takes leadership of the largest community college system in the world. Dr. Christian has served our system and students extensively in many previous roles including as president of Bakersfield College and chancellor of Kern Community College District, championing strategies to support student success, workforce, and transfer. The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges is appreciative of the inclusion of faculty and student leaders on the Board of Governor’s Chancellor Search Committee and is excited to begin collaborating with Dr. Christian to continue moving our system forward in service to all our students.”

"Our state’s community college system is in good hands with Sonya Christian as our chancellor. Chancellor Christian possesses a stellar reputation, and she has earned the respect from the field as an equity-minded faculty member and solutions-oriented administrator. Chancellor Christian is well-prepared and well-positioned to act and succeed in her new role.”

"Dr. Sonya Christian has spent her career focused on improving the lives of our students. With her background as both a former college president and a current chancellor of the multi-college Kern Community College District, Sonya has a great sense of the challenges and opportunities on the ground in our colleges and districts. Most importantly, she is resolute in her commitment to the students that we serve and in breaking down barriers for their success.”

"Dr. Christian is known for her innovative approach, including her support for community college baccalaureate programs. Under her leadership as president, Bakersfield College developed a baccalaureate program which became one of the 15 pilot bachelor’s degree programs under Senate Bill 850. She was a successful chancellor of the Kern Community College District and chaired the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges. Her combination of experience, innovation, and vision will serve California’s community colleges well in the years to come.”

"Sonya Christian’s experience increasing student success for Latina/o/x and BIPOC Students in Graduation, Transfer and Career Tech Education demonstrate her powerful and effective leadership. The partnerships she established and the activities she prioritized show that she recognized and built on the assets of our community.”

"Dr. Christian is a longtime, student-centered champion for equity who has led with a focus on removing barriers so that many more students can access and complete college. Her work on dual enrollment and other pathways has been exemplary. She is the right leader for this moment, as campuses and their leaders advance implementation of student success initiatives based on evidence.”

"Chancellor Christian has been a longtime advocate for students as an academic leader, and as an ACCJC peer reviewer, team chair, commissioner, and as chair of the commission. She has consistently advocated for equitable student outcomes and the value of peer-review accreditation as a mechanism to promote institutional transformation in a collaborative and student-focused environment.”

"As president of Bakersfield College and chancellor of the Kern Community College District, Dr. Sonya Christian has dedicated herself to be a champion for students. She has worked relentlessly to ensure that all students have access to programs and opportunities that will help them achieve their educational goals and beyond.”

"The Board of Governors made a wise choice by selecting a leader who has proven she understands California’s community colleges and will advocate on their behalf at the state and national level. Her Central Valley Higher Education Consortium colleagues in the nine county Central Valley are delighted that, as the new chancellor, she understands the needs and challenges of community colleges in the rural areas of California and the students and communities they serve.”

"The selection of Dr. Sonya Christian as the next chancellor of the California Community Colleges system is as historic and bold, as it is wise and an absolute win for students. Her track record and pioneering leadership make her perfect for the job. She has been at the forefront of expanding Guided Pathways, redesigning remedial education placement practices, strengthening transfer, and boosting workforce and career education in service of students. As the first woman, and first Asian American to be selected, Dr. Christian’s appointment is inspiring and reflects a desire to stay focused on improving the community college experience for students and eradicating racial equity gaps.”

"As an organization that advocates for increased college graduation rates and transfer rates from community colleges to four-year institutions, dual enrollment, and workforce opportunities, we value thoughtful, innovative, and racially just leadership. Dr. Christian has led the Kern Community College District with heart and results, and we are confident she will lead the community college system with the same values.”

"This is a very exciting and confidence-inducing choice for chancellor of California’s community colleges. Sonya Christian has the right experience, philosophy, and ingenuity to ensure that our community colleges continue to improve their track record in equitably advancing the education of all Californians.”

"I have had the pleasure of working with Dr. Sonya Christian over the past several years and she is the right person at a pivotal time to lead the largest community college system in the nation. She is a fierce advocate for students, a strong voice for women and a founding member of the California Community Colleges Women’s Caucus. Her leadership will start a new chapter for community colleges in California.”

"Chancellor Sonya Christian has been an excellent partner as we’ve worked together to establish the California Renewable Energy Laboratory. She has been a strong supporter of an ambitious climate and energy agenda, and a champion for connecting community colleges with the emerging technology and hightech jobs enabled by the national laboratories. I appreciate her advocacy for equity and STEM education and look forward to seeing what she will accomplish at the state level.”

"Sonya Christian is a champion of the underserved who has provided countless opportunities for rural students and students of color in Kern County. It has been a sincere privilege to partner with her on educational initiatives that uplift our communities and facilitate upward mobility. As we reach this critical juncture in higher education, Dr. Christian has the ability and the commitment to improve educational attainment rates throughout the state. She is EXACTLY the kind of driven and principled woman we need in Sacramento representing our community colleges.”

"I am thrilled to welcome Dr. Christian as the new leader of the California Community Colleges, and applaud the Board of Governors for this historic appointment. Dr. Christian is truly committed to equity and understands the power of philanthropy and other partnerships to inspire innovation and transform lives at scale. We at the Foundation have been fortunate over the years to partner with Dr. Christian in her former roles, and we look forward to working with her even more closely to support the success of our students, colleges, and communities.”

"As UC Merced looks to partner with community colleges across the state on projects that have the potential to transform student access and success, Dr. Christian and the Kern Community College District have always been engaged partners that share our values of equity, excellence, and inclusivity. I further believe it’s important to have representation from the Central Valley in high positions of state educational leadership. Thus, I can think of no one better than Dr. Christian to champion the issues of community colleges, and specifically those in the Central Valley, on behalf of our respective state system as its chancellor.”

"Dr. Sonya Christian’s appointment as chancellor is a terrific decision by the Board of Governors. Dr. Christian is one of the talented, transformational minds in the education space and her leadership has established the Kern Community College District as a leader in the nation. I saw firsthand how effective she is when we worked together in developing the state’s first ever Early College program at the Wonderful College Prep Academy, and I’m confident she will expand Early College throughout the state.”

"On behalf of The National Asian Pacific Islander Council (NAPIC), an affiliate of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), we congratulate the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges (CCC) for selecting Dr. Sonya Christian as the system’s next chancellor. We believe that Dr. Christian’s higher education experience and innovative leadership will continue the impressive student equity and student success efforts already underway in California. As an organization dedicated to quality education for Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders (AAPI) and the enhancement of our pluralistic society, we look forward to collaborating with Dr. Christian and the rest of her leadership team to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education at the national level. ”

"Dr. Christian is a respected and visionary leader who is deeply committed to student success and equity. Her experience in accreditation and her knowledge of emerging workforce needs will serve the system well during these challenging times.”

"Dr. Christian is fiercely equity-minded, able to orient her work around both the gifts and needs of marginalized students. Her track record at Kern CCD, including tremendous gains for its students and strengthened pathways to college for future students, speaks to her talents and passionate commitment to equity.”

"We are especially thrilled that Dr. Christian is the first AAPI female chancellor. Her AAPI perspective, impressive experience and stellar leadership will benefit our 1.8 million community college students and ensure that they will receive the best education possible.”

"For more than a decade as president of Bakersfield College and chancellor of the Kern Community College District, Sonya Christian has been a thought leader statewide promoting guided pathways and the Vision for Success as a tool to advance student success and equity. She has not only expanded the partnership with K-12 school districts opening doors for dual enrollment, but she has significantly expanded the partnership with the CSU and UC Systems to make the transfer path be seamless. She is an embodiment of a true and successful community college leader. I’m excited that she’s going to be putting that philosophy into action as the head of the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office. I’ve been an admirer of her work from here in the Inland Empire for many years now, ever since I was invited to speak at Bakersfield College’s Leadership Matters Summit in 2017, which focused on how educational leaders can set the stage for improving certificate and degree attainment rates for the disinvested communities we serve. She is a powerful and humble leader who inspires people to do the right thing, and the California Community Colleges are blessed to have her at the helm.”

“The Central Valley Community College CEO Caucus and regional CEOs are celebrating the announcement of one of our very own.  Dr. Sonya Christian is a strong choice for California Community College Chancellor.  She is an advocate for the underserved, passionate about the mission and role of the community college system, and has a record of working tirelessly to elicit change and innovation.  As a former faculty, administrator, campus CEO and district chancellor, she understands the day-to-day challenges of running an institution of higher education and we are confident in her abilities to make immediate contributions as our system’s newest chancellor.”

"On behalf of Asian Pacific Americans in Higher Education (APAHE), we extend our congratulations to Dr. Sonya Christian who was recently selected as the new Chancellor of the California Community Colleges (CCC). As an organization that promotes higher education access and equity for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) students and educators, APAHE appreciates the Board of Governors commitment to building a more inclusive system of higher education as evident with the diversity and caliber of all of their finalists in the search. We are confident that under Dr. Christian’s leadership, the CCC system focus on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility, and anti-Racism will continue to progress. We look forward to partnering with Dr. Christian and the Chancellor’s Office to advance racial equity and student success for AANHPI, African American/Black, Latinx, and American Indian and Alaskan Native communities. ”

"On behalf of California’s locally elected community college trustees, we are thrilled with the selection of Dr. Sonya Christian as our next chancellor. Dr. Christian is known for her leadership in implementing California’s Guided Pathways and advancing student success with equity through dual enrollment. Trustees value this kind of leadership that is focused on improving student outcomes. We look forward to building a strong partnership to advance local college goals and the objectives of our entire system.”

"Dr. Christian has an impressive record of community college leadership," said ACCT President and CEO Jee Hang Lee. "All of us at ACCT are excited to work with Dr. Christian in her new capacity as the chancellor of the largest system of higher education, where she will be empowered to advance the interests of community colleges and to help more students than ever realize their dreams. We look forward to partnering with Dr. Christian in this endeavor."

"A2MEND extends our congratulations and support to Dr. Sonya Christian as our next statewide chancellor. A2MEND looks forward to being a strategic partner in her efforts to forward the Vision for Student Success particularly, as it relates to eliminating opportunities gaps that exist for students of color. Dr. Christian’s track record of innovative practices and her proven ability to lead deep institutional transformative change gives us great hope that we can tackle systemic issues that have plagued our system for far too long.”

"Given the California Community Colleges’ focus on implementing the Vision for Success, the roadmap with the Governor’s Office, and the many initiatives that have passed in recent years, it is not surprising that the Board of Governors selected a leader who they are confident will focus on excellence in implementation in a system that has been tasked with many new reforms and initiatives over the past decade. With the appointment of a new chancellor, the California Community Colleges has opened a new window to address the significant and persistent equity gaps that have hindered the potential of our state.”

“I am truly thrilled that Dr. Sonya Christian will be the next Chancellor for California’s Community Colleges.  Our state's community college students deserve the very best, and I know that under the leadership of Dr. Christian they will thrive as never before.  She has the vision and perseverance to remove academic and administrative barriers that have stood for too long in students’ paths to success. Under Sonya Christian's leadership, I know that equity will be prioritized in opportunity and outcomes, translating to more high value degrees and successful transfers to four-year colleges.  Sonya is not afraid to tackle difficult issues or take unpopular positions, and her calm aspect will undoubtedly bring her success in mediating with the many different factions found in the state's higher ed systems. She is a leader in the truest sense—adept at wielding power in order to bring people together.”

"On behalf of the Rancho Santiago Community College District, we are delighted to welcome and congratulate Dr. Sonya Christian in her new role as chancellor of the California Community Colleges system. It is inspiring to see the historic appointment of our state’s first female and first Asian-American to permanently hold this position, and we commend the Board of Governors for their decision. As an irrefutable advocate and champion for underserved and underrepresented students, Dr. Christian brings the strength, knowledge, and experience to remove barriers and continue the crucial efforts needed to foster student equity and success across the state."

"On behalf of the San Diego State University, I would like to congratulate you on your unanimous selection as Chancellor of the California Community Colleges. This distinguished appointment underscores your long record of accomplishments in higher education and your strong commitment to improving the quality of lives of students."

Read the Official Letter