A New President for Saddleback College

Marla Jo Fisher’s College Life Blog reports the following:

.....It hasn’t been officially announced yet, but trustees have appointed Tod Burnett, statewide vice chancellor for California community colleges, as the new president of Saddleback College.
.....Burnett will replace Rich McCullough, who’s retiring. In New York City this week at a conference, Burnett, 45, said this morning he plans to start his new job August 1, after finding a place to live and taking a short vacation in Hawaii.
.....An alumnus of Pepperdine, USC and UC Riverside, Burnett said he’s a sports fan who’s looking forward to rooting for the Gauchos. He pledged to keep his door open to students and said he’s excited to be on campus working directly with faculty and students, rather than in Sacramento.
.....Born in West Covina, Burnett said he has family and friends throughout Orange County, and will likely look for a place to live near the campus.
.....While at the system office in Sacramento, Burnett has been responsible for the systemwide strategic plan and overseeing policy initiatives.
.....Burnett, who formerly was deputy appointments secretary to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, said he wasn’t scared off by bad press over the years about the South Orange County Community College District, which operates Saddleback.
.....“I think one reason I was selected is that I’m a fresh face coming from the outside,” he said. “I believe everybody is there for the students and that’s what matters.”

At the State Chancellor's office website, one finds the following description of Burnett:

.....Dr. Tod A. Burnett was appointed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as Vice Chancellor on January 1, 2006. In this capacity, he coordinates implementation of the California Community Colleges System Strategic Plan and is responsible for the development, formulation, coordination and communication of complex and highly sensitive policy initiatives for the System Office. He is also an Associate Faculty at the University of Phoenix. Prior to joining the Community Colleges System Office, Tod served as Deputy Appointments Secretary for Governor Schwarzenegger where he advised the Governor on making political appointments to hundreds of full and part-time positions in State government.
.....Previously, Tod was Director of State and Local Government Relations for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under Administrator Christie Todd Whitman and Commissioner on the City of Los Angeles Board of Public Works appointed by Mayor Richard Riordan. His private sector experience includes Chief Financial & Operating Officer of the law firm of Gascou, Gemmill & Thornton; Vice President of Eva Gabor International, Ltd.; Assistant Vice President for Union Bank's Merchant Banking Department; and Financial Analyst for Metropolitan Life Insurance Company's Capital Markets Group.
.....Tod is a strong proponent of youth leadership education. He served as President of the Board of Directors of California Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership, Inc. (HOBY), a non-profit organization that seeks out, recognizes and develops leadership potential of high school students. In 1999, he was selected among over 5,000 volunteers worldwide as HOBY’s National Volunteer of the Year.
.....Tod holds an Education Doctorate Degree in Organizational Leadership from Pepperdine University’s Graduate School of Education and Psychology, Master of Business Administration from the University of Southern California and Bachelor of Arts in Political Science/Administrative Studies from the University of California, Riverside. Tod was born and has lived in the Los Angeles metropolitan area most of his life, except for two years both in Chicago and Washington, D.C. He has resided in the Sacramento area since 2003.

FURTHER INFO, FACTOIDS:

• Evidently, Burnett is not averse to participating in politics, and, for once, they don’t seem to be right-leaning. See his recent endorsement of Democrat Laurette Healey for Assembly.